Mussomeli: Election likely to be peaceful and orderly ... Kem Sokha: CPP continues to buy off activists and buy votes

US Ambassador Expects Peaceful Elections

By Taing Sarada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
13 June 2008

Click here to listen to the audio program in Khmer

US Ambassador Joseph Mussomeli expects a peaceful transition of power following free and fair elections in July.

Critics maintain that the ruling party continues to buy off or otherwise persuade activists from competing parties and to buy votes through gifts to the poor.

Mussomeli told VOA Khmer in Washington the election was likely to be peaceful and orderly.

That may be true, but the ruling party continues to buy off activists and buy votes through gifts to the poor, Kem Sokha, president of the Human Rights Party said.

"The ruling party is buying or persuading the other political parties’ activists or offering gifts to poor people in the rural countryside in order to get their ballots,” he said. "Since my Human Rights Party was established, I've received so many threatening cases and more than 200 party signs were abolished."

Om Yintieng, a senior advisor to Prime Minister Hun Sen, said Cambodia's political environment had gotten "better and better" since elections in 1993.

"I don't think it can satisfy everybody in the world, but we are proud for our country to be able to improve the election process," he said.

Koul Panha, executive director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections, said he was concerned for the election process, which has already seen eight murders and 20 cases of intimidation.

Norodom Ranariddh Party Accused (Authority) of Threats

21st March 2008
By Mayarith
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Khmerization
(on the web at http://khmerization.blogspot.com)

The Norodom Ranariddh Party (NRP) in Banteay Meanchey province alleged that there are threats against its local officials.

The allegations followed a report which claimed that five NRP party signs were destroyed by four agents of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) on the night of 19th March at Teuk Cho commune in Preah Net Preah district and another incident which happened yesterday when the agents of the Military Police stopped two trucks carrying officials of the NRP who had returned from a meeting in Preah Net Preah district.

The party’s statement released today stated that seven heavily armed military policemen had stopped the trucks carrying the NRP officials on the spot in Preah Net Preah for 30 minutes to search for illegal weapons.

The statement further stated that the authority’s actions constituted threats because the search was carried out only on the trucks carrying the NRP officials and other vehicles were allowed to go freely and were not stopped or searched.

The NRP’s statement has appealed to human rights groups and the Office of the UN High Commission for Human Rights in Cambodia to take actions to protect the civil rights and political rights of all Khmer citizens.

SRP MP summons Sar Kheng for questioning on monk disappearance

Thursday, July 26, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

SRP Members of Parliament invited Sar Kheng, vice-prime minister and minister of interior (MoI), to come and clarify the National Assembly (NA) on the disappearance of Khmer Krom Monk Tim Sakhorn. The Cambodia Daily reported that SRP Yim Sovann invited Sar Kheng to come and clarify the situation to the NA on 02 August in a letter he sent dated 24 July. Yim Sovann wrote in his letter that the defrocking of Monk Tim Sakhorn by force and his disappearance led to fear among the population and that this is a threat against the freedom of expression of opinion. Yim Sovann said that the MoI is responsible for finding this monk. Khieu Sopheak, MoI spokesman, told The Cambodia Daily also that he did not see Yim Sovann’s letter, and he cannot tell whether Sar Kheng will go to the NA to give his clarification or not.

When in needs, the Human Rights Party calls on human rights organizations to help provide good protection to its activists

HRP activist threatened in Kompong Chhnang

23 July 2007
By Keo Nimol
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

The chairman of the HRP in Kompong Chhnang declared on 23 July that the CPP Daun Viet village chief threatened members of his party who participated in the party’s congress on 22 July in Phnom Penh.

Um Sarom, chairman of the HRP branch in Kompong Leng district, Kompong Chhnang province, accused Uk Soeun, the Daun Viet village chief located in Kompong Hav commune, Kompong Leng district, Kompong Chhnang province, of threatening the life of three HRP members who traveled to attend the party congress in Phnom Penh. The 3 HRP members are now very concerned.

Um Sarom said: “At 6:00AM, on 23 July, Un Soeun, the CPP Daun Viet village chief, threatened three of my party activists who are: Ty Horn, Chum Hel, and Ou Khoeun. He said that: ‘The two or three of you should be shot in the middle of the chest, you went somewhere and you didn’t tell me.’ My activists were wearing the HRP T-shirts from the party congress yesterday. Therefore, I am complaining to national and international organizations, all human rights NGOs, to help resolve this issue, and to help provide good protection to HRP activists in Kompong Leng district, or in the entire province of Kompong Chhnang, from the ruling party which is putting pressure on the HRP such as what has just happened.”

CPP village chief Uk Soeun rejected this accusation by declaring that he did not threaten the three activists as Um Sarom claimed. He only reminded his villagers to let him know on their whereabouts because he is the village chief.

Uk Soeun said: “I did not threaten them, I only said people … this morning where did you go? I heard from the police and the military police they came to ask me of your whereabouts, I was surprised that you went somewhere without letting me know. If you go and nothing happen to you, it’s fine, but if something happens to you, I could be accused of not knowing the whereabouts of the people, and allowing them to have accidents. I only said that, I did not say anything else… They have the rights to join any party, I cannot force them.”

Regarding this dispute, Sam Chankea, director of the Adhoc human rights organization branch in Kompong Chhnang said that he is investigating this issue.

Kem Sokha’s HRP party held its party congress at the Olympic Stadium on Sunday 22 July, with the participation of several thousands of people. This is the first party congress where the leadership of the party was announced: Kem Sokha as the party president, and the party has three vice-presidents: Pen Sovann, Keo Remy, and Kiet Sokun.

NRP Member Threatened With Bow and Arrow, Officials Claim

Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
16/04/2007

Norodom Ranariddh Party officials said Monday a ruling party activist threatened one of their supporters Friday with a bow and arrow.

The alleged victim has twice been the victim of attacks meant to kill him because he is an active NRP supporter in the provinces, officials said.

Phy Bun Tha, 55, an NRP representative in Krauch Chhmar, Kampong Cham province, was threatened by Meoun Theng, an activist for the Cambodian People's Party, according to Than Kim Hor, an NRP official in Phnom Penh.

It was unclear Monday if Phy Bun Tha was hit by an arrow.

"It is customary to use feelings instead of law" to solve disputes, Than Kim Hor said. "After a while, it becomes a bad habit, and the country does not respect the law. The majority of the people are like that, and they do not solve any problems."

He called on authorities to investigate.

Police Chief Kong Sovanvuth could not be reached for comment.

Siem Reap, Village Chief collect names of SRP voters

08 April 2007
By Uon Chhin
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

SRP officials and people living in Kauk Daung Chas village, Kauk Daung commune, Angkor Chum district, Siem Reap province, said that the names of a number of villagers were collected by the village chief and the village group chief. These people were questioned and sneered at because they voted for the Sam Rainsy Party.

Ms. Chheng Say, the first candidate on the SRP commune list for Kauk Daung commune, reacted to the action taken by the village chief and the village group chief by saying: “The election has ended already, there’s upheaval here, they (CPP village chief and village group chief) sneered at very poor people during the distribution of food, [they said:] ‘you are poor, when you vote for them (SRP), what will they help you?’ They threatened people, when I heard about a number of these comments, I replied that I (as a SRP candidate) did not give out help to ease any family or individual, because I did not occupy my position yet, I don’t have anything like all of you.”

Another woman told RFA about her questioning: “They (CPP village chief) said that you support this party (SRP) for what? I told them that I didn’t receive anything, it’s a poor party. They said that if this party is poor, why do you support it, if they (SRP) don’t give you money?”

Another woman reported the same problem she encountered also: “They (CPP village chief) said that villages which support the Sam Rainsy Party will not be allowed to participate with them [during the food distribution], they gave us a hard time, they told us all kind of things. It made me mad, I went to apply for my membership with SRP. The CPP insult people a lot.”

Tuon Uon, the Kauk Daung commune chief said that he heard from others about the distribution of gifts [by the CPP] following the election: “No, I did not know about it, because my mandate had ended, I did not do anything. But I heard from others, I did not do any research about this issue as the election was already completed, whoever they vote for, let it be, I am not going to review [anybody’s vote], for me, my mandate as commune chief is already over.”

Kul Panha, Comfrel executive director, said that this action is a serious violation which requires the immediate intervention from the Commune Election Committee (CEC) and the local police: “For the functioning of a free and fair election, following the outcome of the election for a political party, even though we know who support this or that party, these people should not be threatened, otherwise it will create fear during the election in Cambodia, it will create a bad atmosphere before and after the election, it will create a bad situation for our country.”

Villagers who are worried about their situation, are calling for all organizations involved to intervene to help protect them.