Cambodia Using `Subtle' Intimidation, Sam Rainsy Says

By Daniel Ten Kate

"The trends are in favor of democracy because people are more educated with the improvement in communication systems and mobile phones ... People are more aware, less afraid and more critical" - Opposition leader Sam Rainsy

June 20 (Bloomberg) -- Cambodia's ruling party is using ``subtle'' measures to intimidate voters before next month's general elections rather than outright violence as in the past, opposition leader Sam Rainsy said.

``Even though there is less violence, less deaths, the ruling party is using more subtle means to achieve the same goals,'' he said by phone from the capital, Phnom Penh. Government spokesman Khieu Kanharith didn't answer repeated calls for comment.

Sam Rainsy, who leads a party named after him, may see parliament lift his immunity so he can face defamation charges for accusing Foreign Minister Hor Namhong of working as a prison official during the rule of the Khmer Rouge between 1975 and 1979.

Cambodia's economic growth over the past four years, including a 9.6 percent expansion in 2007, has bolstered Prime Minister Hun Sen, who last week predicted victory for his ruling Cambodian People's Party in the July 27 election. International human rights groups have accused the CPP of using the justice system to intimidate journalists and opposition members in the run-up to the vote.

The ruling party has also linked Sam Rainsy to the Cambodian Freedom Fighters, a U.S.-based dissident group that made a failed coup attempt in 2000.

``By making accusations against me, they want to create a general panic among my supporters or potential supporters so they are afraid to vote for me,'' said Sam Rainsy, 59.

Assembly Meeting

The opposition leader probably won't be stripped of his immunity and arrested before the election because parliament isn't in session and may not meet again before the ballot, said Hang Chhaya, director of the Khmer Institute of Democracy in Phnom Penh.

``We can say with a sigh of relief that the democratic climate has changed and improved,'' Hang Chhaya said. ``Political violence is very minimal.''

Dam Sith, a candidate of the Sam Rainsy Party and editor of the Khmer Conscience newspaper, was released on bail June 15 after Hun Sen, 56, wrote a letter to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court calling for his release. He was jailed for printing Sam Rainsy's comments about Hor Namhong.

``I proposed to the authorities that I was willing to go to jail if they free the journalist,'' Sam Rainsy said, referring to Dam Sith. ``If they want to arrest me I am not complaining.''

Sam Rainsy's party won 24 of 123 seats in the previous election five years ago. He spent most of 2005 in exile in France and was sentenced to jail for 18 months in absentia for defaming Hun Sen.

Victory Forecast

The CPP will probably win at least 81 seats, up from 73, and receive 73 percent of the vote versus 64 percent in the 2003 election, Hun Sen told the Mekong Times, a Phnom Penh-based English-language daily newspaper, earlier this month.

About 10 Sam Rainsy Party lawmakers defected earlier this year to join Hun Sen's CPP. Sam Rainsy said it was ``normal'' to lose members of parliament before an election.

``It's common for the ruling party to try to lure and to buy opposition lawmakers,'' said Sam Rainsy, who characterized his chances against the CPP as ``David versus Goliath.''

``The CPP uses both the carrot and the stick to win,'' he said. ``We'll judge our popularity by the actual results on election day.''

Ngor Sovann, a former Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker who left the party to join the CPP, said members of parliament who switched sides lost faith in Sam Rainsy as a leader.

``The Sam Rainsy Party cannot win,'' he said in a phone interview. ``Many of us lost confidence in Sam Rainsy because of injustice and cronyism within the party.''

Economy Grows

Cambodia's economy grew by at least 10 percent between 2003 and 2006, according to data compiled by the World Bank.

Hun Sen wants to develop oil and mineral resources to attract international investment and reduce Cambodia's dependence on clothing exports and tourism for growth. About a third of the country's 14 million people live on less than 50 cents a day and 90 percent live in rural areas.

Cambodia has become a more vibrant democracy in the past five years due largely to advances in technology rather than through government changes, Sam Rainsy said.

``The trends are in favor of democracy because people are more educated with the improvement in communication systems and mobile phones,'' he said. ``People are more aware, less afraid and more critical.''

To contact the reporter on this story: Daniel Ten Kate in Bangkok at
dtenkate@bloomberg.net

Voters in Hun Sen's Province Report Irregularities

By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Original report from Kandal Province
01 June 2008

Click here to listen to the program in Khmer

Voters of at least one commune in Prime Minister Hun Sen’s electoral province, Kandal, say they face threats and intimidation and a sophisticated ruling party network ahead of elections.

If they don’t vote for the Cambodian People’s Party, they say, it will be difficult for them to live. The voters of Preak Ambel commune said CPP officials have structured a wide-sweeping network in groups of 10 to control vote-buying and other acts to influence voters.

Farmer Kim Srun, 70, said villagers have been told that they must vote for the CPP or “there would be difficulty to certify documents, such as marriage and ceremonies.”

He was appointed as a CPP group leader over the past two months, receiving a T-shirt and cap.

Of 25,000 people living in Prek Ambel, about 15,000 people are eligible to vote.

Hem Kit, a villager who had just moved into the area from Kampong Speu province, said it had been difficult for him to register.

The Committee for Free and Fair Elections has not reported any serious irregularities in the area.

CPP commune chief Pech Kroeun denied any intimidation of voters.

CCHR condemns a CPP village chief [-O'Andoung CPP village chief: a "dumb" CPP member as Hun Sen claimed?]

18 March 2008
By Mao Sotheany Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

The Cambodian Center for Human Rights issued a statement on Monday, condemning Sun Be, O’Andoung village chief, located in Prek Pra commune, Meanchey district, Phnom Penh city, who forced Kit Chheang, a SRP party member, to provide his thumbprint to become a CPP member. Sun Be threatened Kit Chheang that if he does not join the CPP, the village chief will not recognize him as a member of the village (i.e., he will not be able to vote).

The statement added that, based on direct investigation, the village chief also tried to influence other villagers who do not belong to the CPP to hurry up and join the CPP, then they will receive rice, sarong, MSG and some money also.

RFA could not obtain any reaction from Sun Be, the CPP village chief yet, regarding the CCHR’s condemnation.

By telling CPP members not to threaten the people to obtain votes, Hun Sen is confessing that the CPP used threats in past elections

Hun Sen tells his party members not to threaten the people to obtain votes

Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

On Monday, Prime minister Hun Sen called on CPP party members not to threaten those who do not belong to this party to make them vote for the CPP. He said that such action would be a serious mistake. In a speech given during the foundation setting for a pagoda in Mesang district, Prey Veng province, Hun Sen said that threats do not bring benefit but that it can destroy benefit to the CPP because it is not the CPP’s policy. Hun Sen asked his party members not to take this route, those who use threat are extremely dumb, and the CPP does not act this way. Eng Chhai Eang, SRP Secretary-general, supports Hun Sen’s argument in prohibiting CPP party members from threatening other parties. However, Eng Chhai Eang also pushes for these claims to become reality. He said that in the past, Hun Sen used to make the same statement, but when it comes to reality, it was never so.