Chiem Yiep defends the CPP development policy

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice testifies on Capitol Hill before Senate Foreign Relations Committee in Washington, 13 Feb 2008

Lawmaker Defends Cambodia's Development Policy

By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Washington
14 February 2008

A lawmaker from the ruling party defends Cambodia’s development policy.

Speaking to VOA Khmer by phone, Cheam Yiep, a lawmaker from the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) says that U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s disappointment about Cambodia doe not reflect the real progress in Cambodia.

"I can say that what Mrs. Rice US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has raised is her rights," says Cheam Yiep.

The Associated Press in Washington DC quoted Secretary Rice as saying "the U.S. is disappointed about pace of change in Cambodia". Rice reportedly told law makers on Wednesday that the United States wanted to see more progress in that country. However, the Associated Press did not elaborate.

Cambodia receives about USD 600 million dollars every year. An estimated 34 percent of its population is living under the poverty line and most people in Cambodia makes less than a dollar a day.

VOA could not reach government spokesman Khieu Kahnarith and other senior government official for comments.

Opposition criticizes demonstration draft law

Friday, February 1, 2008
Kampuchea Thmei newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Opposition MPs raised the issue of the draft law on peaceful demonstration, which will be debated and ratified in the near future, saying that it is in fact a law restricting the demonstration organizers. However, CPP MPs rejected this claim and said that the law is not drafted for (the benefit of) any particular party, but that it was drafted to serve the interest of the people.

SRP MP Yim Sovann told reporters at the National Assembly, in the afternoon of 30 January 2008, that the draft law on peaceful demonstration imposes severe restrictions on demonstration organizers, such as the one stipulated in Article 26. In this article, the demonstration organizers are responsible for the damages and any violence which would occur during the demonstration. Yim Sovann pointed this article out to show that, during a demonstration, there could be unscrupulous people who would take this opportunity to create problems in order to blame the demonstration organizers. Yim Sovann added that if there is no change on this issue, nobody would dare demonstrate.

At the same time, Yim Sovann also criticized some wordings used in the draft law, such as: “social order and national security”. He said that in the past, the authority tend to use the excuse of “affecting social order and national security” as an excuse to prevent demonstrators from protesting.

CPP MP Chiem Yeap said that this law existed earlier, but because it was too restrictive, the government then decided to review it, and prepared this new draft law, in order to be up to date for the Nation. He added that the “law” does not set a limit on its use, and even the king is under the law also. Therefore, this is not a further restriction, he said that those who raised this issue only do so to accuse the CPP only. However, the CPP will not hold on to power forever, and that only this law will still be in use as long as there is no amendment to it.

He said that even though the CPP is now winning the election, in the future, when another party wins the election, it will still put this law into practice as well. This law will become into effect in cities as well as in rural areas. This means that everybody must abide by this law. Chiem Yeap indicated that this law was dutifully reviewed by experts before it was sent to the National Assembly for debate and ratification. Furthermore, he said that NGOs also were called to participate in its review, evaluation, and to provide their input also. It was not prepared haphazardly.

He added that, anything that is backed up by a law is very good, there is nothing bad to it, because the law can defend and lead the country to one with the rule of law. This law will provide an application with clear goals.

The draft law on peaceful demonstration includes 6 sections and 30 articles. According to a MP, this law will be presented to the National Assembly for ratification in the near future.

SR Youth Movement volunteered to pick up trash [-Chiem Yeap: the CPP youths should be participating also, but they are nowhere to be found]

SR Youths seen collecting trash in Phnom Penh city along party leaders (Photo: SR Youth Movement)

13 January 2008
By Sophorn
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

SRP leaders led almost 1,000 youths to pick up trash along the city streets to clean the city of Phnom Penh, and also to push these youths to be involved in social (volunteer) work.

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy, the organizer of the SR Youth Movement to pick up trash in the city of Phnom Penh, declared on 13 January that his party organized these youths to pick up trash so that they uphold the spirit of participation to serve the society for public benefit. He added that all these youths must face all work challenges in the society before that can become leaders.

Sam Rainsy said: “The youths serve the people’s needs when they can do it, this is a participation, a contribution from youths who have the spirit of responsibility, who think about the Nation, about the society which they live in.”

Poch Pak, a youth who participated in the trash pickup, said that he volunteered to pick trash today because he want to prevent the disorderly throw away of trash by people in the past, and this work also pushes the youths to maintain the spirit of serving the society based on one’s ability.

Poch Pak said: “I am calling on all the city youths, as well as all the people in the country to help maintain good hygiene in the city and in rural areas.”

Chiem Yeap, a high ranking CPP official, said that the CPP plans to organize 2,000 youths to pick up trash in Phnom Penh on 13 January also, but that the event was cancelled, and he does not know the reason for this cancellation. He told RFA to go ask officials at the city hall.

Chiem Yeap said: “2,000 (CPP) party youths should participate (in the pickup of trash) this Sunday also, but now, I don’t know what happens. The city hall must be consulted before they issue an authorization.”

On Sunday, RFA tried to call Kep Chuktema, the city governor, as well as a number of other deputy governors, however, none of them accepted the calls.

Koul Panha, director of Comfrel, said, regarding the trash pickup by the youths, that the participation of youths in public services is a good opportunity for the upcoming general election, and these youths should be smart to tell all the party leaders about what they want, and this is also a good opportunity for the party leaders to understand the needs of youths at the moment, so that they can bring them up in the future.

Koul Panha said: “They accept a number of political programs that answer to the needs of the youths.”

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy led a march by a group of youths to pick up trash from Wat Phnom park all the way to the Chrauy Changvar bridge, for a total distance of about half a kilometer.

If the CPP was the liberator of Cambodian people from the KR, then what was the Vietnamese army doing in Cambodia for more than a decade?

Hun Sen remains the CPP (stale) PM candidate

12 January 2008
By Moeung Tum
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Chea Sim, CPP party president and Senate president, said on 07 January that the CPP still selects Hun Sen, the current prime minister, as the party prime minister candidate – just like what it did in the three previous mandates – for the upcoming July 2008 general election.

Chiem Yeap, a member of the CPP permanent committee and a MP, told the Phnom Penh Post newspaper published at the end of last week, that the CPP received a lot of support from the voters because it was the historical liberator of the Cambodian people from the genocidal KR regime from 07 January 1979 on.

However, opposition leader Sam Rainsy said that the CPP should explain to the people to understand that 07 January was the day that Cambodia lost her independence and national integrity.

Ratanakiri land "For the National Assembly" logging

Wednesday, 8 August 2007

Alt.Map.Cambodia (AMC) just published a map documenting the area of Ratanakiri destined for logging wood to be used in the construction of the National Assembly, however as described in the Global Witness Report, the expected timber yield from such a cut would far surpasses any conceivable furnishing requirements.

Click here to view the AMC map of this logging area

Souce: Alt.Map.Cambodia

Cambodia officially opens new parliamentary headquarters

Jul 7, 2007
DPA

Phnom Penh - Cambodia officially opened its 24 million- dollar new National Assembly Saturday in a lavish traditional Buddhist ceremony presided over by King Norodom Sihamoni and seven of the nation's most venerable Buddhist monks.

With 7,777 guests in attendance, the timing of the opening to coincide with the anniversary of factional fighting in 1997 which ousted then First Prime Minister and Funcinpec leader Prince Norodom Ranariddh was almost certainly for its astrological significance rather than irony.

Cambodian People's Party (CPP) lawmaker Cheam Yeap declared that 2007 was the anniversary of democracy which was established in Cambodia in late 1946. Observers noted that Prince Norodom Sihanouk's rule from 1953 until UN-organized elections in 1993 Cambodia was ruled by single parties.

The new National Assembly was built entirely by Cambodians, from architectural design to construction, and using only Cambodian funding, Cheam Yeap added.

King Sihamoni said the new building was 'a great monument to Cambodia's idealism and commitment' to democracy.

Neither the CPP nor its junior coalition partner Funcinpec marked the anniversary of the July 5 and 6 fighting, which left hundreds dead, saying that was in the past. Instead they turned their full attention to Saturday's ceremony.

A public museum inside the National Assembly includes a remarkably record of Cambodia's strides towards its current multi-party democracy, with a rollcall of parliamentarians from 1946 onward listing 10 names of the Khmer Rouge's Democratic Kampuchea (DK) regime leaders.

Brother Number 2, Nuon Chea, who is expected to be a prime candidate to face impending 56-million dollar joint Cambodia-UN trials of former leaders of the regime, tops the list rather than the movement's deceased leader Pol Pot. It was unclear why only 10 of 250 DK parliamentarians' names were recorded.

Saturday's ceremony was attended by the nation's parliamentarians and senators from all parties, as well as a range of dignitaries and representatives from foreign embassies.

Although the building is extensively and almost exclusively decorated with prime examples of Cambodian artwork, one tribute from a foreign nation was prominently displayed during the opening tour - a gift of a large painting of the Great Wall of China presented by the Chinese government just days before the inauguration.

7 the lucky number for the National Assembly?

Friday, June 22, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

A CPP MP said that the number 7 is a lucky number that is why the National Assembly (NA) decided to inaugurate its new office building on 07 July 2007 (07/07/07). CPP MP Chiem Yeap, whose son-in-law Ly Chhuong was the contractor of the new NA building, said that the selected date is a good date because it can be easily remembered. The number 7 carries a significant historical importance for the ruling CPP party: every year the CPP celebrates its victory over the Khmer Rouge (mainly with the backing of the colonialist Vietnamese army) on 07 January. Chiem Yeap said that King Sihamoni will preside over the inauguration of the new NA building which will take place at 07:00 AM on 07/07/07 and the ceremony will be participated by 7,777 guests.

CPP sings its yearly sad song to fool donors: No aid to the CPP gov't then the "already-suffering" Cambodian people will suffer more

CPP official’s reaction to human rights organization

16 June 2007
By Phan Sophat
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

A high-ranking official of the ruling CPP, reacted today to the accusations made by Human Rights Watch (HRW) which called on donor countries to apply pressure on Cambodia, by saying that this is a bad idea with the intention of inflicting pain on the Cambodian people.

In a phone interview with RFA on Saturday afternoon, Chiem Yeap, a CPP MP and a member of the permanent committee of the CPP central committee, said that HRW’s declaration was made only to create problem ahead of the donor countries meeting.

Chiem Yeap said: “I see that a number of organizations are creating all these issues ahead of the general election, and ahead of the aid provided by the International community. These actions do not help the well-being of the Cambodian people.”

On 15 June, HRW issued a statement calling for all donor countries to apply pressure on the Cambodian government in order to push for a fight against corruption, illegal logging, and land-grabbing from the people perpetrated by the rich and powerful.

HRW’s declaration stressed that donor countries should not accept any more delay in the empty promises of reform made by Hun Sen in the past, when he was looking for $600 million in aid annually.

The HRW declaration also stated that the Cambodian government has made virtually no progress in the past decade on key pledges to donors on the rule of law or judicial independence. Impunity for human rights violations remains the rule. Corruption is rampant. Natural resources are still being plundered. Those who report on such abuses are threatened or harassed and sometimes subject to violence.

HRW declaration came at a time when officials from the International community and officials from the Cambodian government plan to meet to discuss the request for aid for the development of Cambodia, to be held on 19-20 June.

Brad Adams, HRW director for Asia, said in this declaration: “The $5 billion in aid plowed into Cambodia in the past decade has yielded little in return for the donors or the Cambodian people.”

Brad Adams said that donor countries all know about this problem, and there will be more promises made this year, but without serious donor pressure they, too, will be broken.

Begging festival celebration in preparation: CPP hopes that aid will still pour in

Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

Even though it is facing with a barrage of criticisms from NGOs and Global Witness just before the Consultative Group (CG) meeting next week, high-ranking CPP officials expressed their belief that these criticisms will not lead to aid cut for Cambodia. Nguon Nhel, CPP first Vice-president of the National Assembly, said on Monday that he is confident that donor countries will continue to provide aid to Cambodia, because they know that the (Cambodian) government is doing a good job, and it deserves the aid. Nguon Nhel told The Cambodia Daily that donor countries would not provide sacks and sacks of dollars in aid to a corrupt government. He added: “I think that the donor countries and international institutions won’t believe the NGO’s report.” CPP MP Cheam Yiep said that he believed the donor countries will listen to the comments made by Samdach Hun Sen and Mr. Keat Chhon, the minister of economy and finance.

Cheam Yeap & Son-in-law Inc. : A family business

Head of the new National Assembly Construction Committee, Cheam Yeap (Photo: Cambodia's Family Tree, Global Witness)

Cambodia's new National Assembly under constrcution, Decembet 2006 (Photo: Cambodia's Family Tree, Global Witness)

Excerpt from Cambodia's Family Tree
Global Witness
June 2007

Furnishing the National Assembly

The first coupe to become operational is officially described as a “special coupe to supply timber to the new National Assembly Construction Committee”. The chairman of this committee, CPP parliamentarian Cheam Yeap, wrote to Chan Sarun in May 2004 to inform him that the new National Assembly building would require luxury timber for furniture and grade I and II wood for other unspecified purposes. Luxury grade timber comes from rare tree species that are protected by law. In March 2005 Chan Sarun directed the FA to establish a coupe on the cancelled Hero Taiwan logging concession in Ratanakiri Province. This decision contravenes the Sub-decree on Forest Concession Management, which states that forest in cancelled logging concessions cannot be reallocated to another company.

Chan Sarun’s instructions to the FA called for the harvesting of 10,577 cubic meters of logs in order to generate 6509 cubic meters of sawn wood. The inventory that the FA subsequently drew up went much further, however, and proposed felling 16,747 cubic meters of logs. These plans suggested that Cambodia’s new National Assembly building might be among the most comprehensively furnished in the world. Global Witness does not have the specifications for the proposed items of furniture. However, it is worth considering that processing 16,747 cubic meters of logs into rather thick 25 mm wood panel at the conversion rate specified by Chan Sarun would generate 41 ha of panelling or enough to cover 1580 tennis courts.

In 2005 the government awarded a permit to cut timber in the coupe to a company named Heng Brothers. To the best of Global Witness’ knowledge, this permit allocation did not follow any kind of open bidding process. Heng Brothers was previously involved in illegally logging Botum Sakor National Park in Koh Kong Province in 2004, in cahoots with an offshoot of controversial Indonesian firm Asia Pulp and Paper. For the special coupe Heng Brothers teamed up with Ly Chhuong Construction Company, which is building the new National Assembly and is reportedly owned by the son-in-law of Cheam Yeap.

Heng Brothers commenced operations in April 2005 and was still logging the coupe midway through the following year. In September 2006 Global Witness received reports from a source close to the company that timber cut in the special coupe was not going to the National Assembly as required but was instead being transported across the border for sale in Vietnam. This account is corroborated by separate investigations in Ratanakiri by NGO workers.

In August 2006 Cheam Yeap announced that the coupe had so far yielded only 257 cubic meters timber for the National Assembly construction. Global Witness wrote to him in February 2007 to ask for an update on this figure, but has not yet received a reply.

CPP in full denials over human rights abuse - Heng Samrin: "there is no benefit to government officials to meet with Mr. Yash Ghai"

Tuesday, May 29, 2007
UN Envoy for Human Rigths in Cambodia arrives today

Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

The UN office of human rights in Phnom Penh said UN Envoy Yash Ghai, who always speaks without restraint, will arrive in Cambodia today for a three-day visit to gather information about human rights. He will report his findings to the UN human rights commission in Geneva on 12 June 2007. It is not yet known whether Prime Minister Hun Sen, who did not want to see the face of Mr. Yash Ghai in the past, will receive the Envoy in a meeting or not. Heng Samrin, National Assembly president, told The Cambodia Daily said that there is no benefit to government officials to meet with Mr. Yash Ghai, because the latter was making up distorting information in the past. Heng Samrin said that the Mr. Ghai’s report on human rights is exaggerated. CPP MP Chiem Yeap said that he wants to meet with Mr. Yash Ghai to correct the wrongful views of this Envoy about Cambodia. Chiem Yeap said that he wants to explain to Mr. Ghai about the actual situation in Cambodia, so that Yash Ghai no longer distorts his report about Cambodia.

An enraged Chiem Yeap threatened non-CPP MPs who walked out of NA session

Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Opposition walkout during Nat’l Assembly debate

Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

A small number of SRP MPs walked out of a National Assembly debate on Tuesday because they were not pleased with the debate on the draft law to approve government expenditures for 2004. Even though with the SRP MPs walkout, the law was passed on 62 to 13 votes.

The walkout enraged CPP Chiem Yeap. He told The Cambodia Daily by phone that lawmakers should stop walking out of parliament session without the authorization from Heng Samrin, the president of the National Assembly. However, Chiem Yeap said that CPP MPs can walk out because they received the authorization from Heng Samrin, whereas the SRP MPs do not have such right. Chiem Yeap threatened to cut salaries, blame them, inform their constituencies, and remove them from the National Assembly session, all MPs who will walk out from the session in the future.

Reason for SRP Tuesday walkout

Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Chea Poch, SRP MP, said that the reason which led him to walk out from the National Assembly during mid-session on Tuesday, was because he wanted to protest on the draft expenditures law [for 2004]. He told The Cambodia Daily that the walkout is a warning to the government not to send such law for approval [3 years later]. Opposition leader Sam Rainsy who led the group of SRP MPs in the walkout said that he walked out from the session because such law is not important and is not necessary, if the law is important, he would have stayed. SRP MP Ho Vann said that he and his colleagues have the rights to walk out during the session because “we are living in a democratic society.” He said that there is nothing wrong to walk out of the session. CPP MP Chiem Yeap said that the walkout is contrary to the National Assembly internal rules which prohibit the walkout during mid-session. Chiem Yeap said that those MPs who are not happy with the draft law should just not vote for it rather than walk out.