Cambodia Failed to Listen to Seek Aung San Suu Kyi’s Wisdom on Democracy

September 16, 2012
By Mu Sochua

The Cambodian Democratic Movement for National Rescue

‎"I have to study more about Cambodia democracy” Aung San Suu Kyi said according to Cambodia Deputy PM, Sok An. The D-PM interprets this as ASSK’s criticism of Cambodia opposition. The two met this week end at the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP).

ASSK knows more than anyone else not to criticize the opposition in Cambodia where democracy is taking a very critical step backward-now Cambodia is behind Burma on democracy building.

Cambodia’s ruling party that is in power for more than 30 years continues to fear democratic reforms by silencing the opposition and its critics. Sok An should have listened to ASSK and her wisdom.

Cambodia opposition parties’ request electoral reforms are once again rejected by the Minister of Interior.

The U.N. Special rapporteur on Human Rights will report in Geneva on 25 September. His report will include recommendations for free and fair elections in Cambodia.

Cambodia main opposition and a strong contender to the 2013 elections is sentenced to 14 years for crime he never committed.

Cambodia is currently Chair of ASEAN.

Click here to read RFA's report on Sok An's statement

តោហ៊ា សុកអាន ស្តាប់ អ្នកស្រី អង់ សានស៊ូជី មិនយល់

សាន អុក ក្នុង​សន្និសីទ​កាសែត​ស្ដីពី​កិច្ចប្រជុំ​វេទិកា​ផ្លាស់​ប្ដូរ​យោបល់​គណបក្ស ​នយោបាយ​នៅ​អាស៊ី នៅ​ប្រទេស​ភូមា នា​ប្រលាន​យន្តហោះ​អន្តរជាតិ​ភ្នំពេញ កាល​ពី​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​១៥ ខែ​កញ្ញា ឆ្នាំ​២០១២។

សុខ អាន ត្រឡប់​ពី​ប្រជុំ​វេទិកា​ផ្លាស់​ប្ដូរ​យោបល់​បក្ស​នយោបាយ​នៅ​ភូមា

2012-09-15
ដោយ វណ្ណ វិចារ
Radio Free Asia

សុខ អាន បន្ត​ថា ក្នុង​ជំនួប​គ្នា​រវាង​លោក និង​មេ​ដឹកនាំ​គណបក្ស​ប្រឆាំង អ្នកស្រី អង់ សានស៊ូជី លោក​បាន​ប្រាប់​អ្នកស្រី អង់ សានស៊ូជី ពី​ដំណើរ​ការ​វិវត្ត​នយោបាយ និង​ការ​បង្រួប​បង្រួម​ជាតិ​នៅ​កម្ពុជា ប៉ុន្តែ​អ្នកស្រី អង់ សានស៊ូជី បាន​តប​វិញ​ថា អ្នកស្រី​ត្រូវ​សិក្សា​រៀន​សូត្រ​ច្រើន​ថែម​ទៀត ពី​ចំណុច​ខ្សោយ​នៅ​កម្ពុជា។ ត្រង់​ចំណុច​នេះ លោក សុខ អាន សន្និដ្ឋាន​ថា អ្នកស្រី អង់ សានស៊ូជី ចង់​សំដៅ​ពី​ចំណុច​ខ្សោយ​នៃ​គណបក្ស​ប្រឆាំង​នៅ​កម្ពុជា ដែល​នាំ​ឲ្យ​បក្ស​កាន់​អំណាច​កាន់​តែ​ខ្លាំង​ឡើង​ពី​មួយ​ថ្ងៃ​ទៅ​មួយ​ថ្ងៃ។

មន្ត្រី​ជាន់​ខ្ពស់​គណបក្ស​កាន់​អំណាច លោក សុខ អាន ត្រឡប់​មក​ពី​ចូល​រួម​ប្រជុំ​វេទិកា​ផ្លាស់​ប្ដូរ​យោបល់​គណបក្ស​នយោបាយ​នៅ​អាស៊ី (អាយខាប់=ICAPP) នៅ​ប្រទេស​ភូមា (មីយ៉ាន់ម៉ា) នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​សៅរ៍ ទី​១៥ កញ្ញា។


នៅ​ឯ​ប្រលាន​យន្តហោះ​អន្តរជាតិ​ភ្នំពេញ លោក សុខ អាន ឲ្យ​ដឹង​ថា ភាគី​គណបក្ស​ប្រជាជន​របស់​កម្ពុជា បាន​ថ្លែង​ពី​កំណែទម្រង់​ប្រព័ន្ធ​នយោបាយ​នៅ​កម្ពុជា ដើម្បី​ជា​បទពិសោធន៍​ជូន​បក្ស​កាន់​អំណាច និង​បក្ស​ប្រឆាំង​របស់​ភូមា ដែល​កំពុង​តែ​ធ្វើ​កំណែទម្រង់​នយោបាយ​ពី​របប​យោធា​ទៅ​ជា​របប​នយោបាយ​ប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ​សេរី​ពហុបក្ស។

Changes in Myanmar’s press laws

Tuesday, 21 August 2012
David Boyle
The Phnom Penh Post

Newspaper editors in Myanmar will no longer have to scramble late at night to replace stories condemned to the cutting room floor by government censors, as the rapidly reforming country scrapped pre-publication vetting yesterday.

The press reforms, announced by the director-general of the Ministry of Information’s Press Scrutiny and Registration Department, Tint Swe, at a meeting with about 80 editors yesterday morning, come into effect immediately but are accompanied by strict self-censorship rules.

Editors will now be expected to enforce these rules themselves, which, among other things, forbid any negative political or economic reporting about state policies.

Still, despite the restrictions, media operators in Myanmar are hailing the reforms as a remarkable symbol of the reform process in a country where journalists testing the limits of tight state control have faced intimidation and imprisonment for close to 50 years.

Aung San Suu Kyi's photos

Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi poses for a photograph after receiving her honorary degree at Oxford University, in Oxford southern England June 20, 2012. Myanmar's Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi on Wednesday continued an emotional visit to Britain, where she left her family 24 years ago and took up her famous struggle against the military dictatorship in her homeland. REUTERS/Andrew Winning (BRITAIN - Tags: POLITICS EDUCATION SOCIETY IMAGES OF THE DAY) REUTERS

Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, poses for the photographers following an award ceremony at the Oxford University, Oxford, England, on Wednesday, June 20, 2012. It was a long wait, but Aung San Suu Kyi has finally received her honorary degree from Oxford University. In her speech, Suu Kyi praised the role Oxford played in helping her see humankind at its best during her long years under house arrest in Myanmar. "The most important thing that I learned was respect for all of civilization," she said, wearing a traditional red gown. "In Oxford I learned to respect all that is best in human civilization. That helped me cope with something that was not quite the best." (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis) AP.

Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi poses for a photograph as she signs the book in the Divinity School of the Bodleian Library at Oxford University, in Oxford southern England June 20, 2012. Aung San Suu Kyi visited Oxford University on Wednesday, where she was awarded an honorary degree. Reuters

“I welcome the release of fellow Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and extend my appreciation to the military regime in #Burma. I extend my full support and solidarity to the movement for democracy in #Burma and take this opportunity to appeal to freedom-loving people all over the world to support such non-violent movements,” ~His Holiness the Dalai Lama (November 14, 2012)

His Holiness the Dalai Lama with Aung San Suu Kyi in London, England, on 19 June 2012/Photo/Jeremy Russell/OHHDL

Politiktoons No. 207: Freedom From Fear

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://politiktoons.blogspot.com and also at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)

The Speech the World Waited for 21 years to Hear

Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi tours the Nobel Peace centre in Oslo June 16, 2012. Suu Kyi finally accepted her 1991 Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo on Saturday after spending a total of 15 years under house arrest and said full political freedom in her country was still a long way off. REUTERS/Cathal McNaughton

17 June 2012
By Mu Sochua

The world waited 21 years to hear this speech. The struggle continues and Daw Suu cautious optimism is well understood as her world can come to a close again, any moment. When I met her last November, Daw Suu asked about lessons Burma democracy can learn from Cambodia. I said: "UNTAC left with a very unfinished task: the reform of the judiciary-the key mechanism for rule of law". I felt so humbled...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUj28eCkQzE

Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi Nobel Peace Prize speech, 21 years after

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFEci-7jmJg

Suu Kyi receives Nobel Peace Prize 21 years late

Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi gives her Nobel Lecture at City Hall in Oslo June 16, 2012. Aung San Suu Kyi finally accepted her 1991 Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo on Saturday after spending a total of 15 years under house arrest and said full political freedom in her country was still a long way off.

Sat Jun 16, 2012
By Balazs Koranyi

OSLO (Reuters) - Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi finally received her 1991 Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo on Saturday after spending 15 years under house arrest, and said her country's full transformation to democracy was still far off.

"What the Nobel Peace Prize did was to draw me once again into the world of other human beings outside the isolated area in which I lived, to restore a sense of reality to me," Suu Kyi said as the packed crowd, led by Norway's King Harald and Queen Sonja, rose in a standing ovation.

Suu Kyi, 66, the Oxford University-educated daughter of General Aung San, Myanmar's assassinated independence hero, said much remained to be resolved in her country.

"Hostilities have not ceased in the far north; to the west, communal violence resulting in arson and murder were taking place just several days before I started out the journey that has brought me here today," Suu Kyi said at the ornate Oslo City Hall, on her first visit to Europe in nearly 21 years.

Japan rewards democratic reform: a lesson for Hun Xen?

Japan to write off Myanmar debt in thumbs-up for reform

Sat Apr 21, 2012

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan will write off billions of dollars in debt owed by Myanmar and restart development loans, the leaders of the two countries said on Saturday, in a further move to end the Southeast Asian nation's isolation and strengthen its nascent democracy.

The agreement to waive 303.5 billion yen ($3.72 billion) debt and overdue charges was reached during President Thein Sein's visit to Tokyo, the first by a Myanmar head of state in nearly three decades, signaling its steady return to the international fold after decades of brutal military rule.

"In order to support Myanmar's efforts for reforms in various areas towards its democratization, national reconciliation and sustainable development, Japan will extend economic cooperation ... while continuously observing the progress of these efforts ...," Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said in a statement.

Myanmar opposition set to boycott parliament

04-20-2012
By Shwe Yinn Mar Oo
AFP

Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other newly elected members of her party plan to boycott parliament next week over a row about the constitutional oath, a party spokesman said Friday.

It is the first sign of serious discord between Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) and the reformist regime since April 1 by-elections that gave the former political prisoner her first-ever seat in parliament.

The NLD's announcement came after the authorities rejected its appeal to change the wording of the swearing-in oath from "safeguard" to "respect" the constitution, which was drawn up by the country's former military rulers.

The NLD will write to the presidential office to ask the authorities to reconsider, but a resolution to the row is unlikely in time for the opening of parliament on Monday, said party spokesman Nyan Win.

Newly elected Suu Kyi meets Myanmar president

04-11-2012
By Hla Hla Htay
AFP

Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Wednesday held talks with President Thein Sein for the first time since her landmark election to parliament earlier this month.

"I am satisfied," the Nobel Peace Prize laureate told AFP when asked about the meeting with the former general, which took place at his official residence in the capital Naypyidaw.

But she declined to reveal what was discussed during the one and a half hours of one-to-one talks and made no further comments.

After the meeting Suu Kyi had lunch with Thein Sein and his wife.

Burma’s Election Should Be a Call to Cambodia: Opposition [-Burmese Junta has the CoC to bring in progress, unlike CoC-less Hun Xen?]

Burma opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi (C) waves to the crowd as she leaves National League for Democracy (NLD) headquarters after addressing journalists and supporters in Yangon on April 2, 2012. (Photo: AFP)

Wednesday, 04 April 2012
Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer | Washington, DC

“It’s chronic among our Cambodian leaders to not learn from our own history.”

Cambodian opposition officials welcomed the elections in Burma over the weekend that gave 43 of 44 contested seats to the party of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, but they also said the voting demonstrates a need for change in Cambodia’s own political system.

Kem Sokha, leader of the Human Rights Party, said Cambodia must change its system, or “people today will turn toward uprisings for change.”

Burmese leaders faced international pressure to organize the election, he said. “In Cambodia, the ruling party has to show the international community that future elections are held in a free and fair manner.”

Despite the election, Burmese junta leaders remain squarely in power. The National League for Democracy, which is led by Suu Kyi, does not have enough seats to alter the constitution or change policy.

Nevertheless, opposition lawmaker Son Chhay said the election signaled unprecedented change in the country and was welcomed by the international community. It also signaled a willingness of Burmese leaders to progress.

“It’s chronic among our Cambodian leaders to not learn from our own history,” he said. “When they hold power, they think about how to personally centralize power and they forget their roles for the nation and the people. They think only of mutual destruction for personal power.”

Asian leaders push West on easing Myanmar sanctions

Performers carry flags of ASEAN member countries during a ceremony marking the 45th anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its 20th summit in Phnom Penh on April 3, 2012.

Graphic showing the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

04-04-2012
By Suy Se
AFP

Southeast Asian leaders are expected Wednesday to issue a formal call for the West to ease sanctions on Myanmar, at the end of a summit which has also been dominated by tensions with China.

Leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations will also express concern about a planned rocket launch by nuclear-armed North Korea, according to ASEAN general-secretary Surin Pitsuwan.

The two-day annual talks in the Cambodian capital have focused on historic by-elections in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, which gave pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi a seat in parliament for the first time.

At Summit, Asean Leaders Want End to Burma Sanctions

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kYv85qU8tc

Tuesday, 03 April 2012
Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh

“It’s time” to lift sanctions."

Asean leaders are pushing for the international community to lift sanctions on one of its poorest member nations, Burma, as they meet in Phnom Penh.

Burma held elections on Sunday that were monitored by Asean members and saw gains by the opposition party of Aung San Suu Kyi. Burmese President Thein Sein told reporters in Phnom Penh Tuesday the elections had been a success.

Now some Asean leaders say it is time for the US and other Western nations to lift long-running sanctions.

South China Sea surfaces [-A sticky that wouldn't go away?]

Tuesday, 03 April 2012
Cheang Sokha and Shane Worrell
The Phnom Penh Post

The Philippines thrust the South China Sea dispute to the forefront of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting yesterday, causing the topic to dominate discussions.

Myanmar by-elections and North Korea also featured prominently on the eve of today’s ASEAN summit, overshadowing the foreign ministers’ planned focus on agreeing in principle to a collective Human Rights Declaration.

Entering the meeting at the capital’s Peace Palace, Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert Del Rosario vowed to raise the South China Sea dispute because it “violates the UN resolution, for one”.

“Number two, I think it’s unacceptable,” he said.

Burma, S. China Sea Dominate ASEAN Summit Discussions [-The $5 billion Chinese silence buyout did not work?]

Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN Foreign Ministers from left, K. Shanmugam of Singapore, Surapong Tovichakchaikul of Thailand, Pham Bihn Minh of Vietnam, Hor Namhong of Cambodia and Lim Jock Seng of Brunei wait for their counterpart from Myanmar Wunna Maung Lwin, bottom, prior to the photo session of their meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia April 2, 2012. (Photo: AP)

April 02, 2012
Irwin Loy | Phnom Penh
Voice of America

During the leaders summit this week, territorial disputes in the South China Sea are also expected to be a high-profile issue.

This week leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are meeting in Phnom Penh, where competing claims to parts of the South China Sea, Sunday's election in Burma and North Korea’s planned satellite launch are dominating discussions.

Burma’s political reform process has been a high-profile objective for the 10 member bloc of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Last November the group agreed to grant Burma the chair of the bloc in 2014 on the basis of its democratic reforms.

After Sunday’s by-election, which Burma had invited ASEAN representatives to observe, Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa praised the vote’s execution.

“As far as Indonesia is concerned, this is a very good development. An important step in further making irreversible the democratization process in Myanmar," Natalegawa said.

Suu Kyi declares Myanmar on cusp of new era [-Democracy is allowed to flourish in Burma ... unlike Hun Xen's Cambodia]

04-02-2012
By Kelly Macnamara
AFP

Pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday hailed a "new era" for Myanmar and called for political unity after her party swept to victory in elections seen as a test of budding reforms.

The Nobel laureate won her first-ever seat in parliament, state media confirmed. It said her party had secured 40 of the 44 seats it contested, according to partial official results.

The dramatic political changes were accompanied by the quasi-civilian government's most radical economic reform yet -- an overhaul of the country's complex currency regime.

Suu Kyi supporters celebrated into the night after her National League for Democracy (NLD) party declared that she had secured a seat in parliament for the first time in Sunday's by-elections.

The veteran activist's election to political office marks the latest sweeping change in the country formerly known as Burma after decades of outright military rule ended last year.

"This is not so much our triumph as a triumph for people who have decided that they must be involved in the political process in this country," Suu Kyi said in a victory speech at her party headquarters in Yangon.

Myanmar minister says by-elections 'free and fair' [-That should put Hun Xen to shame]

Sunday, April 1, 2012

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) -- Myanmar's foreign minister says the weekend by-elections contested by pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi in his Southeast Asian nation were "free and fair."

Wunna Maung Lwin's upbeat assessment of Sunday's vote was echoed by colleagues in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which will hold its annual summit in the Cambodian capital this week.

Wunna told reporters Monday in Phnom Penh: "It was free, fair and transparent elections."

Myanmar’s economic opening should not threaten Cambodia [... but it will if democracy in Burma take hold]

Sat, Mar 31st, 2012
By Rithy Chey
Thailand Business News

Still, Cambodia’s advantages as an investment destination are debatable.Analysts at US financial services company Standard and Poor’s have called Prime Minister Hun Sen’s hold on power a cause for concern about – rather than a sign of – political stability.

Myanma’s moves toward economic and political reform would not subtract from Cambodia’s regular stream of foreign investment, experts and insiders said – at least not in the short run. Word of an investor-friendly Myanmar has spread quickly with the US’s partial waiver on trade sanctions in early February, and some of the region’s business players have called the country “ground zero for investment”.

But Cambodia’s more than decade-long claim to political stability should eclipse Myanmar’s piecemeal reform, which a regime change in late 2010 set into motion after nearly 50 years of military rule.

“Political stability is the hot button for Cambodia, where they have gotten it right for foreign investors, and that’s a place where Myanmar can’t really compete yet,”

Gordon Peters, manager at Emerging Markets Consulting in Cambodia, said this week.

Myanmar may be turning some heads, but there will not be a flight of investment dollars that were originally destined for Cambodia, he said. If Cambodia were to lose foreign direct investment (FDI) to Myanmar, it would likely be from the Kingdom’s garment manufacturing sector, worth US$4.25 billion in 2011, or 32.1 per cent of gross domestic product.

Aung San Suu Kyi Wins Myanmar Parliamentary Seat, Party Says

A supporter kisses Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD), as she visits polling stations in her constituency during parliamentary elections in Kaw Hmu, Myanmar on April 1. Photographer: Mikhail Galustov/Getty Images

Apr 1, 2012
By Daniel Ten Kate
Bloomberg

Myanmar dissident Aung San Suu Kyi won a parliamentary seat in by-elections today, a member of her party said, in a closely watched poll as the U.S. and European Union consider lifting sanctions if they deem the vote fair.

Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize during her 15 years under house arrest, was among the winners of 43 of 664 seats in the national legislature up for grabs, San Maung, a data collector for her National League for Democracy party, said by phone from Yangon. Official results have not yet been released.

“It’s more than words, I’m very, very happy,” May Nwe Soe, a 33-year-old garment factory worker, said of voting in Suu Kyi’s district today. “I just want Daw Suu to go to parliament,” she said, using a respectful title for Suu Kyi.