Mu Sochua (Photo: Heng Chivoan, The Phnom Penh Post)Opposition MP to request Hun Sen to explain his remarks
06 April 2009
By San Suwith
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
Click here to read the article in Khmer
"...during the election campaign, she went to embrace someone and she said that they unbuttoned her blouse ... This is what you call the thick-face opposition, even if you hack them 100 times with a cleaver, they will not split, no matter if they are men or women. They are like chief, like followers." - Hun Sen's public speech in Kampot on 04 April 2009Kampot SRP MP along with other opposition MPs will demand that the National Assembly requests for an explanation from PM Hun Sen on the claims he made in Kampot province this Saturday. The opposition MPs also want to see Hun Sen provide tangible proofs to his allegations.
Kampot SRP MP Mu Sochua told RFA that, besides the demand for Hun Sen to provide an explanation on his remarks, she will also send a complaint letter the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
Mu Sochua said: “For me to fulfill my MP duty as stipulated in the Constitution, I and the opposition party will ask the prime minister to explain with tangible proof on what he declared, because he gave a public speech and he represent the government, this is not a joke.”
On Saturday 04 April, Hun Sen criticized the opposition party, in particular, he was targeting a woman MP without naming her directly. In his speech, Hun Sen cited as an example an incident that took place during the last general election.
Hun Sen said: “The opposition, they don’t have anything more than using the people as their tool to attack the government. In Kampot, there is a ‘cheung khlang’ [strong leg in Khmer] who is a woman. I don’t need to reveal her name because there are other women, like [CPP] Som Kim Suor etc… who are ‘cheung khlang’ already. And, strong does not mean that she is strong at doing something, but strong in provoking, strong in looking for problems, strong in inciting, creating problems, even during the election campaign, she went to embrace someone and she said that they unbuttoned her blouse. It is so puzzling. She went to complain and sue others, she is very good at this. During [National Assembly] meetings, she was invited but she would not come in. This is what you call the thick-face opposition, even if you hack them 100 times with a cleaver, they will not split, no matter if they are men or women. They are like chief, like followers.”
Mu Sochua said that in his speech, Hun Sen is looking down on all Cambodian women, and his speech was tantamount to shameful defamation.
Nevertheless, Mu Sochua said that she will wait to see the resolution that the National Assembly will provide to her before pursuing this case further with the court.
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KI-Media Note: During the 2008 general election campaign, Mu Sochua attempted to photograph a car with army number plates taking part in electoral campaigning for the CPP. For doing this, Mu Sochua was assaulted. “According to Licadho in Kampot province and CPWP [Committee to Promote Women in Politics] staff who have met the bystanders, [during the assault] Ms. Mu Sochua’s hands were twisted so hard by a driver and his two associates that her two blouse buttons were removed in front of the public … Worse, the scuffle lasted for 30 minutes without any intervention from the competent authorities.” Click here to read the full story.
