Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)
Showing posts with label Hun Sen's threat against Sam Rainsy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hun Sen's threat against Sam Rainsy. Show all posts
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Sacrava's Political Cartoon: Intimidation
Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)
Friday, September 19, 2008
Sam Rainsy: "I am not afraid of Hun Sen's threats"
Threats to Immunity 'Baseless': Sam RainsyBy Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
18 September 2008
Click here to listen to the Khmer audio program
Click here to listen to Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha interview on RFI
Click here to listen to Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha interview on RFI
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy said Thursday his lawmakers-elect would continue to boycott the formation of a new government, in the face of a verbal attack by Prime Minister Hun Sen that hinted at attacking the opposition's parliamentary immunity.
National Assembly lawmakers-elect are less than a week away from swearing in a new government, but elected lawmakers of the Sam Rainsy and Human Rights parties have said they will not attend the Sept. 24 event.
"I'm maintaining my position to boycott the swearing-in ceremony, even if Prime Minister Hun Sen threatens to take legal action against me," Sam Rainsy said Thursday. "I maintain my position against the unfair election and the lack of solution to my election complaints."
Hun Sen said in a public speech Wednesday the National Assembly had been "insulted," by being called "yuon," a racial slur for the Vietnamese, an Assembly of "ghosts," and an institution of "thieves." He was referring to a Radio France International interview with Sam Rainsy.
"If we take legal action against Sam Rainsy, we can easily strip his National Assembly immunity," Hun Sen said, during a graduation ceremony at Pannasastra University.
Sam Rainsy said in the RFI interview that the National Assembly lawmakers for the Cambodian People's Party had been elected by illegitimate or non-existent "ghost" voters.
Sam Rainsy told VOA Khmer Thursday the remarks by Hun Sen were intended to "shut up" and censure the freedom of expression and criticism of the opposition.
"I am not afraid of Hun Sen's threats," he said. "I have been getting such threats from the country's leaders for 15 years. I'm not afraid, and I'm not stopping the activities of the opposition, and the remarks of Prime Minister Hun Sen are baseless."
Human Rights Party spokesman Yem Ponhearith on Thursday said the remarks by Hun Sen were detrimental to free speech.
"The criticism during the election campaign did not constitute an insult," he said. "If Hun Sen takes action against Sam Rainsy, I believe our democracy is not enough and this will affect democrats in their expression."
Lao Monghay, a researcher for the Asian Human Rights Commission, said Thursday the remarks were not a good sign for Cambodia.
"The two sides should make a good compromise with each other," he said. "If Hun Sen complains to the court, the court has been criticized as being under the power of the government and Hun Sen."
National Assembly lawmakers-elect are less than a week away from swearing in a new government, but elected lawmakers of the Sam Rainsy and Human Rights parties have said they will not attend the Sept. 24 event.
"I'm maintaining my position to boycott the swearing-in ceremony, even if Prime Minister Hun Sen threatens to take legal action against me," Sam Rainsy said Thursday. "I maintain my position against the unfair election and the lack of solution to my election complaints."
Hun Sen said in a public speech Wednesday the National Assembly had been "insulted," by being called "yuon," a racial slur for the Vietnamese, an Assembly of "ghosts," and an institution of "thieves." He was referring to a Radio France International interview with Sam Rainsy.
"If we take legal action against Sam Rainsy, we can easily strip his National Assembly immunity," Hun Sen said, during a graduation ceremony at Pannasastra University.
Sam Rainsy said in the RFI interview that the National Assembly lawmakers for the Cambodian People's Party had been elected by illegitimate or non-existent "ghost" voters.
Sam Rainsy told VOA Khmer Thursday the remarks by Hun Sen were intended to "shut up" and censure the freedom of expression and criticism of the opposition.
"I am not afraid of Hun Sen's threats," he said. "I have been getting such threats from the country's leaders for 15 years. I'm not afraid, and I'm not stopping the activities of the opposition, and the remarks of Prime Minister Hun Sen are baseless."
Human Rights Party spokesman Yem Ponhearith on Thursday said the remarks by Hun Sen were detrimental to free speech.
"The criticism during the election campaign did not constitute an insult," he said. "If Hun Sen takes action against Sam Rainsy, I believe our democracy is not enough and this will affect democrats in their expression."
Lao Monghay, a researcher for the Asian Human Rights Commission, said Thursday the remarks were not a good sign for Cambodia.
"The two sides should make a good compromise with each other," he said. "If Hun Sen complains to the court, the court has been criticized as being under the power of the government and Hun Sen."
Monday, August 04, 2008
PM: boycott could lose SRP its NA seats
Hun Sen showed his anger to Sam Rainsy whom he accused of insulting him during the election campaign.Monday, 04 August 2008
Ly Menghour
The Mekong Times
In their first public exchange of words since the national election, Prime Minister Hun Sen warned opposition leader Sam Rainsy against his party boycotting the soon to be formed National Assembly (NA), warning the seats would simply be divided among other parties.
Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party won an estimated 90 seats in the July 27 election. The Sam Rainy Party (SRP) thought it had increased its minority by two to 26, but it has disputed the results, claiming that up to a million voters were disenfranchised.
“If the SRP boycotts the NA, the 26 seats the SRP won will be divided among other parties,” said the premier to Sam Rainsy while they were seeing off former King Sihanouk to Beijing at Phnom Penh International Airport on Friday.
Hun Sen added that while he welcomes the slight increase in votes for the SRP, that the party should now accept the election results.
“On September 24, the NA plans to convene a meeting to swear in. If you do not swear in [its new lawmakers] … your seats will be divided among others,” Hun Sen said.
Sam Rainsy responded with a smile, saying: “My party represents the votes of two million.”
“Two million! But you don’t plan to attend the parliamentary session! You are using this fact to prevent the session? You wait and see if I am right,” warned the premier.
Hun Sen then described the adhoc alliance formed by the SRP, the Norodom Ranariddh Party and Human Rights Party to dispute the election results as “demonic.”
“You want to accuse me. Please go ahead. But I just use rights to defend myself. Now the election has been already conducted … and I have 90 seats.”
SRP lawmaker Son Chhay said that the party is currently busy gathering evidence about irregularities in the election and demanding that the government find solutions for the disenfranchised.
“We don’t have time to decide if we will attend the NA session or not,” he said, dismissing Hun Sen’s remarks as a threat.
If the SRP’s seats are allocated to others, “it is not right according to law and inappropriate according to the principles of democracy,” added Son Chhay.
“The SRP is protesting the election results as it wants respect for democratic principles and law and a balance in power between the government and the NA,” Son Chhay added.
Sok Sam Oeun, president of Cambodian Defenders Project, said if the SRP refused to attend the NA’s inaugural session that the National Election Committee (NEC) can legally take its seats and divide them among other parties.
“But if [we] do so, it is contrary to the principles of democracy, because the party which has seats in the NA represents people. If people’s supportive votes are divided to other parties, it is not proper.”
Tep Nytha, NEC secretary general, added that along with losing its seats, the SRP’s name would be struck from the nation’s list of political parties if it relinquishes its seats in the NA.
Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party won an estimated 90 seats in the July 27 election. The Sam Rainy Party (SRP) thought it had increased its minority by two to 26, but it has disputed the results, claiming that up to a million voters were disenfranchised.
“If the SRP boycotts the NA, the 26 seats the SRP won will be divided among other parties,” said the premier to Sam Rainsy while they were seeing off former King Sihanouk to Beijing at Phnom Penh International Airport on Friday.
Hun Sen added that while he welcomes the slight increase in votes for the SRP, that the party should now accept the election results.
“On September 24, the NA plans to convene a meeting to swear in. If you do not swear in [its new lawmakers] … your seats will be divided among others,” Hun Sen said.
Sam Rainsy responded with a smile, saying: “My party represents the votes of two million.”
“Two million! But you don’t plan to attend the parliamentary session! You are using this fact to prevent the session? You wait and see if I am right,” warned the premier.
Hun Sen then described the adhoc alliance formed by the SRP, the Norodom Ranariddh Party and Human Rights Party to dispute the election results as “demonic.”
“You want to accuse me. Please go ahead. But I just use rights to defend myself. Now the election has been already conducted … and I have 90 seats.”
SRP lawmaker Son Chhay said that the party is currently busy gathering evidence about irregularities in the election and demanding that the government find solutions for the disenfranchised.
“We don’t have time to decide if we will attend the NA session or not,” he said, dismissing Hun Sen’s remarks as a threat.
If the SRP’s seats are allocated to others, “it is not right according to law and inappropriate according to the principles of democracy,” added Son Chhay.
“The SRP is protesting the election results as it wants respect for democratic principles and law and a balance in power between the government and the NA,” Son Chhay added.
Sok Sam Oeun, president of Cambodian Defenders Project, said if the SRP refused to attend the NA’s inaugural session that the National Election Committee (NEC) can legally take its seats and divide them among other parties.
“But if [we] do so, it is contrary to the principles of democracy, because the party which has seats in the NA represents people. If people’s supportive votes are divided to other parties, it is not proper.”
Tep Nytha, NEC secretary general, added that along with losing its seats, the SRP’s name would be struck from the nation’s list of political parties if it relinquishes its seats in the NA.
Saturday, August 02, 2008
Hun Sen's threat: Sam Rainsy will vanish because he accused and cursed CPP leaders of being “thieves of the nation”
Hun Sen (R) talked with Sam Rainsy (L) in front of the National Assembly in Phnom Penh on 28 July 2006. (Photo: AFP)Hun Sen’s verbal altercation with opposition leader Sam Rainsy
01 August 2008
By Chea Makara Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
Click here to read the original article in Khmer
Prime minister Hun Sen had a verbal altercation with opposition leader Sam Rainsy in the morning of Friday, while the two were accompanying the Hero-King, Queen Mother, and the King on their trip to Beijing, China.
Hun Sen warned Sam Rainsy in front of government officials, ambassadors and reporters present at the Phnom Penh International Airport, saying that Sam Rainsy will lose all the party seats at the National Assembly (NA) if elected SRP candidates refused to swear in as MP at the new mandate NA.
The altercation took place while King Sihamoni and his parents were already inside the plane to China, and when the two party leaders met each other face to face at a public place for the first time following the election campaign.
Prime minister Hun Sen said that the meeting for the swearing in will take place on 24 August, and if Sam Rainsy refuses to participate, his party seats will be given away to others.
Hun Sen said: “If you refuse to swear in, you will lose your validity and your seats will be distributed to others.”
Nevertheless, Sam Rainsy has not decided whether to participate in this swearing in ceremony yet or not, however, he indicated that the SRP represents 2 million voters who voted to support his party.
Sam Rainsy said: “We do not reach this situation yet. We continue to demand for justice for Cambodian people who lost their rights to vote because they were prevented from voting.”
Tep Nytha, NEC secretary-general, indicated that the NA meeting could take place if there are no complaints about the preliminary election results.
Tep Nytha said: “If there are complaints brought to the Constitution Council, the latter can resolve this issue within 10 to 20 days. Therefore, it is related to the complaints, we cannot determine it clearly yet.”
Prime minister Hun Sen said that King Sihamoni will preside over the meeting to form the new NA, and that the SRP cannot prevent this meeting even if the SRP wants to boycott it.
Furthermore, Hun Sen scolded Sam Rainsy that because the latter’s accused and cursed CPP leaders as being “thieves of the nation,” Sam Rainsy will vanish.
Hun Sen warned Sam Rainsy in front of government officials, ambassadors and reporters present at the Phnom Penh International Airport, saying that Sam Rainsy will lose all the party seats at the National Assembly (NA) if elected SRP candidates refused to swear in as MP at the new mandate NA.
The altercation took place while King Sihamoni and his parents were already inside the plane to China, and when the two party leaders met each other face to face at a public place for the first time following the election campaign.
Prime minister Hun Sen said that the meeting for the swearing in will take place on 24 August, and if Sam Rainsy refuses to participate, his party seats will be given away to others.
Hun Sen said: “If you refuse to swear in, you will lose your validity and your seats will be distributed to others.”
Nevertheless, Sam Rainsy has not decided whether to participate in this swearing in ceremony yet or not, however, he indicated that the SRP represents 2 million voters who voted to support his party.
Sam Rainsy said: “We do not reach this situation yet. We continue to demand for justice for Cambodian people who lost their rights to vote because they were prevented from voting.”
Tep Nytha, NEC secretary-general, indicated that the NA meeting could take place if there are no complaints about the preliminary election results.
Tep Nytha said: “If there are complaints brought to the Constitution Council, the latter can resolve this issue within 10 to 20 days. Therefore, it is related to the complaints, we cannot determine it clearly yet.”
Prime minister Hun Sen said that King Sihamoni will preside over the meeting to form the new NA, and that the SRP cannot prevent this meeting even if the SRP wants to boycott it.
Furthermore, Hun Sen scolded Sam Rainsy that because the latter’s accused and cursed CPP leaders as being “thieves of the nation,” Sam Rainsy will vanish.
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