Chea Dara's non-stop boasting

Chea Dara

RCAF general extolls army’s role at border

Friday, 09 April 2010
Thet Sambath
The Phnom Penh Post

ROYAL Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) Deputy Commander in Chief Chea Dara has again extolled the military’s prowess in its border standoff with Thai forces, and said that tensions nearly boiled over in February when Prime Minister Hun Sen paid a visit to disputed Preah Vihear temple.

“Thai soldiers always harassed us a lot, especially during Samdech [Hun Sen]’s visit to Preah Vihear,” Chea Dara told an audience of municipal officials at City Hall on Thursday. “They tried to harass us at every place Samdech [Hun Sen] was visiting.”

Chea Dara said he told Thai commanders to keep their distance and at certain points threatened to attack them.

“Samdech [Hun Sen] can go anywhere in Cambodian territory. You have no right to complain and to put conditions on his trip,” he said.

“I warned Thai military commanders [that] if they disagreed, I was ready to attack. If I could not solve this, my rank would disappear from my shoulder, but before I lose it I would attack you first.”

In recent speeches, Chea Dara has declared “victory” for Cambodia in its dispute with Thailand. He has also said that Cambodian troops have killed 88 Thai troops since tensions erupted after the listing of Preah Vihear temple as a UNESCO World Heritage site in July 2008.

On Thursday, Chea Dara struck a more conciliatory note, saying that Thai government officials had been friendly in welcoming Prime Minister Hun Sen to the country during last week’s Mekong River Commission summit in Hua Hin.

Ket Siviny, a City Hall official who attended the speech, said it was good to receive news about the situation at the border.

“All attendants were very keen to listen to Chea Dara’s comments about the border. It is good to know the weak and strong points at the border,” he said.

Yim Phim, commander of RCAF Brigade 8, which is stationed near Preah Vihear temple, said the situation at the border was normal and that soldiers were in good spirits with the approach of the Khmer New Year holiday.

Chea Dara: A 4-golden-star general who does not know the law? Can he read maps yet?

General authorized to boast propaganda attacking Cambodia’s opposition leader

31 March 2010
By Pech Bandol
Free Press Magazine Online
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the article in Khmer

While he was allowed to meet a group of about 1,000 students and government officials at the National Institute of Education yesterday, RCAF General Chea Dara voiced out a violent political attack against opposition leader Sam Rainsy.

The general, who is in charge of the Preah Vihear region and who is also a close ally of Hun Xen, publicly accused opposition leader Sam Rainsy of betraying Cambodia and of joining with the Thai government with the intent of fomenting instability [in Cambodia]. These claims have always been categorically denied on many occasions by the opposition leader.

While attacking Sam Rainsy and Thai PM Abhisit Vejjajiva, this general also took the opportunity to boast about Hun Xen.

Nevertheless, Yim Sovann, the SRP spokesman, said that Sam Rainsy’s faithfulness to the nation is unquestionable. He added also that, according to the Cambodian law, soldiers must remain politically neutral.

Yim Sovann said that the 1997 law on soldiers stipulates that each soldier must not express their opinions or beliefs that are philosophically or politically oriented. He added: “Don’t serve any political party, otherwise, democracy in Cambodia will be destroyed.”

Chea Dara and his master Hun Xen unable to kick out the 10 Thai soldiers stationed in Wat Keo Sekha Kiri Svarak pagoda?

In spite of his boasting, Chea Dara (above) is unable to kick out the invading Thai soldiers stationed at Wat Keo Sekha Kiri Svarak Pagoda (below)

Thai troops in Wat Keo Sekha Kiri Svarak preserved to show invasion

31 March 2010
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

General Chea Dara, the deputy RCAF commander-in-chief, said that Cambodia is to preserve the 10 Thai soldiers who are currently stationed inside Cambodia’s Wat Keo Sekha Kiri Svarak Pagoda if these soldiers do not want to leave Cambodia and they will serve as proof to the International community that Thailand did truly invade Cambodia. Chea Dara made this declaration on 30 March 2010 at the National Institute of Education in Phnom Penh while addressing more than 1,000 education officials and students. Chea Dara boasted that Cambodia can deal with these 10 soldiers any time it wants to, however, Cambodia wants to preserve them as proof to show that Thailand invaded Cambodia (sic!). The general boasted that these 10 soldiers were made hostages on 15 October 2008 when they came to occupy this area along with Thai black-clad soldiers. “We told them to stay on the spot, and to drop all their weapons and we consider them as invading Thai hostages,” Chea Dara claimed.

Chea Dara: A deranged barking dog general?

Chea Dara (L): His master's (R) voice?

Army general accuses opposition leader of 'betraying Cambodia'

Wed, 31 Mar 2010
DPA

Phnom Penh - The deputy head of Cambodia's armed forces has accused the country's exiled opposition leader of conspiring with Thailand to destabilize the nation, national media reported Wednesday.

General Chea Dara, who is posted at the flashpoint Preah Vihear temple on the Cambodian-Thai border, made the allegations in a two-hour speech to a crowd of 1,000 students and government officials in Phnom Penh, the Cambodia Daily newspaper reported.

"The betraying opposition party leader Sam Rainsy has colluded with Thailand and sold himself to Thailand to let Thais invade Cambodia," Chea Dara was quoted as saying.

Chea Dara was referring to events in mid-2008 as tensions rose at Preah Vihear after the 11th-century temple was registered by the UN cultural body UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. That move angered some Thai nationalists who claim the temple for Thailand.

The general's comments came two weeks after a court in Phnom Penh formally charged Sam Rainsy with falsifying public documents and spreading disinformation in an ongoing argument with the Cambodian government over the border demarcation process under way between Vietnam and Cambodia.

Those charges could see him jailed for 18 years and would add to the two-year sentence he received late last year in a related border dispute with Vietnam.

Sam Rainsy, who is in France in self-imposed exile, was sentenced in absentia after he removed wooden posts marking the border between Cambodia and Vietnam. The opposition had claimed the posts were intruding into Cambodian territory and costing farmers their land.

Vietnam is a key investor in Cambodia with significant interests in agribusiness, aviation, telecommunications and banking and an important political ally of the ruling Cambodian People's Party.

An opposition party spokesman rejected the general's comments wholesale and said under Cambodian law the military must stay out of politics. Yim Sovann told the newspaper that Sam Rainsy's loyalties were to the Cambodian people and were beyond question.

"Please do not serve any political party," Yim Sovann said, referring to the military. "Otherwise, democracy in Cambodia will be jeopardized."

Chea Dara's comments came on the 13th anniversary of a grenade attack at an opposition gathering in Phnom Penh, which killed 16 people. Sam Rainsy was injured in the attack, which killed his bodyguard.

The attack was widely blamed on forces loyal to current Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who at the time was in an increasingly unstable coalition with the royalist party.

From criticizing Hun Xen ... to becoming his "quick reaction" barking dog

(Photo: DAP-news)

DAP-news reported that on Monday 28 September, following Hun Xen's speech about the border issues with Thailand, spokesmen of the Press and Quick Reaction Unit (PQRU) immediately held a press conference to support Hun Xen's speech. The crew of the PQRU appears to include Keo Remy (Center in the photo above), a former opposition MP and Hun Xen's critics who defected first to join the Human Rights Party, and later defected from the HRP again to join the CPP. Did we mention that Mr. Keo Remy used to belong to Funcinpec once also? Can anybody tell who are the other crew members of the PQRU?

Sacrava's Political Cartoon: Who's the Exaggerator and Liar?

Click on the cartoon to zoom in

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

Sacrava's Political Cartoon: Tom Lantos [Human Rights Commission Hearing]

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

Hun Xen's barking mouthpiece in Washington DC statement: Excuses, excuses, and more excuses

Hem Heng (R, first row) and his wife (L) (Photo: Viseth, Cambodian-Buddhist.org)

Wednesday, 09 September 2009

Statement of the Royal Embassy of Cambodia
to the United States of America
(Regarding the Freedom of Expression in Cambodia)

The Royal Embassy of Cambodia wishes to draw the public’s attention to the following facts related to the general situation of human rights and freedom of expression in Cambodia:

1- Cambodia is a pluralistic democratic society, where democracy and human rights are fully guaranteed by its 1993 Constitution. The Cambodian Constitution recognizes the freedom of expression and other fundamental rights. Since 1993, Cambodia’s state of democracy and the overall human rights situation have continuously made significant progress.

2- At present, Cambodia has thousands of civil society organizations, as well as free press and trade unions which have been operating in the country. Out of that number, Cambodia has at least eleven foreign human rights organizations, including the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and the International Republican Institute (IRI), that are working mainly on human rights-related issues. Cambodia also has the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the regular visits by the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights.

3- Moreover, with regard to freedom of the press, Cambodia has almost 600 newspapers, journals and magazines, 40 radio stations, and seven television channels. If this is not enough, the people of Cambodia also have unobstructed access to all kinds of foreign media, such as the Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia, Cable News Network (CNN), just to name a few. Local media supporting or leaning to the opposition party are allowed a complete freedom to publish and thrive in the country. Some of the media have been critical of the government on a daily basis. The people of Cambodia, therefore, enjoy freedom of the press and freedom of expression.

4- With respect to the recent court verdicts regarding defamations and disinformation are in compliances with the law established by UNTAC, as provided in Article 61 on “Incitement to Discrimination,” Article 62 on “Disinformation,” and Article 63 on “Defamation and Libel.” The sentences handed down by the court are aimed at protecting the individual rights, as well as the security and stability of the country. Like any democratic country in the world, Cambodia cannot let the proliferation of voluntary public defamation and disinformation intended to create social disorder, which is detrimental to the well-being of the society and the dignity of all citizens.

5- In any democratic society, the rule of law is fundamental, particularly in ensuring that people’s dignity and honor are well respected and protected. Freedom of expression is not absolute and does not allow one person to defame another person. It also does not permit a campaign of disinformation to take place repeatedly.

6- In the face of this growing defamation and disinformation campaign to smear the reputation of the leaders, the Royal Government of Cambodia—like any other democratic governments—has the right to resort to justice and due process of law, such as in the cases of Mme. Mu Sochua’s defamation against Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen and Hang Chakra’s engagement in the campaign of disinformation.

7- The recent verdicts by the Cambodian Court on both cases are in compliance with the existing laws in relation to those offences. The prevailing laws and regulations concerning defamation and disinformation exist worldwide, particularly in developed countries, in order to protect and guarantee the right to dignity and honor of everyone alike.

8- Therefore, democracy, respect for human rights and freedom of expression must be in compliance with the rule of law.

9- All of the facts above are a clear demonstration of Cambodia’s full commitment to the promotion, development and protection of human rights and other fundamental freedoms in the country.

10- With respect to land problems, Cambodia has a land law since 2001 aimed at determining the regime of ownership for immovable properties (land) and guaranteeing the rights of ownership of the land.

- The National Authority for the Resolution of Land Disputes (NARLD) was established in 2006 for the settlement of the land disputes.

- The RGC has put in place a “Social land concession policy” to provide to the landless and the poor people plots of land. Presently, approximatively 4000 hectares of land in Kratie province, 870 hectares in Kampong Cham province and 3017 hectares in Kampong Thom province have been provided to them for housing and family farming.

- But in Cambodia, there are people who occupied the side-work [KI-Media note: sidewalk?] and used some part of the street as a market place and illegally occupied public and private properties. There are also professional squatters who take illegal possession of state or private land, and then demand compensation before moving to occupy another public or private land.

- Here also, the RGC, on the one hand, has the obligation to secure social order, and, on the other hand, to provide land for people who are in genuine need.

Who Let the Dogs Out?

Who Let the Dogs out By Baha Men