In Face of Irregularities, Parties Carry On

By Mean Veasna, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
16 July 2008

[Editor's note: In the weeks leading into national polls, VOA Khmer will explore a wide number of election issues. The "Election Issues 2008" series will air stories on Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by a related "Hello VOA" guest on Thursday. This is the second in a two-part series examining the difficulties faced by each of the 11 competing parties.]

Facing a number of campaign challenges, and less than two weeks away from Election Day, parties competing outside the ruling coalition are, if nothing else, committed to finishing the race.

"Our strong commitment and will and our courage is aimed to overcome those problems," said Muth Chantha, spokesman for the Norodom Ranariddh Party, referring to a number of alleged campaign irregularities.

The National Election Committee has received more than 100 campaign complaints at the commune level, more than 40 complaints at the provincial level, and 22 complaints at the national level. Most of them are related to vote-buying, the use of state means for campaign purposes, and the disturbance of campaigning by separate groups.

Muth Chantha said he does not expect free and fair elections, but his party, and others, continue to work in a campaign where the ruling Cambodian People's Party is widely favored to win.

"We have experience in this participation, and we will find a way to respond to the government strategies," said Kravanh Daran, president of the Khmer Anti-Poverty Party. "We call for the unity of the people in Cambodia, and Khmer Kampuchea Krom, to come together."

For Ban Sophal, president of the Society of Justice Party, and Ouk Phouri, president of the Khmer Democratic Party, to overcome campaign challenges they say they choose peace and avoid confrontation with other parties and authorities.

Each expects at least one seat in the provinces after the election, Battambang for the Society of Justice Party, Kampong Cham for the Khmer Democratic Party.

"We hope we will have at least earned a minimum of justice from our struggle," Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Yim Sovann said.

For the commitment of the parties, NEC Secretary-General Tep Nitha said the oversight body has some difficulties. Sometimes, political parties do not respect the rules and abuse recommendations of the commune or provincial election committees. Another difficulty is the refusal of compromise between disputing parties.

The NEC does not yet have specific plans to improve itself over the next five years, he said, but they are doing their best to handle all the complaints they receive.

Murder cases they have received complaints over do not have political motivation, he added.

Moneakseka Khmer journalist Khim Sambo shot and killed

Cambodia journalist shot dead - police

PHNOM PENH, July 11 (Reuters) - A Cambodian journalist working for an opposition newspaper was shot dead on Friday by unknown gunmen who fired on the victim and his son, police said.

Khim Sam Bo, 47, was shot twice and his 19-year-old son was seriously wounded in the capital Phnom Penh, as they left a sports stadium, police chief G. Touch Naruth said.

"We do not know the motive for the killing yet. The investigation continues," he told Reuters.

Colleagues said he had written stories criticising senior government officials and corruption in the government of Prime Minister Hun Sen, who is seeking re-election in a July 27 general election.

Khim Sam Bo worked for more than 10 years for the Khmer Conscience newspaper, whose editor Dam Seth was recently accused of defaming Foreign Minister Hor Namhong. The charges were later dropped.

"I am so disappointed. It hurts me to hear that he was killed," Dam Seth told Reuters.

"I call on the authorities to find the killers of Khim Sam Bo and punish them," he said.

(Reporting by Ek Madra; Editing by Darren Schuettler and Bate Felix)

Opposition deceived by the investigation on the murder of opposition activist

04 August 2007
By Lim Pisith
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Relatives of a SRP activist who was shot and killed in Svay Chek district, Banteay Meanchey province, and opposition party leaders are deceived by the tardiness in the police investigation to seek the murderer(s) of the victim and bring them to the court.

The reactions and concerns are expressed one week after Klik Un, the SRP vice-chairman in Ta Ben commune, Svay Chek district, Banteay Meanchey province, was shot and killed on the road by a group of armed men during the night of 27 July 2007. The killers did not take anything from the victim. The latter was shot after returning from a trip to purchase frogs with his son. The victim and his son were driving one motorcycle each. The police and military police released the three suspects they arrested on the night of the shooting.

Mrs Hean Thing, the victim’s wife, said that she was deceived when she learnt that the authority released three suspects driving a Smash motorcycle at the location of the incident during the night of her husband was shot. “The people who were driving a Smash motorcycle out of the incident place were arrested. I did not even see their faces yet but they were released back (by the police),” Hean Thing said.

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy said: “We are deceived when we see that the authority does not fully pay attention in this case which is also getting behind.”

Or Borin, the deputy commander of the Banteay Meanchey province military police, explained that the authorities, both the military police and the police, are working hard to investigate this case in order to arrest the killers. However, he said: “There were 2 victims, a father and a son. When the father was shot and fell down, the son laid low to observe these people (the shooters). Later, three boys were tied up, but the thieves fled. We are looking for the cause (of the killing), whether it is a revenge case or not, we did not find anything yet.”

Chan Kosal, the deputy police commissioner of the Banteay Meanchey province, said about the same thing: “They (the 3 persons arrested by the police?) are both victims and witnesses. They are important witnesses in this case because they saw exactly what happened when they were tied up.”

Nevertheless, the police and the military police could not provide any clue that could lead to the arrest of the culprits yet.

Sam Chankea, an investigator for the Adhoc organization based in Banteay meanchey province, insisted that whether the killing was motivated by politics, revenge, or failed armed robbery, the perpetrators must be arrested and sent to face justice according to the law in order to put to an end the lawlessness or the illegal release of the culprits.