Workers' Rights

10 July 2012
By My Sochua

‎4,000 garment workers on strike since 25 June demanding bonus, travel and accommodation and maternity leave from factory that has changed its name. Buyers are: Levi , Old Navy and Gap. Workers have been blocked from marching to the Labor Ministry. They will take their demands to the prime minister's office tomorrow. They hope Sec. Clinton will address the rights of the workers during ASEAN meeting in Siem Reap 12-13July. I promise the workers to bring their signed petition to Sec. Clinton. Decent wage is a demand garment factory workers have claimed for as their US$61 minimum wage is not enough to make ends meet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etzbGp3ZzE8

Mu Sochua Summoned by Appeal Court

16 June 2012
By Mu Sochua

MP Mu Sochua is summoned by the Appeal Court concerning her "rehabilitation by the courts", on 27 June, 2012.

I will ask for a delay as I am outside of the country till 10July.

My parliamentary immunity has still not been restored, pending the decision of the Appeal Court.

Is this political persecution or not?

I was put on trial for 15 months and after deducting the fine from my salary, the procedures to reclaim my immunity as a parliamentarian is still dragging to this date.

What comes next remains to be seen.

Thank you note from SRP MP Son Chhay

Opposition Lawmaker Under Court Order To Remain in Country

Chan Cheng, a member of the Cambodian national assembly from the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, is accused of helping a fellow party member flee detention. He lost his parliamentary immunity in November 2011. (Photo: Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer)

Tuesday, 27 March 2012
Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh

“Neither the lawyer nor the member of parliament are criminal. Their duty was to help villagers by showing irregularities [in the land case]."

Kandal provincial court has ordered an opposition lawmaker to remain in the country, though it will not detain him while he undergoes an investigation into whether he helped a fellow Sam Rainsy Party member escape detention last year.

Chan Cheng is accused of helping Meas Peng flee detention after Meas Peng was accused of incitement during land protests in Kandal.

Chan Cheng, who lost his parliamentary immunity in November 2011, has denied he was helping Meas Peng flee detention, but maintains that Meas Peng was being held extrajudicially. SRP members say the case against him is politically motivated, as the country heads toward local elections in June.

At least debate FOI draft: SRP lawmaker

Friday, 02 March 2012
Tep Nimol with additional reporting by David Boyle
The Phnom Penh Post

Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Son Chhay has sent an amended version of his draft freedom-of-information law to the National Assembly this morning and urged the parliament to at least debate the legislation.

Son Chhay said yesterday his revised law had taken into account amendments requested by parliamentary committees after the assembly declined to even debate his last version of the bill, submitted in 2010.

“At least this should be looked at according to the procedures and be debated, not just rejected,” he said.

The 82 articles contained within the draft legislation are aimed at curtailing government corruption by creating legal and political institutions that ensure there are systems for the public to access government documents such as contracts.

SRP MP Son Chhay's letter to Hun Xen asking dam construction authorization in Koh Kong and deforestation

SRP lawmaker back in country

SRP MP Chan Cheng (front row, Photo: Uon Chhin, RFA)

Thursday, 23 February 2012
Meas Sokchea
The Phnom Penh Post

Opposition Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Chan Cheng quietly returned to Cambodia yesterday after fleeing to France more than two months ago following his implication in aiding and abetting a prison escape.

Chan Cheng, who had his parliamentary immunity stripped in December last year over the allegations, could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Fellow SRP lawmaker Eng Chhay Eang confirmed he had arrived in Cambodia yesterday morning, but did not want to talk with journalists.

OPPOSITION MP CHAN CHENG’S CASE FOLLOWED BY THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

SRP MP Chan Cheng (Photo: Radio France Internationale)

February 22, 2012

OPPOSITION MP CHAN CHENG’S CASE FOLLOWED BY THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

SRP National Assembly member Chan Cheng whose parliamentary immunity was suspended in December 2011, is now back in Cambodia after staying two months in France.

His case is being followed by the European Parliament. On January 9, 2012, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) learned that “the [Cambodian] ruling party [was], once again, fabricating charges against an opposition member of parliament [Chan Cheng], a few weeks before Senate elections. This confirms that the strategy of Cambodia's ruling party is to use a politically subservient judiciary to crack down on all government critics.”

The concerned MEPs are in the opinion that “the European Union cannot continue with its ‘business as usual’ approach to its relations with the Cambodian Government. Article 1 of the ongoing cooperation/aid agreement between the EU and Cambodia states that Cambodia has an obligation to respect human rights.”

The corresponding official text that is circulating at the European Parliament is titled “Cambodia: opposition member of parliament [Chan Cheng] harassed, continuing violation of democratic principles and judiciary system used to eliminate political opponents.”

Questions asked by MEPs containing the above remarks have been translated and published in 23 languages and will soon receive appropriate answers from the European Commission, a major donor institution.

For more details

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+WQ+E-2011-012445+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN&language=EN

SRP Members of Parliament

Freedom of Information Law Needed: Parliamentarian

Son Chhay is a member of parliament of Sam Rainsy Party in Cambodia. (Photo: VOA Khmer)

Monday, 13 February 2012
Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer | Washington, DC

“Without this law, the government has always classified every document, and every decision on national affairs is secret.”

Click the control below to listen to the audio program:

Click here to download the audio program in MP3

Opposition lawmaker Son Chhay told “Hello VOA” Thursday that people lack freedom of information to evaluate government policies. The development of natural resources or the spending of ministries are not open to the public, he said.

“The government has sold and managed the nation secretly,” he said. “What we call in simple language, acting in darkness. That’s why it causes huge impacts to the national interest.”

Son Chhay is drafting a bill to provide freedom of information that he hopes to put before the National Assembly soon.

Accused SRP lawmaker called to appear in court

SRP lawmaker Chan Cheng (right) speaks to a local villager in Kandal province during an election campaign in 2008. Photo Supplied

Wednesday, 11 January 2012
Meas Sokchea
The Phnom Penh Post

Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Chan Cheng, whose parliamentary immunity was stripped in a landslide vote of the National Assembly last month, had been summonsed to appear in court over allegations he helped an accused man escape from detention, a Kandal provincial court official said yesterday.

Provincial court judge Sin Virak said Chan Cheng was required to take the stand next Thursday, a day after lawyer Choung Choungy was due to appear in court over the same escape.

“I have already issued a citation and sent it to [Chan Cheng’s] house summonsing him to appear in court on January 19,” Sin Virak said.

Chan Cheng, who is now in France, told the Post he had not decided whether he would attend. He declined to comment further.

Mu Sochua: Working in the field

SRP MP Mu Sochua gives a true meaning to the word "working in field": Here she is seen checking her email, posting updates to her blog and keeping contact with the world during a break while campaigning in Cambodia's countryside.

Click here to support Mu Sochua's work

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Another SRP MP faces parliamentary immunity suspension - តំណាងរាស្ដ្រ​ សម រង្ស៊ី ខេត្ដកណ្ដាល ម្នាក់ទៀត កំពុង ប្រឈមមុខ ព្យួរអភ័យឯក សិទ្ធិ

SRP MP Pot Pov distributing rice to flood victims (Photo: SRP)

29 Dec 2011
By Son Sopheak
DAP-news
Translated from Khmer by Soch

Phnom Penh – The third Kandal SRP MP, Mrs. Pot Pov, is currently facing parliamentary immunity suspension by the NatAss after the Kandal provincial court issued a letter requesting the ministry of (in)Justice to intervene in the her suspension. The Kandal court accused her of colluding so that a jailed person escaped.

According to high-ranking SRP officials, the SRP received the information from the Kandal court on 28 December 2011 when it sent a letter to the ministry of (in)Justice to intervene in the suspension of Mrs. Pot Pov’s parliamentary immunity. She is accused of colluding with Mr. Chan Cheng and Lawyer Choung Chou-ngy to free a prisoner from jail and of providing transportation means the latter to return home on 23 December 2011.

It only happens in the "Commie Banana Kingdom": "SECRET DATE" summons for Choung Chou-ngy and Chan Cheng

Hun Xen's BANANA KINGDOOM

SRP pair wanted in court, but can’t be told date

Thursday, 29 December 2011
Meas Sokchea
The Phnom Penh Post

Kandal Provincial Court has summonsed opposition Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Chan Cheng and lawyer Choung Choungy to appear for questioning, but has not given them a date to appear because it is a “secret”.

Chan Cheng, who has had his parliamentary immunity stripped by the National Assembly, and lawyer Choung Choungy are charged with aiding and abetting the prison break of fellow SRP member Meas Peng in September.

“I have already sent the summons [on Tuesday],” Judge Sin Virak, who has been assigned to investigate the case, told the Post, but said there was no specific date for the questioning. “This is a secret case and I cannot tell.”

Choung Choungy said he had still not received the summons yesterday, but would face the “abusive” charges against him, which stem from another seemingly faulty execution of court duties by a Kandal Provincial Court judge.

Son Chhay's request to King Sihamoni in the case of judge Lim Sokuntha and deputy-prosecutor Vong Bunvisoth

លោក​ សុន ឆ័យ ស្នើព្រះមហាក្សត្រ​​​ ជំរុញឲ្យ ឩត្តមក្រុមប្រឹក្សា នៃអង្គចៅក្រម ពិនិត្យ ស្រាវជ្រាវ ដើម្បី ដាក់វិន័យ ចំពោះចៅក្រម និងព្រះរាជអាជ្ញារង នៃតុលាការ ខេត្តកណ្តាល

SRP MP Chan Cheng fled to France

Chan Cheng (Photo: Uon Chhin, RFA)

28 December 2011
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Soch

Kandal SRP MP Chan Cheng fled Cambodia and arrived in France after the NatAss suspended his parliamentary immunity on 20 December 2011.

The majority of the CPP MPs have decided to lift Chan Cheng’s parliamentary immunity in order to allow the Kandal tribunal to sentence him. The Kandal tribunal charged Chan Cheng of abetting in the escape of a SRP activist from the Kandal jail.

Please listen to Yun Samean’s interview with Chan Cheng regarding the suspension of his parliamentary immunity:

Click here to listen/download the audio program in MP3

SRP lawmaker, lawyer implicated in ‘escape’

Wednesday, 28 December 2011
Meas Sokchea
The Phnom Penh Post

“I am not afraid to face the charges ... I want to know to what level that prosecutor [Ouk Kimsith] and judge [Lim Sokuntha] will abuse the law.”

Kandal Provincial Court has charged an opposition Sam Rainsy Party parliamentarian, deputy commune chief and their lawyer with evading the law, the court’s prosecutor said yesterday.

SRP lawmaker Chan Cheng had his parliamentary immunity stripped in a landslide vote of the National Assembly last week in connection with the allegation he aided and abetted a prison escapee.

“We charged them on Friday last week. We charged three persons. Meas Peng was charged with escaping from prison, parliamentarian Chan Cheng and lawyer Choung Choungy were charged with aiding and abetting his escape,” Kandal’s prosecutor, Ouk Kimsith, said.

Kien Svay district’s Bantey Dek commune deputy chief Meas Peng was accused of masterminding a violent protest against a property owner embroiled in a land dispute.

He was summoned for questioning in connection with the incident on September 23, and while being questioned by Judge Lim Sokuntha, the judge told Meas Peng he was under arrest and sent him to prison.

តុលាការ​ខេត្ត​កណ្តាល​ចោទ​ប្រកាន់​សមាជិក​គណបក្ស​សម រង្ស៊ី - Kandal tribunal charges SRP activists

ថ្ងៃអង្គារ, 27 ខែធ្នូ 2011
ដោយ គង់ ​សុឋានរិទ្ធ វីអូអេ ខ្មែរ | ភ្នំពេញ

«បទ​ផ្ដល់​មធ្យោបាយ​ឲ្យ​លួច​រត់» (sic!)

Synopsis: The Kandal provincial court charged SRP MP Chan Cheng and two other activists in a case involving a complicated land dispute. The charges take place after Chan Cheng saw his parliamentary immunity suspended at the end of last week. The prosecutor charged Chan Cheng and Chuong Chou-ngy, the SRP defense lawyer, of “providing an escape mean” to Meas Peng. The latter is the SRP councilor of Banteay Dek commune, in Kandal province. He was accused of escape. The entire case started since the beginning of November when Meas Peng was summoned by the Kandal court and sent to temporary detention. Meas Peng was accused of pushing more than 100 families to protest against a land dispute near his commune. However, Chuong Chou-ngy, the defense lawyer of Meas Peng, protested and took his client out of the temporary detention center because he found out that the detention was done without any court order. At that time, both Chan Cheng and Chuong Chou-ngy was accompanying Meas Peng.

សាលាដំបូង​ខេត្ត​កណ្ដាល​បាន​ចោទ​ប្រកាន់​តំណាងរាស្ដ្រ​គណបក្ស​សម​ រង្ស៊ី ​លោក​ ចាន់​ ចេង ​និង​សកម្មជន​នយោបាយ​គណបក្ស​នេះ​ចំនួន​ពីរ​រូប​ផ្សេង​ទៀត ​ក្នុង​រឿង​ក្ដី​មួយ​ទាក់ទង​នឹង​សំណុំ​រឿង​ដីធ្លី​ដ៏​ចម្រូងចម្រាស់។

ការ​ចោទប្រកាន់​នេះ​ត្រូវ​បាន​ធ្វើ​ឡើង​ក្រោយ​បន្ទាប់​ពី​រដ្ឋសភា​បាន​ព្យួរ​អភ័យឯកសិទ្ធិ​លោក​ចាន់ ​ចេង ​កាល​ពី​សប្ដាហ៍​មុន។

ព្រះរាជអាជ្ញា​តុលាការ​ខេត្ត​កណ្ដាល​លោក​អ៊ុក ​គឹមសិទ្ធិ ​មាន​ប្រសាសន៍​នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​អង្គារ​នេះ​ថា ​លោក​បាន​ធ្វើ​ការ​ចោទប្រកាន់​កាល​ពី​ថ្ងៃ​សុក្រ​សប្ដាហ៍​មុន​ លើ​លោក​ចាន់​ ចេង​ និង​មេធាវី​ប្រចាំ​គណបក្ស​សម ​រង្ស៊ី ​លោក ​ជួរ ​ជូងី ​ពី «បទ​ផ្ដល់​មធ្យោបាយ​ឲ្យ​លួច​រត់» ​​ដល់​លោក ​មាស ​ប៉េង។

លោក ​មាស​ ប៉េង​ គឺ​ជា​ជំទប់​ឃុំ​បន្ទាយដែក ​ខេត្ត​កណ្ដាល​ កូតា​គណបក្ស​សម ​រង្ស៊ី ​ដែល​ត្រូវ​ចោទ​ប្រកាន់​ផងដែរ​ពី​បទ​លួច​រត់។ បទចោទ​នេះ​ដែល​ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​ជំទប់​ឃុំ​របស់​គណបក្ស​ជំទាស់​ទទួល​រង​ការ​ចោទប្រកាន់​ចំនួន​ពីរ​ក្នុង​សំណុំរឿង​ដែល​ជាប់​ទាក់ទង​គ្នា។

From Hiding, Lawmaker Objects to Immunity Suspension

The National Assembly, which is dominated by the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, voted to suspend Chan Cheng’s immunity last week, accusing him of using his parliamentary protection to drive a man away from Kandal provincial detention who was accused of incitement in a land dispute.

Monday, 26 December 2011
Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer | Washington

“I don’t agree with the lifting of my immunity. I don’t agree, because I did not commit any wrongdoing.”

Chan Cheng, the opposition lawmaker who had his immunity revoked by the National Assembly last week, has gone into hiding, following accusations he used his parliamentary privileges to help a party supporter escape police custody.

However, in an interview with VOA Khmer, he said he had not made a mistake an that he could now not do his job as a parliamentarian.

“It’s a distraction,” he said from an undisclosed location outside the country. With his immunity suspended, he will lose the trust of the people he represents, he said, and he won’t be able to argue points in the National Assembly.

A Message of Gratitude A Message of Hope for 2012 - by SRP MP Mu Sochua

Lawmaker loses immunity

Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Son Chhay speaks to reporters yesterday after fellow SRP parliamentarian Chan Cheng was stripped of his parliamentary immunity. (Photo by: Pha Lina)

Wednesday, 21 December 2011
Meas Sokchea
The Phnom Penh Post

Despite the lack of charges or an arrest warrant and no summons for questioning on the horizon, the National Assembly yesterday stripped the parliamentary immunity of Chan Cheng.

The National Assembly voted 88 to 9 in favour of stripping the immunity of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party parliamentarian yesterday in a 20-minute decision that was not debated.

“On December 9, the parliament received a letter from the Justice Ministry that had been sent to the ministry from the Kandal Provincial Court prosecutor requesting parliamentary immunity for [Chan Cheng] be stripped so he could be questioned in relation to a criminal complaint against him,” National Assembly President Heng Samrin told parliament.

The “criminal complaint” is the Kandal prosecutor’s accusation that Chan Cheng helped a man escape from detention.