UCAOA's Declaration

United Cambodian Associations and Organizations Abroad
USA, Canada, EU and New Zealand
Address: Co/CACJE 3 Fountain Ave. Cranston, RI 02920, USA.
Email: cacjepress@gmail.com
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Press release
(For immediate release)

August 1st, 2008

DECLARATION
Of
The United Cambodian Associations and Organizations Abroad USA, Canada, Europe and New Zealand

Click here to read the declaration in Khmer (PDF)

The United Cambodian Associations and Organizations Abroad USA, Canada, EU and New Zealand fully supports the Sam Rainsy Party’s (SRP) and the Human Right Party’s (HRP) joint statement to reject the results of the July 27, 2008 elections.

The July 27, 2008 elections were not free and fair for the following reasons:

The Cambodian People Party (CPP), the ruling party, almost completely dominates the electronic media, particularly TV, which is by far the most important source of information for Cambodians.

CPP has controlled all the state apparatus – including the National Election Committee (NEC), the judiciary branch, the security forces, the civil service and educational institutions since 1979 -- the day Vietnam invaded Cambodia to install its puppet regime led by Hun Sen.

Through this extensive apparatus, CPP has been able to maintain firm control of the population.

The National Election Committee (NEC) removed several hundred thousand legitimate voters from electoral lists to prevent them from casting ballots for SRP and HRP parties. Not only did the NEC delete countless legitimate voters' names, the NEC also artificially increased the number of votes for the ruling party due to “illegitimate voters".

Several million illegal Vietnamese immigrants out of a total of eight million voters were authorized by the NEC to vote for the CPP in this July 27, 2008 election; whereas many Cambodians were unfairly uprooted, displaced, their land expropriated, and lost their right to vote along the way.

The United Cambodian Associations and Organizations Abroad (UCAOA) -- USA, Canada, Europe and New Zealand, firmly believe that only the people of Cambodia have the fundamental right to freely elect their leaders according to their will.

The United Cambodian Associations and Organizations Abroad (UCAOA) solemnly support:

• The SRP and HRP joint statement of rejection of the election results of July 27, 2008, and
• The SRP’s and HRP’s request for a new election of the National Assembly that should be organized and supervised by the United Nations according to the Paris Peace Agreement of October 23, 1991, as it was done in 1993.

In order to reach this goal to invalidate the results of July 27, 2008 elections, which in fact, were not free and fair and were manipulated and rigged by CPP, in accordance to the Constitution of the Kingdom of Cambodia, the SRP and the HRP “elected members” MUST NOT participate to the first session of the Fourth National Assembly that will be convened upon notice by the king in the subsequent sixty days after the election; no later than September 25, 2008.

Hence, it is imperative that SRP and HRP “elected members” MUST NOT participate in the first session of the fourth Assembly.

If the “elected members” of SRP and HRP participate in the first session of the fourth Assembly, then this is de facto official recognition by them of the results of the July 27, 2008 election.

Any participation of the “elected members” of SRP and HRP in the first session of the Fourth National Assembly is equivalent to collusion between SRP, HRP and CPP to annihilate the sacred right of Cambodian people to freely choose their leaders, and national treason against the people of Cambodia.

Sincerely,

Serey Ratha SOURN
Chief Mission of CACJE and Coordinator of UCAOA

For and in the name of:
1. Cambodian Action Committee for Justice & Equity
Email: cacje@cacje.com, Tel: 401-919-9954
2. Cambodian Association of Ottawa Valley, Canada
Chamroeun Lay, President; Email: chamroeun@cic.ca,
Tel: 613 238 8214 Ext 6222
3. Yanathom du Grand Buddha Khmer of Quebec of Canada
Mr. Horng Lam Srun, President, Email: yanathom@yanathom.org,
4. Cambodian Association of Greater Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Mr. Somrith Som, President, Email: somrith.som@gmail.com, Tel: 267-974-0239
5. Auckland Cambodian-Chinese Kung Luck Association, Auckland, New Zealand
Mr. Meng Ly QSM, Deputy of Chairman; Email: ly_enterprises@hotmail.com,
Tel: 09 5767259 or 027 2845077
6. Former President of Association des Ingenieurs Cambodgiens du Québec, Canada
Ayravuth Tan, Chef de Projet, Email: ayravuth.tan@aero.bombadier.com,
Tel: 524-855-5001
7. Association Culturelle du Cambodge, Lyon, France
Mr. Ly Peoung, President, Email: lypoeung@voila.fr, Tel: 33-9510-73185
8. Khmer Krom Buddhist Temple of Canada
Ven. Dhammo Thac Truong, Email: venthach6@hotmail.com, Tel: 905-664-5547
9. Wat Khmer Sativararam of Canada
Ven. Kimthan Srey, Tell: 591-737-8940
10. Wat Khmer Dhammikaram of Montreal QC, Canada
Ven. Thim, Tell: 514-494-9470
11. Coalition for a Free Cambodia, Florida, USA
Dr. Nicole Ung, Manager;
12. Federation of Cambodian Student in European Community
Mr. Meng Ly Hour, Representative Email: mengly@rockmail.com
13. Cambodian Association of UK
Ms. Sokha Yim, Executive officer, Email: sy_cambodia@yahoo.com.uk