Opposition party and US to talk Rainsy return

Human Rights Party president Kem Sokha (L), Sam Rainsy (C) and SRP lawmaker Mu Sochua attend a press conference together in August 2008 in Phnom Penh. Photograph: Heng Chivoan/Phnom Penh Post

Wednesday, 25 July 2012
Meas Sokchea
The Phnom Penh Post

The trio at the head of Cambodia’s newly merged opposition party is heading to Washington early next month to talk with unnamed US Congressional and State Department officials about bringing their absentee leader, Sam Rainsy, back to take part in the 2013 national elections.

“The question is, will the US accept a government that does not respect the will of the people?” asked opposition parliamentarian Mu Sochua in an interview yesterday, implicitly referring to the ruling Cambodian People’s Party.

Sochua is aligned with the new Cambodian Democratic Movement for National Rescue, a union forged in Manila this month between the Human Rights Party and the Sam Rainsy Party.

Petition to Deputy Assistant Secretary Joseph Yun, US Department of State

https://www.box.com/s/d77c1dd9cff03f5a3b03

Sacrava's Political Cartoon - The Beauty & The Beast

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

RFA News Update 12 June 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq5Z1jKNu40

Groups Highlight Rights Concerns

 Mu Sochua prepares for an interview at RFA, June 8, 2012. Credit: RFA

Rights groups plan protests ahead of the Cambodian foreign minister’s visit to Washington.

2012-06-11

RFA

“I requested her [Clinton] to suspend military aid to Cambodia”

Rights groups have highlighted deteriorating human rights, government intimidation of the opposition, and land grabs in Cambodia on the eve of a visit by Foreign Minister Hor Namhong to Washington for talks with his counterpart U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The one-day visit will take place on Tuesday, during which Hor Namhong is expected to discuss with Clinton and other senior U.S. officials issues related to security in Asia, regional use of the Mekong River, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which Cambodia is chairing this year.

He will also request the U.S. to cancel Cambodia’s debt of around U.S. $440 million, including interest, which it incurred through agricultural aid during the Lon Nol era of the 1970s. Prime Minister Hun Sen has called the loan Cambodia’s “dirty debt.”

In a petition addressed to Clinton, Cambodian Americans for Human Rights and Democracy and Khmer People’s Network for Cambodia wrote that human rights conditions in Cambodia have gone “from bad to worse” over the last two decades.

“Initially, the victims of human rights violations had mostly been people who Prime Minister Hun Sen, his wife, and his associates considered potential opponents, competitors, detractors, environmentalists, unionists, and human rights defenders,” the statement read.

“Now, they have widened their focus to include land owners, members of their families, and those who sympathize with their causes.”

Cambodian-Americans to demonstrate during Comrade Ho 5 Hong's meeting with Hillary Clinton

 

ខ្មែរ​អាមេរិកាំង​រៀបចំ​បាតុកម្ម​ពេល​លោក​ហោ ណាំហុង​ជួប​លោកស្រី​ហ៊ីលឡារី ​គ្លីនតុន 

Kuong Koy, one of Hun Xen's regime's mouthpiece

ថ្ងៃច័ន្ទ, 11 ខែមិថុនា 2012
ដោយ សុខ ខេមរា វីអូអេ​ | វ៉ាស៊ីនតោន



សម្គាល់៖ វីអូអេ​នឹង​មាន​ធ្វើ​សេចក្តី​រាយការណ៍​ពិសេស​អំពី​ដំណើរទស្សនកិច្ច​ផ្លូវការ ​​របស់​លោក​ហោ ណាំហុង មក​កាន់​សហរដ្ឋ​អាមេរិក​ពី​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​១២​ដល់​១៣ ខែ​មិថុនា ឆ្នាំ​២០១២។

«យើង​នឹង​បន្ត​សកម្មភាព​របស់​យើង​ដើម្បី​ទាមទារ​រក​យុត្តិធម៌​ជូន​ជន​រងគ្រោះ​ខ្មែរ​យើង​នៅ​ក្នុង​ប្រទេស​ខ្មែរ»។

ពលរដ្ឋ​ខ្មែរ​អាមេរិកាំង​ជាច្រើន​មកពី​រដ្ឋនានា​ត្រៀម​ធ្វើ​បាតុកម្ម​តវ៉ា​នៅមុខ​ក្រសួង​ការបរទេស​ស.រ.អ.​ក្នុង រដ្ឋធានី​វ៉ាស៊ីនតោន​ដើម្បី​ជំរុញ​ស.រ.អ.​ឲ្យ​ជួយ​ពិនិត្យ​មើល​ស្ថានការណ៍​កម្ពុជា​ទាក់ទង​នឹង​បញ្ហា​សិទ្ធិ​មនុស្ស ​ការ​រំលោភ​បំពាន​ដីធ្លី​ និង​កែទម្រង់​ផ្សេងៗ​ក្នុងពេល​លោក​ឧបនាយក​រដ្ឋមន្ត្រី​ ហោ​ ណាំហុង​ រដ្ឋមន្ត្រី ​ការបរទេស​កម្ពុជា​ជួប​ជាមួយ​លោកស្រី ​រដ្ឋមន្ត្រីការ​បរទេស​អាមេរិក​ ហ៊ីលឡារី គ្លីនតុន​ (Hillary Clinton) នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​អង្គារ។

លោក ម៉ៃឃើល ឌួង ​អ្នក​រៀបចំ​បាតុកម្ម​អហិង្សា​នេះ​បាន​អះអាង​ថា​បាតុកម្ម​នេះ​គឺដើម្បី​ជំរុញ​ឲ្យ​ស.រ.អ.​គិត​ពិចារណា​អំពី​បញ្ហា​នៅ​កម្ពុជា​ទាក់ទង​នឹង​ការ​បណ្តេញ​ចេញ​ពលរដ្ឋ​ពី​លំនៅដ្ឋាន​ ​ការ​ចាប់​ពលរដ្ឋ​បឹងកក់​១៥​នាក់​ដាក់​គុក​ដោយសារ​ការ​តវ៉ា​ដែល​គ្មាន​ដំណោះស្រាយ​ បញ្ហា​បាញ់​សម្លាប់​សកម្មជន​ព្រៃឈើ​លោក ឈុត វុទ្ធី ​និង​អំពើ​អមនុស្សធម៌​ផ្សេងៗ​ទៀត​ដែល​ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​ចុះ​អន់ថយ​ដំណើរការ​ប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ​និង​ការ​គោរព​សិទ្ធិ​មនុស្ស។

«ព្រោះអី​យើង​យល់ឃើញ​ថា ​ចំពោះ​យើង​ជា​ពលរដ្ឋ​ខ្មែរ​អាមេរិកាំង​និង​សហគមន៍​ខ្មែរ​នៅ​បរទេស​ទាំង​អស់​ដែរ ​គឺ​ឃើញ​ថា​ ប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ​ហើយ​និង​សិទ្ធិ​មនុស្ស​នៅ​កម្ពុជា​ហ្នឹង​ កាន់តែ​ដើរ​ថយ​ក្រោយ​ឡើង»។

Exiled Cambodian leader speaks to local compatriots

(Photo: Sok Serey, RFA)

Sunday, February 27, 2011
By Steve Huffman
The Dispatch (Lexington, North Caroline, USA)

Sam Rainsy, a member of Cambodia's parliament, brought a message from his native land to Davidson County Saturday night.

Unless you spoke Cambodian, it was impossible to understand what Rainsy was saying, but he drew the rapt attention of about 200 Davidson County residents who are of Cambodian descent. Rainsy spoke at the Lexington Buddhist Temple off Pinelodge Road.

In a brief interview where he spoke English, Rainsy, 63, said he had been forced into exile from Cambodia, but still travels frequently to the country. He remains a member of the country's parliament, Rainsy said.

"It's not the first time," he said of his forced exile. "I'm used to it."

Invitation to meet Kem Sokha

Human Rights Party Looks to Grow Ahead of Polls

Kem Sokha talks politics on VOA Khmer's 'Hello VOA' program Monday. (Photo: by Im Sothearith)

Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer
Washington, DC Monday, 30 August 2010

“They should not feel that Cambodia belongs to other people. I want to make sure that they go and help our country.”

The minority opposition Human Rights Party held a convention in the US on Sunday, hoping to strengthen its appeal to US-Cambodians who are becoming less interested in politics back home.

The Human Rights Party, which holds three seats in the National Assembly, will seek to expand its reach in upcoming local elections in 2012 and in national elections in 2013.

At a party congress in Philadelphia, Penn., party president Kem Sokha told a gathering of supporters from the US, Canada and Europe that the party, though young, had seen an increase in support.

"The Human Rights Party walks on the right path, which is not only for rural people, the poor, the commoners, the vulnerable, but also for those who are in power, the rich, and those who already have happiness,” Kem Sokha said. “Our target is to help the weak and the poor, but we are not destroying those who already have happiness.”

The convention was only the second for the party since its formation in 2007. Since then, supporters have grown from four to 17 US states, said Keo Sambath, who was selected to head the party's North America branch.

The general level of interest in Cambodian politics among those who now live in the US is in decline, he said, but the party is looking to invigorate them.

“I want to make sure that our people [in the US] stand up,” he said. “They should not feel that Cambodia belongs to other people. I want to make sure that they go and help our country.”

Party officials said they will now seek to reach out further to the international community, mobilize more human resources and find more funding.

The congress brought in some new recruits, though some had little or no political background.

“I have never been with any political party before,” said Tep Sothy, a high school teacher from Chicago. “But when I saw the Human Rights Party, I knew that the leader was a good person. He has good morals and wants to find freedom for others. The party's name is also good for all people. These are the reason why I joined the party.”

Minority Opposition Leader Claims Intimidation by Ruling Party

Kem Sokha, then-director of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, stands outside his office in the capital Phnom Penh. (Photo: AP)

Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer
Washington, DC Thursday, 05 August 2010

“In some places the local authorities don't allow us to have a meeting, even though I use my name as a member of parliament visiting my constituency.”

One of Cambodia's opposition parties continues to face political repression and discrimination that need international attention, the leader of the minority party says.

Kem Sokha, president of the Human Rights Party, said in an interview with VOA last week that his party faces repression both on the parliamentary floor, where time is limited for his three parliamentarians, and in the field, where his meetings with grassroots supporters find it hard to get permission to gather and participants are intimidated.

“In some places the local authorities don't allow us to have a meeting, even though I use my name as a member of parliament visiting my constituency,” Kem Sokha said, as he continued a two-month tour of the US and Canada.

“In some places the ruling Cambodian People's Party officials disturbed our meeting by verbally attacking our supporters during the session and threatening them with chair fighting,” he said.

Kem Sokha said the US should look into critical issues like land grabbing, elections and freedom of expression.

“The ruling party has classified Cambodian people into three different categories: black, grey and white," he continued, referring to lists the ruling party initiated earlier this year.

Those who support the Human Rights Party are labeled “black,” while those who support the CPP are labeled “white,” he said.

Kem Sokha is scheduled to meet US officials before attending his party congress on Aug. 28 and Aug. 29, when party officials will review their strategy for the 2012 and 2013 elections. He is due to return to Cambodia at the end of September.

After his release, Hang Chakra plans to visit the US

Hang Chakra (Photo: Zakariya, RFA)

22 May 2010
By Ky Soklim
Radio France Internationale
Translated from Khmer by Komping Puoy
Click here to read the article in Khmer

Following his release from jail one month ago, Hang Chakra, Editor-in-chief of the Khmer Machas Srok newspaper, plans to visit the US in the near future. Hang Chakra was invited to visit by Cambodian communities in the US.

Hang Chakra who was released from jail last April, said on Saturday that he plans to visit the US in the near future. However, the exact schedule cannot be confirmed yet as of now.

Hang Chakra’s visit to the US is aimed at three goals: (1) to report the freedom of the press situation in Cambodia to the Cambodian communities in the US, (2) to report about the lack of funds for the operation of his newspaper, and (3) to appeal once again to the Cambodian government to search for the past killers of journalists.

According to Hang Chakra, the Khmer Machas Srok newspaper is facing severe financial obstacles. 5 to 6 employees of the newspaper work almost without receving any salary. The Khmer Machas Srok, which is published in black and white only and which is anti-government, does not sell very well because it contains only 4 pages. Furthermore, most of the articles are only politically oriented.

Reporters for the Khmer Machas Srok newspaper said that advertisers are reluctant to place ads in this newspaper because they are afraid of being viewed as supporting the opposition.

Observing that his newspaper will have difficulties to survive, Hang Chakra plans to take the opportunity of his visit to appeal to overseas Cambodians to provide help to his newspapers.

The Cambodian communities in the US invited Hang Chakra to perform his visit soon. All his travel and lodging expenses will be borne by overseas Cambodians in the US. This will mark Hang Chakra’s first visit to western countries.

Visit of Opposition Leader Sam Rainsy and Mr. Sean Pengse to North America

Date 05-02-2010

To: ALL MEMBERS, PRESS MEDIA AND KHMER PUBLIC AT LARGE
From: Office of the Secretariat

Dear All,

Please be informed that the Right Honourable Sam Rainsy, leader of the Cambodian official opposition and Mr. Sean Peng Se, President of Cambodia’s Border Committee in Paris, France will be visiting several keys Cambodian communities across North America beginning from May 22 to June 6, 2010.

You will have the opportunity to meet, ask questions and witnessing indisputable evidence concerning border encroachment activities from the East – a hot political issue which the Cambodian government has been trying to deny or cover up, per se.

The following states and communities have been selected to host the visit:

Lowell, MA * - 05/22/2010
Philadelphia, PA - 05/23/2010
Houston, Texas - 05/25-26/2010
Tacoma-Seattle, WA * - 05/28/2010
Long Beach, CA * - 05/29/2010
San Jose/Oakland, CA * - 05/30/2010
Stockton, CA * - 06/01-02/2010
Toronto, Canada * - 06/04/2010
Montreal, Canada * - 06/05/2010
Orlando, Florida - 06/06/2010

Flyer is being prepared for each hosting community and it will be posted accordingly concerning date, time and the precise location.

Please consult with your local chapter leaders and team members to ensure a smooth reception of our leader’s visit to your region.

Truly Yours,

The Secretariat, SRP-NA

Notice : * Mr. Sean Peng Se join trip to the US and Canada with H.E. Sam Rainsy

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy to tour North America at the end of May-early June

To: ALL MEMBERS, PRESS MEDIA AND KHMER PUBLIC AT LARGE
From: Office of the Secretariat

Dear All,

Please be informed that the Right Honourable Sam Rainsy, leader of the Cambodian official opposition, will be visiting several keys Cambodian communities across North America beginning from May 22 to June 6, 2010.
You will have the opportunity to meet, ask questions and witnessing indisputable evidence concerning border encroachment activities from the East – a hot political issue which the Cambodian government has been trying to deny or cover up, per se.

The following states and communities have been selected to host the visit:

• Lowell, MA: 05/22/2010
• Philadelphia, PA: 05/23/2010
• Houston, Texas: 05/25-26/2010
• Tacoma-Seattle, WA: 05/28/2010
• Long Beach, CA: 05/29/2010
• San Jose/Oakland, CA: 05/30/2010
• Stockton, CA: 06/01-02/2010
• Toronto, Canada: 06/04/2010
• Montreal, Canada: 06/05/2010
• Orlando, Florida: 06/06/2010

Flyer is being prepared for each hosting community and it will be posted accordingly concerning date, time and the precise location.

Please consult with your local chapter leaders and team members to ensure a smooth reception of our leader’s visit to your region.

Truly Yours,
The Secretariat, SRP-NA

A time for change in election season

April 25, 2008
By Steve Hirsch
Washington Times (USA)

Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy this week predicted that the opposition will gain strength in planned national elections, even though the vote "will be manipulated."

The country is to hold national elections July 27, and they are widely expected to be won by Prime Minister Hun Sen and his ruling Cambodian People's Party.

The elections come against a background of a poor human rights record, runaway inflation and a slow-moving international genocide tribunal for Khmer Rouge leaders. An estimated 1.7 million people died during the brutal 1975-79 Khmer Rouge regime.

The State Department has described Cambodia's human rights record as "poor," citing reports of arbitrary arrests and prolonged detention, a weak judiciary, and government restriction of freedom of speech through defamation and disinformation suits.

According to the department's human rights report for last year, "corruption was endemic and extended throughout all segments of society, including the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government."

Sam Rainsy, who heads a party of the same name — the Sam Rainsy Party — in an interview with The Washington Times on Wednesday described the Cambodian government as "a facade of democracy" where all powers are concentrated in Hun Sen's hands.

He also cited "shady business deals" and said the country's most thriving industries are deforestation, land speculation, gambling and prostitution.

The July elections come as Cambodians are facing soaring inflation and food costs — with low-grade rice reportedly selling last month in Phnom Penh markets at about 50 cents a kilogram, compared with 30 cents a few months ago.

In the past six months, basic food items have more than doubled in price, Sam Rainsy said.

About 300 supporters of the Sam Rainsy Party rallied in Phnom Penh a few weeks ago to protest inflation and demand wage increases, and Sam Rainsy said there will be another protest May 1.

Sam Rainsy also said the poor are being pushed off their land in Phnom Penh as land prices rise, and their expulsion is being compared to the Khmer Rouge's forcible evacuation of cities in 1975 — although in this case, only the poor are being expelled.

He predicted that the election will be rigged and said large numbers of voters who do not support Hun Sen's CPP will be stripped from election rolls.

Human Rights Watch last month said politically motivated criminal charges against at least three opposition party officials were part of a CPP campaign to weaken political rivals.

"Politically motivated criminal charges have ... long been a weapon of choice of the CPP against its political foes," the organization said.

Brad Adams, the group's Asia director, said that for those who follow Cambodian politics, "this is deja vu."

Sam Rainsy said he needs to do his best to make sure this election won't be "as bad" as previous elections.

Outside observers have cited progress since the last National Assembly elections in 2003, pointing to a decrease in political violence in an example.

The State Department, discussing local elections last year, acknowledged there were problems, but said most observers agreed they "were the least violent and best organized elections ever held in the country."

The ruling CPP won 70.4 percent of the positions in that election, while the Sam Rainsy Party won 23.4 percent.

A U.N. Development Program report on those elections cited "a seeming general consensus among national and international observers that the elections were conducted in a peaceful atmosphere and were largely free and fair, particularly when compared to previous elections in Cambodia."

How well his party will do in the elections, Sam Rainsy said, depends on how transparent and honest the election turns out to be.

He is certain, though, the opposition "will get stronger."

"Our voice will be stronger, our influence will be stronger, and we will use them to push the Khmer Rouge tribunal to move forward," he said.

He said the party could gain substantial power if it were to prevent the CPP from maintaining a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly.

When asked whether most Cambodians believe democracy is a real possibility in the near future, he answered indirectly:

"In 1990, if you asked Russians ... is the Communist Party going to disintegrate, is the Soviet Union going to disintegrate ... most of them would say no."

Sam Rainsy Predicts Leadership Change at Polls

By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
25 April 2008

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy told a gathering of supporters in Virginia Wednesday the Cambodian people were ready to vote for a change in national leadership when elections come in July.

A failure of economic policies would lead to the change, he said, speaking at a dinner conference during a two-week trip to the US to gather support for his party ahead of the election campaign.

“So the people this time will not endure until death, as in the Khmer Rouge regime,” he said. “They truly will resist, and resist peacefully through the vote, to vote out the corrupt group that is making people poorer and poorer.”

Cambodia’s economy has grown at a rate of 9 percent to 10 percent over the last five years, but Prime Minister Hun Sen and his government are now facing inflation that has beleaguered the nation in recent months.

Cambodian People’s Party lawmaker Chiem Yeap said Sam Rainsy’s comments were made only in a bid to gain popularity ahead of the elections.

“We, the ruling party, have tried hard to defend the reputation and protect the confidence of all the people, who vote continually for the CPP to win,” he said. “And we are not concerned about anything at all.”

Sam Rainsy told his supporters in Virginia that Cambodia was facing many issues, including land eviction, land disputes, corruption, the discovery of oil, border demarcation, poverty, unemployment, inflation, deforestation and a decline in the fish harvest.

A Cambodian-American living in Alexandria, Va., Sophal Chhuong, said he supported Sam Rainsy 100 percent.

“What I am concerned with is the election, because there should be close monitoring that will not allow, for example, that I vote for the Sam Rainsy Party but Hun Sen wins,” Sophal Chhuong said.

Keang Vang, another Cambodian-American, who lives in North Carolina, said he spent 10 hours driving to hear Sam Rainsy speak on Wednesday.

He wanted to push Cambodia’s leaders to think about the country, he said.

“Neighboring countries like Vietnam and Thailand are moving well, but not Cambodia, so Cambodian leaders should unify and help rebuild the nation,” he said.

About 34 percent of Cambodia’s 14 million live under the poverty line, with 85 percent of them dependant on agriculture. More than 8 million people are registered to vote in July’s elections.

Opposition Leader Addresses Yale Students [-Khieu Kanharith sees red]

By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh
21 April 2008

Click here to listed to the audio in Khmer

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy described political attacks on government policy and the “meaning of his political struggle” in a speech to a class at Yale University in the US Monday, where his daughter is a student, according to an SRP statement.

“Sam Rainsy spoke of the political struggle for democracy, freedom and justice in Cambodia in raising the struggle against a political dictatorship and corruption,” Eng Chhay Ieng, SRP secretary-general, told VOA Khmer.

The government continues to suppress freedom of expression and assembly, he said, adding that Sam Rainsy also pushed for the passage of an anti-corruption law.

“The current Phnom Penh government is not making a fair thing in conformity with democracy and constitutional principles,” Sam Rainsy told the class, Eng Chhay Ieng said.

Government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said the opposition had the “right and freedom to badly insult the government.”

“Sam Rainsy clearly knows the use of the rights and freedoms in Cambodia, but Sam Rainsy’s defamation against the government is just for good listening,” Khieu Kanharith said.

“If Sam Rainsy speaks of good for the government, the rain will pour to become a flood,” Khieu Kanharith said. “A good politician or good leader must look for its weaknesses, not blame others. If it blames others, it can’t find its weakness and can’t recorrect.”

Sam Rainsy has already apologized for defaming Prime Minister Hun Sen, in 2006, and is now facing an internal conflict ahead of July’s general election, the spokesman said.

Sam Rainsy to Deliver Lecture at Yale University

20 April 2008

Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy, who is currently touring the U.S.A. and Canada, will deliver a lecture at Yale University (Connecticut) on 21 April 2008 at 08:00 pm. He will elaborate on the current situation in Cambodia and the meaning of his political struggle. Sam Rainsy's youngest daughter, Rachel Sandana Sam, who will graduate next year in political science and public health, is currently President of the Association of Yale foreign students. Current U.S. President George W. Bush, former Presidents George H. W. Bush and William (Bill) J. Clinton and presidential candidate Hillary R. Clinton are Yale alumni.

Source: SRP Cabinet