Associated Press
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling party on Thursday began a push to adopt a draft law to impose a one-year jail term on any Cambodian convicted of having an extramarital affair.
Several critics quickly condemned the move, saying it is repressive.
During a Parliament debate Thursday, Eng Chhay Eang, a lawmaker from the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, compared the jail punishment to the harsh rule of the former Taliban regime in Afghanistan — and to Cambodia's own brutal former leader.
"It also sounds like the Pol Pot regime, under which anyone who dared to harbor sentimental feelings of love toward another person was arrested and executed," he said, referring to the late leader of the Khmer Rouge regime, which caused the deaths of nearly 2 million people in the late 1970s.
He said criminal punishment for adultery is "unnecessary."
An article in the draft law states that adultery committed by a man or woman, while still officially married, is punishable with a prison sentence from six months to a year and a fine of 1 million riel (US$244; euro190).
Ek Sam Ol, a lawmaker from Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party, said it is intended to make married couples "live in harmony, happiness and with dignity."
"It is an instrument to assist Cambodians in nurturing good family cells for the future," said Ek Sam Ol, who heads the National Assembly's influential legislative committee.
In late February, Hun Sen called for such a rule for public officials, in a bid to uphold high moral conduct.
But Kem Sokha, president of the nonprofit Cambodian Center for Human Rights, said Cambodia was using the measure as a way to avoid tackling more important problems.
"The timing for it is quite suspicious, and I think that Cambodia has many issues of greater importance to tackle" than adultery, he said. "The anti-corruption law is of higher priority than adultery, but the government has always had many excuses to delay it."
Several critics quickly condemned the move, saying it is repressive.
During a Parliament debate Thursday, Eng Chhay Eang, a lawmaker from the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, compared the jail punishment to the harsh rule of the former Taliban regime in Afghanistan — and to Cambodia's own brutal former leader.
"It also sounds like the Pol Pot regime, under which anyone who dared to harbor sentimental feelings of love toward another person was arrested and executed," he said, referring to the late leader of the Khmer Rouge regime, which caused the deaths of nearly 2 million people in the late 1970s.
He said criminal punishment for adultery is "unnecessary."
An article in the draft law states that adultery committed by a man or woman, while still officially married, is punishable with a prison sentence from six months to a year and a fine of 1 million riel (US$244; euro190).
Ek Sam Ol, a lawmaker from Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party, said it is intended to make married couples "live in harmony, happiness and with dignity."
"It is an instrument to assist Cambodians in nurturing good family cells for the future," said Ek Sam Ol, who heads the National Assembly's influential legislative committee.
In late February, Hun Sen called for such a rule for public officials, in a bid to uphold high moral conduct.
But Kem Sokha, president of the nonprofit Cambodian Center for Human Rights, said Cambodia was using the measure as a way to avoid tackling more important problems.
"The timing for it is quite suspicious, and I think that Cambodia has many issues of greater importance to tackle" than adultery, he said. "The anti-corruption law is of higher priority than adultery, but the government has always had many excuses to delay it."
3 comments:
Beside Heng Pov and Rannaridh, who's else does this law aims toward? H. P. and Krom Preah will be in jail up to a year. H. P. has two mistresses so two years.
AH HUN SEN government sponsored by the Vietcong knew that in Cambodia there are more Cambodian women than Cambodian men due to genocide and the civil war!
So what do AH HUN SEN do with all the surplus Cambodian women population? Well, AH HUN SEN had been promoting sex trade through tourism! AH HUN SEN even allowed the South Korean men to advertise to lure these Cambodian women to be their bride or prostitute. What about all the fucken intermarrige with the Viet men! What about promoting these Cambodian women to work as nanny across the global!
"Now AH HUN SEN called for such a rule for public officials, in a bid to uphold high moral conduct."
Why does AH HUN SEN feel so guilty when dealing with Cambodian women? It is because he himself had committed so many heinous acts against Cambodian women! Who order an execution of a popular female singer Piseth Pilika?
The day will come when all Cambodian men and women can judge AH HUN SEN base on his past immoral conduct!
Good, let starts prosecuting Hun Sen and Hok Lundy first for the people example.
Let everyone stones these two bastard to death in Phsa Tmey.
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