By Chun Sakada, VOA KhmerOriginal report from Phnom Penh
05 May 2008
Human Rights Party President Kem Sokha blasted a new draft law on demonstration that he said would limit the rights of Cambodians to freedom of assembly, especially in seeking redress to governmental wrongdoing.
The draft law has received widespread condemnation from rights groups, especially a clause that limits the number of demonstrators to 200 participants and the time of gatherings from 6 am to 6 pm. The draft law also focuses more responsibility on demonstration organizers “if the demonstration becomes violent and destroys public or private property.”
“The human rights party cannot accept this new draft law on demonstrations, as it is not serving the interest of people or democracy, but the ruling [Cambodian People’s Party] interest,” Kem Sokha said.
The party would seek laws that open more rights and freedoms if it wins July’s general election, he said.
“The new draft law on demonstrations is not widely democratic for the people to express and protest on their grievances and concerns,” said Ny Chakrya, chief of Adhoc’s rights investigation unit.
The people have a right to push the government to solve such issues as the judiciary, corruption, poverty and land disputes, he said.
Prime Minister Hun Sen has welcomed the draft, saying it does not limit peaceful demonstration but helps authorities protect “national security, public order,…public health [and] morale [and] rights and freedom of other people.”
The draft law has received widespread condemnation from rights groups, especially a clause that limits the number of demonstrators to 200 participants and the time of gatherings from 6 am to 6 pm. The draft law also focuses more responsibility on demonstration organizers “if the demonstration becomes violent and destroys public or private property.”
“The human rights party cannot accept this new draft law on demonstrations, as it is not serving the interest of people or democracy, but the ruling [Cambodian People’s Party] interest,” Kem Sokha said.
The party would seek laws that open more rights and freedoms if it wins July’s general election, he said.
“The new draft law on demonstrations is not widely democratic for the people to express and protest on their grievances and concerns,” said Ny Chakrya, chief of Adhoc’s rights investigation unit.
The people have a right to push the government to solve such issues as the judiciary, corruption, poverty and land disputes, he said.
Prime Minister Hun Sen has welcomed the draft, saying it does not limit peaceful demonstration but helps authorities protect “national security, public order,…public health [and] morale [and] rights and freedom of other people.”
8 comments:
PM Hun Sen is 100% correct as usual.
gentleman
Law is a preventitive measure of any form of ABUSES of Human rights and its aim enforcement.
As long as any criminal acts NOT carried out against human, Demonstration of interests should be allowed, with sensible guidelines.
So please srop using agression on human needs expression. It is only applied in communist to control, and cambodia is claimed DEMOCRATIC country.
Neand SA
Wow! HunSen is progressive backward, reducing the # of demonstrators from 500 to 200. I think this progressive for ah Hun! He's really making Cambodia a laughing stocks.
There is always a loophole in the law for people to poke if they explore the options.
Right!
Law stipulated and limited 200 people on a demonstration but doesn't stipulated or limited on how many group of 200 demonstrators and therefore organizers shall be smart and still be able to organize a big demonstration not just one front but many fronts.
Also, there ought to be law to keep party members from cheating the election by holding demonstration. No one on this planet does that.
HRP will be the next biggest party in Cambodia.
5:31am.no one on this planet does that,it is because they are having no moneys as what we are.កម្មករ
1:20, the election should be free and fair. What that means is "no cheating". Is that hard for you to understand?
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