By Khemara Sok
Original report from Washington
30 June 2009
Ho Vann, a Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker who had his parliamentary immunity pulled earlier this month, is in the US to meet other opposition party officials.
Ho Vann arrived in Massachusetts last weekend, following a June 22 vote in the National Assembly to suspend his immunity for a pending case in Phnom Penh court.
He faces charges of defamation from a group of 22 military officials who were angered when he publicly questioned the quality of certificates they’d received from the Vietnamese government.
“I’ve come to the US at the invitation of our party branch and will meet our party activists, who need explanations from the party and from our country,” he told VOA Khmer by phone. “After that I will go to join a meeting, according to a previous plan, in Italy.”
Rights groups have questioned the immunity pull, claiming it threatens democracy and protections for lawmakers to speak freely.
A second SRP lawmaker, Mu Sochua, who is facing a defamation suit by Prime Minister Hun Sen, also had her immunity suspended in the National Assembly vote.
Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party controls a vast majority of National Assembly seats, and the vote raised questions about the separation of the legislative and executive branches of government.
Ho Vann arrived in Massachusetts last weekend, following a June 22 vote in the National Assembly to suspend his immunity for a pending case in Phnom Penh court.
He faces charges of defamation from a group of 22 military officials who were angered when he publicly questioned the quality of certificates they’d received from the Vietnamese government.
“I’ve come to the US at the invitation of our party branch and will meet our party activists, who need explanations from the party and from our country,” he told VOA Khmer by phone. “After that I will go to join a meeting, according to a previous plan, in Italy.”
Rights groups have questioned the immunity pull, claiming it threatens democracy and protections for lawmakers to speak freely.
A second SRP lawmaker, Mu Sochua, who is facing a defamation suit by Prime Minister Hun Sen, also had her immunity suspended in the National Assembly vote.
Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party controls a vast majority of National Assembly seats, and the vote raised questions about the separation of the legislative and executive branches of government.
Hun Sen shows Cambodian people that he is in command and no one above him or else. This is not a true democracy, it’s a totalitarian regime. His image and reputation is going down the drain and to the end of his final day. He should change his course of action, compromise and the sake of his fellow Cambodian citizens.
ReplyDeleteDemocratic Kampuchea Pol Pot Khmer Rouge Regime had committed:
ReplyDeleteTorture
Execution
Massacre
Atrocities
War Crimes
Crimes Against Humanity
Starvations
Overwork to Death
Slavery
Rapes
Abuses
Assault and Battery
Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime had committed:
Assassination
Murder
Killing
Extrajudicial Killings
Grenade Attack
Terrorism
Drive by Shooting
Torture
Intimidation
Death Threat
Threatening
Human Rights Abuses
Human Trafficking
Drugs Trafficking
Under Age Child Sex
Corruptions
Illegal Mass Evictions
Illegal Land Grabbing
Illegal Firearms
Illegal Logging
Illegal Deforestation
Illegally sold State properties
Illegally sold National Resources
Illegally Remove Pailementory Immunity
Acid Attacks
Abductions
Injustice
Abuse of Power
Make Cambodia a Lawless Country
Oppression
Steal Votes
Abuse the National Election Committee
Abuse the National Assembly
Violate the Laws
Violate the Constitution
Violate the Paris Accords
Under Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime, no criminals that has been committed murder and all other crimes within Hun Sen Khmer Rouge government have ever been brought to justice.
8:06 AM
ReplyDeleteAnything else you would like to add to your imaginary list?
Nice imagination though?
PPU