If she’s so scared, why would she return back, can you explain, Doc Cheam Yeap?

Cheam Yeap: Another CPP PhD without attending school?

Dr. Cheam Yeap: The opposition people exaggerate so much overseas and they are now scared (sic!)

21 September 2009
By Ratana
Khmer Sthabna
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Click here to read Ros Visal's letter to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

A high-ranking official of the ruling CPP reacted to the critics by human rights group and an opposition MP after the latter talked without restraint (on 10 September 2009) to the US Congress Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, and these people are scared when they return back to Cambodia.

On 18 September 2009, Ros Visal, President of the SRP in the US, wrote a letter to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asking that the US government helps improve human rights and democracy in Cambodia, and he is also concerned about the use of the biased judiciary system to sue opposition MPs, NGO officials, and reporters. He also asked [for the US] to help ensure the safety of opposition MP Mu Sochua, the elected MP from Kampot province, and Phnom Penh MP Ho Vann, Dr. Pung Chiv Kek, President of Licadho, and Mr. Moeun Tola, the planning director of the Community Legal Education Center (CLEC).

Ros Visal added in his letter that the court system in Cambodia is not independent and government officials are above the law. In regards to freedom of expression, the government did not provide freedom to the people to speak the truth, and whoever dares to criticize the government, that person will be sued for defamation by the court. Freedom of the expression is the foundation to guarantee freedom and democracy, but it is actually not guaranteed, as stipulated in the Constitution.

The content of the letter to Mrs. Clinton also indicated that, in regard to the human rights problems, Members of Parliament, NGO officials, reporters are sued by the court and the legal system is used to lift MP’s parliamentary immunity for political purpose. Regarding the recent forced evictions in Cambodia, no proper compensations were provided and several thousands of families lost their lands and houses and these people have to face even more dire poverty situation.

Cheam Yeap, the CPP MP from Prey Veng and a high-ranking CPP official, reacted by saying that these are exaggerations of the truth provided to US representatives (on 10 September 2009), and he added that these people are now scared when they want to return back to Cambodia, so they are sending out letters seeking help interventions.

Dr. Cheam Yeap indicated the US government cannot interfere inside Cambodia’s boundaries, and what the opposition people spoke, it was way out of limit, and now they are scared. He said that what the Phnom Penh regime undertook, it was all according to the law, and it was never outside of the law and the democratic principle, but nevertheless, there are still some cracks in everything.

Khieu Kanharith, the minister of Information and government spokesman, could not be reached over the phone in the afternoon of 21 September.

However, recently, Ouch Borith, the secretary of state for the ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that Mrs. Mu Sochua and the civil society close to the opposition party are lying, and that it was not true. He said that the government plays the democracy game, so Mrs. Mu Sochua should return back without fear.

Yim Sovann, SRP spokesman, said that both Cambodians and foreigners are very concerned about the human rights and democracy situation in Cambodia.