Radio Free Asia
A group of parliamentarians from 162 countries is studying a resolution calling on the government of Cambodia to drop a conviction against opposition leader Sam Rainsy and allow him to return to the country to contest national elections in July.
The Committee on Human Rights of Parliamentarians in the Geneva-based Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) proposed the resolution on Wednesday.
Sam Rainsy, 63, a former lawmaker, was convicted and ordered jailed in 2009 for the removal of a temporary post demarcating Cambodia’s border with Vietnam.
Together with other convictions he said were part of a campaign of political persecution, he faces up to 11 years in prison if he returns to Cambodia from exile in France.
“The information [government officials] provide does not dispel [the IPU’s] long-standing concerns that Mr. Sam Rainsy’s removal of temporary border markers was a political gesture and that, consequently, the courts should never have been seized of the matter in the first place,” the proposed resolution said.
“[The IPU] renews its call on the ruling and opposition parties to do everything possible to work together as a matter of urgency with a view to helping ensure that Mr. Sam Rainsy can stand as a candidate in the elections,” the resolution said.
It expressed regret that, with elections drawing near, it had not been possible for Sam Rainsy, the president of the National Rescue Party (NRP) united opposition coalition, to return to Cambodia and make “a meaningful contribution to free and fair elections.”
It also called on the National Assembly, Cambodia’s parliament, to “promote healthy working relationships” within the legislature, such as consulting all parties for major decisions, ensuring that the rights of the opposition are upheld, and maintaining respect for parliamentary immunity.
In addition to the conviction for removing the border marker, Sam Rainsy was also sentenced for divulging false information by having published a map which reportedly showed a false border with Vietnam and for defaming Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong.
He has repeatedly pledged to return to Cambodia to lead the NRP—formed from his erstwhile Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) and another leading group, the Human Rights Party (HRP)—against Prime Minister Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) in July’s elections, but the government maintains that he will be imprisoned if he does so.
Official response
Cambodian Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan told RFA’s Khmer Service that the IPU’s statement “doesn’t reflect the truth about Cambodia,” adding that it is up to Sam Rainsy to decide whether or not he wants to return to the country.
“Only Sam Rainsy can decide—no one can decide for him. But it seems that he doesn’t want the rule of law and democracy in Cambodia to move forward [by refusing to serve his sentence]. He wants democracy in Cambodia to fail,” he said.
Phay Siphan said Sam Rainsy had refused to soften his criticism of the government and should respect Cambodian law.
“He won’t compromise by performing his duty before justice and the rule of law,” he said, adding that the opposition leader must return to serve his sentence.
The spokesman also stressed that the verdicts against Sam Rainsy “were not politically-motivated.”
“The Cambodian government sees this as a court issue and we can’t put pressure on the court,” he said.
Phay Siphan said that the government has tried to work with Sam Rainsy without resorting to personal attacks.
“Samdech Hun Sen has always coordinated on the issue,” he said, using the prime minister’s honorific title. “He has never criticized Sam Rainsy as a traitor, but Sam Rainsy has repeatedly accused Hun Sen of being a traitor and a Vietnamese puppet.”
Many Cambodians are wary of Vietnam’s influence over their country’s affairs. Sam Rainsy claims the country holds Cambodian territory with the blessing of Hun Sen’s CPP.
Reported by Samean Yun for RFA’s Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Joshua Lipes
7 comments:
If Hun Sen is really a Khmer, he should overhaul the NEC and allow Sam Rainsy to go back to Cambodia to participate in this upcoming election.
When the CNRP wins the election, he should help ensuring a smooth transition of power to the new government. With Hun Sen's help, it will be extremely difficult for the evil Vietnam to play any tricks to destabilize the new government.
One possible trick that Vietnam will be using is staging a fake civil war by using its special Vietnamese agents who have been living in Cambodia since 1979 to attack the new CNRP government.
But this plan will be completely derailed if Hun Sen has good intention to help Cambodia. Hun Sen knew most of Vietnam’s ill intention toward Cambodia.
Hun Sen will become a Khmer hero if he can facilitate a seamless transfer of power after the CPP loses this July election, and Hun Sen will be safely protected by the new government.
Bun Thoeun
តាមទស្សនៈរបស់ខ្ញុំវិញបើ សម រង្ស៊ី មិនបានចូលស្រុកហើយមិនចូលរួមការបោះឆ្នោតនាខែកកដ្តាខាងមុខនេះវាប្រសើរជាងជាងគាត់ចូលទៅបោះបង្រ្គប់កិច្ចអោយគេ។ យើងទុកអោយ ហ៊ុន សែន បោះជាមួយបក្សបង្រ្គប់កិច្ចដ៏ទៃចុៈ...រួចយើងមានលេះនិងភស្តុតាងដែលនឹងអាចនិយាយប្រាប់ពលរដ្ឋខ្មែរទូទាំងប្រទេសនិងអន្តរជាតិថាការបោះឆ្នោតមួយនេះគ្មានសេរីនិងយុត្តធម៌, គ.ជ.ប ក៏គេមិនផ្លាស់ប្តូរហើយអ្នកបោះទាំងនោះសុទ្ធតែជនជាតិយួនខុសច្បាប់...តែបើលោក សម រង្សី ចូលទៅបោះវិញបោះហើយចាញ់គេទៀតនោះយើងឥតមានពាក្យអ្វីនិយាយប្រាប់ទៅអន្តរជាតិទេហើយស្រុកយើងចប់តែម្តង...សែនកាន់អំណាចប្រាំឆ្នាំទៀតមិនដឹងជាយួនចូលប៉ុន្មានលាននាក់ទៀតទេ។
សម រង្ស៊ី នេះយើងនិយាយយ៉ាងណាជាមួយគាត់,
គាត់មិនធ្វើតាមការអំពាវនាវរបស់ពលរដ្ឋខ្មែរទេ ,គឺដូចចាក់ទឹកលើក្បាលទាកៅអី ឬក្បាលកៅអី,
ក្បាលរឹងណាស់ !!!!!!!!!!
សម រង្ស៊ី នេះយើងនិយាយយ៉ាងណាជាមួយគាត់,
គាត់មិនធ្វើតាមការអំពាវនាវរបស់ពលរដ្ឋខ្មែរទេ ,គឺដូចចាក់ទឹកលើក្បាលទា ឬក្បាលកៅអី,
ក្បាលរឹងណាស់ !!!!!!!!!!
សូមខ្មែរអ្នកផ្កាប់មុខទាំងអស់!
ត្រូវក្រោកឡើងព្រមគ្នា ហើយនាំគ្នា(សាក)រួមជួយ
លេងល្បែងបោះឆ្នោតចាញ់បង្រ្គប់កិច្ចម្ដងទៀត
(ល)មើលឱ្យអាគណបក្សស៊ីឈ្នួល
សង្គ្រោះជាតិស្មែរក្លែងក្លាយផង៕
...តែម្ដងទៀតទេ!
សាន សូវិត្យ
"Hun sen will be safely protected", what will happen to Hun To? Hun sen got too much at stake to care if cambodian call him a hero when he can just claim he's a hero and continue to honor 7 th of jan as his day.
1:37 PM
The new government will cease honoring the January 7th.
We got to try everything to have Khmer on Khmer side, not playing Yuon's game by fighting each other.
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