Cambodia: Judicial harassment against Mr. Sam Chankea

Suy Sem, the CPP minister of Mining and Energy, and Chea Kheng, his wife who is accused of harassing Sam Chankea

URGENT APPEAL - THE OBSERVATORY

KHM 001 / 0111 / OBS 002
Judicial Harassment
Cambodia
January 18, 2011

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Cambodia.

Description of the situation:

The Observatory has been informed of the judicial harassment faced by Mr. Sam Chankea, Coordinator of the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) in Kampong Chhnang, a human rights defender active in land rights issues.

According to the information received, Mr. Sam Chankea will face trial today, January 18, 2011 before the Kg. Chhnang Provincial Court in Cambodia for allegedly defaming the work of KDC International Company, owned by Lauk Chumteav Chea Kheng, wife of Minister of Mining and Energy.

The complaint against Mr. Sam Chankea follows a radio interview broadcast on December 26, 2009 in which he expressed his opinion over a land case conflict opposing dozens of villagers and the KDC International company in Kampong Chhnang province. In this interview Mr. Sam Chankea stated that “what the company has done is an act of violation since the court has yet to rule on the merits of the case. Therefore the company should suspend the activity and await the ruling on the merits of the case”. He was subsequently quoted in Koh Santepheap newspaper on December 30, 2009.

Monkeys affected by Swine flu? Was it because they all share the same swine cesspit?

Cambodian PM infected with swine flu: government

Tuesday, June 29, 2010
AFP

PHNOM PENH — Cambodian premier Hun Sen and several top officials have been infected with swine flu, a government spokesman said Tuesday.

"I can confirm he and several ministers have tested positive with the virus," spokesman Khieu Kanharith told AFP, while a letter from health minister Mam Bunheng said the prime minister was now recovering.

The premier was found to be carrying the A(H1N1) virus after his weekly cabinet meeting on Friday and medics subsequently tested all ministers and officials attending the meeting, according to the letter.

It said tests found Deputy Prime Minister Yim Chhay Ly, two senior ministers and two officials were also infected with the virus and are now being treated carefully by doctors, although it did not give their whereabouts.

"After being treated carefully by Cambodian doctors, the Prime Minister's health is returning to normal," the letter said, adding that Hun Sen had failed to attend his ruling party's anniversary and cancelled other appointments.

The World Health Organisation said earlier this month that 18,156 people had died from swine flu, a year after the influenza was declared a pandemic, but that the virus was now "globally less active".

In Cambodia six people have died from the virus and another 591 have been infected, according to the country's health ministry.

Sacrava's Political Cartoon: Ky Tech

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)

A pro-CPP F'pec hopes that a royal daughter will bring it back to the top

October 18, 2007
Cambodia s co-ruling Funcinpec formally appoints princess as premiership candidate

The co-ruling Funcinpec Party here on Thursday formally appointed Princess Norodom Arun Rasmey, 52, and the youngest daughter of retired king Norodom Sihanouk, as its prime minister candidate for the general election on July 27, 2008.

"We all approved to appoint her as our prime minister candidate of the party for the general election in 2008 according to the requests from the members at grass-root level and the 128-member steering committee," Nhiek Bun Chhay, party secretary general, told a press conference held after its one-day national congress.

"She is wife of party president Keo Puth Rasmey and current Cambodian Ambassador to Malaysia, and we hoped that she will bring the party to victory in the 2008 election because 50 percent of the Cambodian people are women and they will vote for her," he said.

"(This shows that) We have deeply reformed our party in accordance with the world situation, under which democracy and women are cared," he said.

"If we win the election, we will still cooperate with the Cambodian People's Party (CPP)," Chhay added.

Funcinpec has co-governed the kingdom with the major ruling CPP for years. CPP nominated current Prime Minister Hun Sen for the premiership contest in the next election.

Funcinpec was created by Sihanouk in 1981 as a royalist party. In 1993 it won the general election under the leadership of Prince Norodom Ranariddh. Now it has 26 seats at the National Assembly and ranks as the second largest party.

Source: Xinhua