Conviction a threat to CNRP

Tuesday, 04 September 2012
Meas Sokchea and Rosa Ellen
The Phnom Penh Post

The Cambodian National Rescue Party is one step closer to its ambition of running in next year’s election after it was approved by the Ministry of Interior last week, but the newly formed opposition party faces more hurdles if self-exiled party co-founder Sam Rainsy is to lead it.

In an official letter signed by Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sar Kheng, the CNRP was told its request to register as a political entity had been given the green light and could now be considered for registration in the next election by the National Election Committee.

Headquartered on street 1972 in Phnom Penh Thmey’s commune of the capital’s Sen Sok district, the CNRP must now fulfil the requirements of the country’s Political Party Law.

“To achieve validity, the National Rescue Party must complete the forms and conditions as stated in Article 20, Chapter 5 of the law on political parties,” Sar Kheng’s letter stated.

This includes registering party officials and members.

Tep Nytha, secretary-general of National Election Committee, said he welcomed the newly formed CNRP, but it could not be recognised if the party’s head candidate was a convicted criminal.

“So, if such a case arrived at the NEC … [we] have the right to cancel the name from the candidate list.”

យកលុយរដ្ឋសង់ផ្លូវ តែកុហក់ថាជាអំណោយ CPP ទៅវិញ៖ ភូត ជុយតែម៉ាយ!

កើប និង ភូត ជុយតែម៉ាយ

លោក កែប ជុតិមា ជូនផ្លូវមួយខ្សែ​ ដល់ពលរដ្ឋ ក្នុងសង្កាត់កាកាប

Sunday, 22 April 2012
ដោយ ៖ ហេង សេងឡុង
DAP news

ភ្នំពេញ ៖ នៅក្នុងពិធីសំណេះសំណាល ជាមួយប្រធានសាខា និងអនុប្រធានសាខា និងប្រធានក្រុម គណបក្សប្រជាជនសង្កាត់កាកាប លោក កែប ជុតិមា ជាសមាជិក គណៈកម្មាធិការកណ្ដាល ទីប្រឹក្សាផ្ទាល់សម្ដេចអគ្គមហាសេនាបតីតេជោ ហ៊ុន សែន ជាប្រធានគណៈកម្មាធិការបក្ស រាជធានីភ្នំពេញ និងជាប្រធាន ក្រុមការងារចុះជួយខណ្ឌពោធិ៍សែនជ័យ លោកបានជូនផ្លូវមួយខ្សែ ដល់ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ ក្នុងសង្កាត់កាកាប ដើម្បីងាយស្រួលក្នុងការធ្វើចរាចរណ៍ទៅមក តាមសំណើ របស់ពលរដ្ឋនៅក្នុងសង្កាត់នេះ ដែលមានប្រវែង១០០០ម៉ែត្រ និងទទឹង៥ម៉ែត្រ ធ្វើអំពីបេតុង ដែលពិធីនេះប្រព្រឹត្ដទៅ កាលពីវេលាម៉ោង៧ព្រឹក ថ្ងៃទី២១ ខែមេសា ឆ្នាំ២០១២ ស្ថិតនៅក្នុងភូមិចំការឪឡឹក សង្កាត់កាកាប ខណ្ឌពោធិ៍សែនជ័យ ដែលមានការអញ្ជើញ ចូលរួមពីលោក គិត សុផា អភិបាលខណ្ឌ លោក សេង គន្ធ លោក ហែម ដារិទ្ធ អភិបាលរង លោកចៅសង្កាត់ ចៅសង្កាត់រង លោកមេភូមិ និងមន្ដ្រី ជុំវិញសាលាខណ្ឌទាំងអស់ និងប្រធានសាខាបក្ស ប្រធានអនុសាខាបក្ស និងប្រធានក្រុមបក្សជិត ១០០០នាក់ ចូលរួមផងដែរ។

បន្ទាប់ពីធ្វើការសំណេះសំណាល និងណែនាំ ដល់ប្រធានសាខាបក្ស ប្រធានអនុសាខាបក្ស និងប្រធានក្រុមបក្ស គណបក្សប្រជាជន នៅក្នុងសង្កាត់កាកាបរួចមក លោកបានផ្តល់អំណោយផ្លូវមួយខ្សែ ដល់ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋនៅក្នុងសង្កាត់កាកាប ដើម្បីឱ្យងាយស្រួលក្នុងការធ្វើចរាចរណ៍ទៅមក ដែលផ្លូវនេះធ្វើអំពីបេតុង មានប្រវែង១០០០ម៉ែត្រ និងទទឹង៥ម៉ែត្រ កំរាស់២តឹក ក្នុងនោះ ប្រាក់បដិភាគរបស់ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ ចូលរួមបាន៤០ ភាគរយ និង៦០ភាគរយ ទៀត សាលា រាជធានី ជា អ្នក ចេញបង្គ្រប់។

SRP Candidate in Kampong Thom threatened with land and house confiscation

12 March 2102
The Free Press Magazine
Translated from Khmer by Soch
Click here to read the original article in Khmer

A SRP candidate for the commune election in Thnot Chum commune, Baray district, Kampong Thom province, was threatened by the court with confiscation of his land and house which he lived and owned since 1979. The SRP said that this is a political threat with the approaching commune election.

A letter authored by SRP MPs and the leader of the SRP council from Kampong Thom province indicated that on 21 February 2012, the Kampong Thom provincial court issued an order to Suy Sim, the SRP Thnot Chum commune candidate, to move his house out of the land he owned and currently lives on by 05 March 2012.

The SRP letter confirmed that Suy Sim owned and lived on his land since 1979 and he owned a confirmation letter issued by Pol Dum, the Thnot Chum commune chief, by Siv Kim, the No. 2 Thnot Chum commune councilor, by Ho Saran, the Thnot Chum administrative office director, as well by all the villagers from Thnot Chum No. 2 village. Furthermore, he owns a family book and a Cambodian ID which was issued by the Kampong Thom provincial police in 2004 and the provincial governor in 2007.

The SRP considered this case as a new political threat on one of its activists in Thnot Chum commune at a time when the commune election is fast approaching.

Confessions of a Spin Doctor: Shedding illusions as a flak for the Cambodian People's Party [-What you should know about the EVIL Hun Xen regime]

Writing should be like coffee: bold, smooth, and eye-opening.

That's what I try to achieve in my coverage of health and wellness, education and parenting, home and lifestyle, and travel and culture for such clients as Arthritis Today, SELF, Family Circle, Bankrate.com, Indiana Alumni Magazine, and as a regular contributing health writer to Chicago Parent.

I write not only to inform, but to inspire. After reading one of my articles, I want readers to feel they've learned something new about themselves or the world around them.

I invite you to grab a cup o'Joe and read some examples of my articles, explore my writing and editorial services and learn more about me and what I can do for you.

Here's to a great day!

Rita Colorito

--By Rita Colorito for Toward Freedom, November 1999
Originally posted at: http://www.ritacolorito.com/uploads/Confessions_of_a_Spin_Doctor.pdf

Every year foreign political leaders, governments and related principals hire lobbyists, lawyers, and public relations professionals to polish their images in the United States. As of June 30, 1998, 549 such pros, representing 728 foreign entities, were registered with the US Department of Justice. Foreign political consulting is a multi-million-dollar business in Washington. And sometimes, the cash comes from unsavory characters.

In graduate school, I remember reading an article on Edward von Kloberg III, a spin meister who's represented murderous clients like Zaire's Mobutu Sese Seko and Iraq's Saddam Hussein. Despite vowing to avoid such people, two weeks after receiving my Masters in International Affairs, I began work for the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and, indirectly, Hun Sen -- an autocrat accused of human rights abuses and ousting his co-prime minister in a bloody 1997 coup.

In the summer of 1998, the CPP had hired DMG, Inc., a Washington-based strategic communications firm, to represent the party in the US during Cambodia's first ever self-sponsored national elections. David Morey, the firm's president, was a professor of mine at Columbia University. His past clients include Philippine President Corazon Aquino, the Dalai Lama, and South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung.

He explained that the CPP wanted advice on conducting free and fair elections, improving human rights, and establishing an international tribunal for the Khmer Rouge, responsible for the deaths of some two million Cambodians from 1975 to 1979. Thus, I became part of Cambodia's Washington team, which included lawyers James Stearns of Porter, Wright, Morris and Arthur and William Rogers of lobbying powerhouse Arnold & Porter.

Based on Morey's record, I accepted the client's altruistic intentions and thought we could help. You see, representing such clients requires not only fooling others, but yourself. I soon realized, however, autocrats don't want advice about justice. Like claiming we worked for the party's reform wing, saying we were helping to improve human rights simply provided a "feel-good" excuse. Our client clearly wanted to preserve the status quo.

Sinatoons: Viet's Doctrine: "Divide to conquer"

Cartoon by V. Sina

Defections: Will They Break Up the Sam Rainsy Party?

Friday, February 15, 2008
Editorial by Khmerization
Originally posted at: http://khmerization.blogspot.com/

"If one is escaping from a tiger’s claws into a shark’s jaw, then it is not escaping, is it? This is running into a death trap."

Last time I might have been a little bit too harsh with the defectors by describing them as political prostitutes. This time (read article here) I will be a little bit more understanding with their actions to just call them political opportunists. I do sympathise with their decisions to leave the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP). They left due to the facts that they had lost the support and the confidence of the SRP leadership and hence was not able to secure a position as an MP on the electoral ballot. However, I do not, for one moment, sympathise with the reasons that they are leaving the SRP because the SRP is “dictatorial” and “the party’s leadership was against the democratic principle”. These reasons cannot be allowed to go unchallenged. If one is escaping from a tiger’s claws into a shark’s jaw, then it is not escaping, is it? This is running into a death trap. By the same token, if these defectors think that the SRP is “dictatorial” and anti-democratic then they should know that the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) must be tyrannical and communistic in nature and form. So their reasons are not to be believed. And their reasons for defecting is pure and simple: political opportunism to seek personal fortunes.

If their reasons for defections are to be believed one must ask why are they defecting from one “dictatorial” party to another “dictatorial” party? Why didn’t they defect from a “dictatorial" party to a “democratic” party like the Human Right Party or the Norodom Ranariddh Party or even the Funcinpec Party, if these parties are as democratic as they have claimed? Simple: these parties cannot provide them with any plum jobs.

On the SRP’s side, one has to ask what went wrong. We know the SRP are going through internal reforms to maximise its electoral chances by giving active, competent and popular members an opportunity to move up the political ladder and demoting inactive and incompetent members. As a result of these internal reforms some members are demoted and hence cry foul. In response to this kind of political backlash from demoted members, the SRP leadership must have a mechanism in which it can provide some comforts to dissatisfied demoted members that they are still wanted and will be rewarded later.

I still strongly believe that the SRP is still strong and will be strengthened further, even after such widespread defections. These defections will not weaken and destabilise the SRP leadership. But the continuing defections, if allowed to go on and not addressed, will pose a real threat to the party’s image- bad publicity. With election looming in the corner, the SRP cannot afford to have bad image and bad publicity. Psychology is very important. Presenting a united image of the party to the voters is imperative in attracting supports which can translate into votes.

On the other hand, the CPP knew full well that these defections will not boost their votes nor will they bring more supporters with them. The CPP knew full well that these defections are only symbolic and a psychological warfare only. The CPP’s aims in facilitating the defections are to destabilise and to crack the SRP leadership, like they have done with the Funcinpec Party and the Son Sann Party. But with the SRP, their aims will not succeed. It will only strengthen the party's resolve. I strongly believe so.