[Surya Subedi's] Warning of Return to Violence

Surya Subedi (L) speaks to the media in Phnom Penh, May 9, 2012. (AFP)

UN special envoy Surya Subedi warns of possible unrest in Cambodia if the authorities refuse to embrace election reforms.

2012-08-28

Radio Free Asia

Subedi also called for a "political solution" to enable exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy to return to Cambodia "to play a full role" in politics.

Cambodia may plunge into violence if it does not reform the current electoral system to allow for fair and free elections, Surya Subedi, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, has warned in a report.

He said there are "major flaws" in the administration of elections in Cambodia and called for "urgent and longer-term reforms" needed to give Cambodians confidence in the electoral process and in the National Election Committee (NEC), which organizes and manages polls.

"It is regrettable," he said, that most of the proposals by bilateral and multilateral agencies to reform the electoral process based on shortcomings identified in previous elections "remain unimplemented" by the Cambodian authorities.

APPEAL TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY FOR DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS IN CAMBODIA

Progress, but elections in Kingdom ‘fall short’

Pa Ngoun Teang (left), director of the Cambodian Centre of Independent Media, Confrel senior program co-ordinator Kim Chhorn (centre), and The Phnom Penh Post managing editor Sam Rith participate in an EU- sponsored press conference addressing Cambodia’s electoral process yesterday in Phnom Penh. (Photo Hong Menea)

Wednesday, 11 April 2012
Sen David
The Phnom Penh Post

“We suggest creating more independent institutions that [examine] the election process ... We urge the NEC to improve its process and to correct mistakes to improve elections . . . there are so many things wrong.”

Cambodia is making progress with how it runs elections, but the country has a long way to go before ballots gain widespread approval, a European Union representative said yesterday.

Speaking at an EU-sponsored workshop on human rights and democracy yesterday, Jean-Francois Cautain, head of the European Union delegation to Cambodia, said the Kingdom’s elections in 2008 were an example of progress being made.

“But they still fall short of key international standards,” he said.

Cambodian ruling party poised to sweep Senate elections; few can vote, body has little power

Saturday, January 28, 2012
Associated Press

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Sen’s party was expected to sweep Senate elections Sunday in a vote that is closed to the general population and criticized for lacking credibility.

The country’s 61-member upper house of Parliament is chosen by local officials and members of the National Assembly, or lower house. Two seats are appointed by King Norodom Sihamoni and two by the National Assembly.

At the last Senate election in 2006, the ruling Cambodian People’s Party won 45 seats, followed by the royalist Funcinpec party with 10. Two seats went to the opposition Sam Rainsy Party.

The Senate has no power to amend or veto legislation and is widely seen as an ineffectual body that rubber-stamps bills from the lower house, which the ruling party dominates.

UN concerns on the upcoming elections in Cambodia - L'ONU se préoccupe des prochaines élections au Cambodge

 

Unofficial translation from French by KI-Media and Google

Dear colleagues,

This UN article is very encouraging for us. It perfectly responds at the right moment in time to our most pressing concerns: the honesty of 2012 and 2013 elections.

We must push the international community stronger in this direction so that it becomes fully engaged in the organization of the elections ("The Devil Is in the Details"), and so that it advocates, as did the European Union, concrete measures to ensure and guarantee acceptable elections. If these measures are rejected by the Hun Sen government, the elections will be unacceptable. In this case, the international community should not send observers ("There is No Need to observe a foregone conclusion") and it should not recognize the results of these elections.

Only the prospect of not being recognized by the international level (and not being able to launder its lucrative Mafia activities) would encourage the Hun Sen regime to take some political risk and agree to reform the electoral system.

Thank you to the UN for denouncing the flaws and injustices of this system that really need reform.

Otherwise, following the fury of the Arab spring and the Russian frostbite winter recorded in 2011, Cambodia could experience (the so-called) hot summers in 2012 and 2013.

Sam Rainsy

PS: Search for the UN article in English and please distribute it out widely.

------------

Cher collègues,

Ce texte de l’ONU est très encourageant pour nous. L'ONU répond parfaitement, et au bon moment, à nos préoccupations les plus pressantes: l’honnêteté des prochaines élections de 2012 et 2013.

Il faut pousser la communauté internationale plus fort dans cette direction, pour qu’elle entre plus en détail dans l’organisation des élections ("the devil is in the details"), et qu’elle préconise – comme l’a fait l’Union Européenne – des mesures concrètes pour assurer et garantir des élections acceptables. Si ces mesures sont refusées par le gouvernement Hun Sen, les prochaines élections seront inacceptables. Dans ce cas, la communauté internationale ne devra pas envoyer des observateurs ("there is no need to observe a forgone conclusion") et ne devra pas reconnaître le résultat de ces élections.

Seule la perspective de ne plus être reconnu sur le plan international (et de ne plus pouvoir blanchir ses activités mafieuses très lucratives) pourrait inciter le gouvernement Hun Sen à prendre quelques risques politiques et accepter de réformer le système électoral actuel.

Merci à l'ONU d'avoir dénoncé les failles et les injustices de ce système qu’il faut absolument réformer.

Sinon, après les fureurs du printemps arabe et les morsures de l’hiver russe enregistrées en 2011, le Cambodge connaîtra des étés particulièrement chauds en 2012 et 2013.

Sam Rainsy

PS. Cherchez ce texte de l’ONU dans sa version anglaise et diffusez le très largement.

Sam Rainsy's Optimistic Over the Future of His Party (Part 2 of Sam Rainsy's Interview on VOA)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5iQ7PPGi4U

Sam Rainsy's interview on RFA in Washington DC on 20 September 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=32Dj-EIf65A

A number of important issues in Cambodia - Source: Unknown

Dear Readers,

The following document was sent to us by an anonymous reader. The source is unknown. The issues discussed in the document include: (1) the number of Vietnamese immigrants in Cambodia and their distribution and structure, the Vietnamese interferences in Cambodia's internal affairs including the border dispute with Thailand and Cambodia's political affairs; (2) the election situation in Cambodia; and (3) the general political situation of Cambodia in the future, as well as democracy in Cambodia.

Thank you,

KI- media team

"Democracy according to Khmer's way": Op-Ed by Khmer Guardian

018 - Khmer Guardian
http://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/59219131?access_key=key-28v6j17nggztjzhvrz3c

"Freedom via ballot or bullet?": Khmer Guardian

017 - Khmer Guardian
http://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/59026834?access_key=key-2abcawy2myv67x84wy5e

Chaotic But Widespread Voting in Philippines: Monitor

Cambodia is preparing for commune elections in 2012 and national elections the following year. (Photo: AP)

Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Washington, DC Friday, 15 October 2010

"... voters [in the Philippines] are more attentive than in Cambodia, which in recent years has seen a drop-off in election participation and where access to voting information is limited" - Keo Darith

Despite concern raised by critics, a Cambodian election expert says Cambodia's process is better than some, particularly the Philippines.

“Because in the Philippines, there is behavior that does not follow procedures and the election law, so they can't compare to Cambodia,” said Keo Darith, a monitoring coordinator for the Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia.

Cambodia's electoral organization is orderly, better equipped and includes secret ballot booths, he said, as a guest on “Hello VOA.” Keo Darith recently monitored an election in the Philippines.

Cambodia is preparing for commune elections in 2012 and national elections the following year. In past elections, some groups, including the opposition, have complained of registration and voter-list flaws that denied some the right to vote.

The National Election Committee this month has begun to register new voters, in a process that ends Oct. 20.

The Philippines, which has been a democracy since 1946, operates in a system of electoral anarchy, where folded papers are used as ballots and 10-year-old children vote in lieu of their parents, Keo Darith said.

For all that, voters are more attentive than in Cambodia, which in recent years has seen a drop-off in election participation and where access to voting information is limited, he said.

Keo Darith said he supports a computerized voter list equipped with biometrics that would make it easier for people to vote.

Mu Sochua plans to meet US Under Secretary of State by the end of this week

William Burns, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs and the highest ranked Foreign Service Officer in the United States

12 July 2010
By Meas Mony
Free Press Magazine Online
Translated form Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the article in Khmer

SRP MP Mu Sochua plans to meet with William Burns, the US Under Secretary of State, during the latter’s visit to Cambodia on Saturday 17 July.

Mrs. Mu Sochua told reporters on 12 July that she will raise the problems of the judiciary system, the election and the democracy in Cambodia with William Burns. Nevertheless, she does not plan to raise her personal problem against Hun Xen with William Burns. She is currently threatened by the court to pay her 16.5 million riels in fine and if she refuses to pay this amount, she could face arrest and jail time.

Mrs. Mu Sochua expects that, should she be jailed in the unfair defamation lawsuit case against Hun Xen, there will be a lot of justice-loving Cambodian people who will go to visit her in her jail cell.

Political Cartoon: The victory is from Free & Fair Election

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