Recanting Tim Norn implicated SRP MP Saumura Tioulong of detaining her

Wednesday, April 2, 2008
KI-Media

Following the SRP release of a taped interview of Tim Norn, the former SRP commune councilor from Kampong Thom province who defected to the CPP but had several changes of mind later on, the CPP appears to come up with another novel charade in this affair. On Thursday 27 March, CTN, a pro-CPP TV station, broadcasted an interview with Tim Norn in which the latter implicated SRP MP Tioulong Saumura in her detention. The Cambodia Daily reported on 31 March that Tim Norn claimed that SRP officials detained her in Phnom Penh in order to prevent her from defecting to the CPP. However, the taped interview of Tim Norn released by the SRP contradicts her latest claim. Furthermore, the information provided by Tim Norn on the SRP interview corroborated with information she provided to other human rights NGOs also. When asked about this issue by The Cambodia Daily, Tim Norn indicated that the SRP recording was false and that she spoke under duress.

On 28 March, Sok Pheng, the SRP defector whose wife is accused by Tim Norn of offering her money to try to woo other SRP party members to join the CPP, was quoted by The Cambodia Daily as saying: “What Tim Norn said at the SRP office was not reliable because she was under pressure.” Sok Pheng also admitted that he has promised to give Tim Norn $200 for “humanitarian” reason. In the CTN interview, Tim Norn also challenged MP Saumura Tioulong, who was then traveling overseas, to return to Cambodia to testify this case in court. Following The Cambodia Daily reports, MP Saumura Tioulong issued the reply posted below.

MP Saumura Tioulong's Reply to Detention Claims

Phnom Penh, 31 March 2008

Letter to the Editor,
The Cambodia Daily

Dear Sirs,

In its issue dated 31 March 2008, The Cambodia Daily reported that I was "implicated in detention claims" made by former SRP commune councillor Tim Norn, who alleged that I "detained her in Phnom Penh to prevent her from joining the CPP".

Had I been contacted by your reporter*, I would have brought the following information to his knowledge:

1. On Saturday 16 February, Ms. Tim Norn came to the SRP headquarters and requested a meeting with me. She told me that former SRP MP for Kompong Thom Sok Pheng had convinced her to defect to the CPP and gave her $200, but that she regretted her decision and was scared because she had already taken and spent the money. She asked me to give protection to her and her family.

2. I replied that she has the right to choose which political party she wants to be a member of, she has the right to then change her mind, resign and join another party. But, once she has resigned from SRP and put her thumbprint on a written statement saying that she joins CPP, she is now a member of CPP and nobody at SRP has anything to do with her anymore.

3. As she seemed frightened and kept on repeating that she did not want to go back to her village in Baray district, I said that we are a political party, not a shelter and advised her to submit her case to a human rights organisation such as Licadho or the UN Centre for Human Rights. I phoned Licadho to check whether it was open on Saturday.

4. Ms. Tim Norn went to Licadho's office by her own means. Later, I joined her when she was talking to Licadho's staff, confirmed that she was a former SRP activist, made sure that she was taken care of, and came back to my office.

The claim that I detained Tim Norn does not make sense:

1. I have no means to force anyone to stay anywhere against his/her will. I don't even know how long she stayed with Licadho, when she left and why.

2. The Sam Rainsy Party is an organization made-up of volunteers who adhere to the ideals advocated by President Sam Rainsy. What binds us together is the common faith in the ability to bring about changes by peaceful, legal, non-violent and democratic means. The strength of the party is based on the free will of our members. In our party, nobody can "force" anyone of us to donate our time, effort, money, and risk our assets, peace of mind, lives. So, there is no rationale for me to try to keep someone by force.

3. Tim Norn having ceased being one of our members, I still wanted to help her on humanitarian grounds, which is what I often do when I meet people needing assistance. That is why I advised her to seek assistance from a human rights organization and from the UN Centre for Human Rights.

In your article, you quote SRP Secretary General Eng Chhay Eang saying that he did not know when I would return to Cambodia. Actually, I am leaving Paris tomorrow 1st April, arriving on the 2d. My schedule is linked to the preparation of the autobiography of MP Sam Rainsy. The deadline of the French publisher was today 31 March. MP Sam Rainsy had to attend in Phnom Penh the commemoration of the grenade attack on 30 March, I took care of the final round of proof-reading in Paris before giving the imprimatur today.

Yours sincerely,

Tioulong Saumura, MP (Ms.)

Concerns over Political Intimidation and Obstruction prior to the 2008 National Assembly Elections Preparation Stage

COMFREL - NICFEC - CHRAC

Joint Statement
On
Concerns over Political Intimidation and Obstruction prior to the 2008 National Assembly Elections Preparation Stage

COMFREL, NICFEC and CHRAC are greatly concerned over the ongoing situation of political influence over the judiciary system, court and law enforcement armed forces (1), especially the recent arrests and attempted arrests, the use of violence toward political parties’ activists and the ongoing obstruction of some political parties’ activities. These cases take place repeatedly in Phnom Penh, Pailin, Kampong Thom, Takeo and Kampong Chhnang, with a negative impact on the environment for fair and free elections.

Arrests political parties’ activists without a court warrant and without in-depth investigation cause an environment of fear and mean that non-ruling parties’ activists dare not do anything. According to CHRAC’s Statement, Mr. Tout Saron, Kampong Thom’s Baray’s Ponro Commune Chief, was summoned at Toul Kroeus Market, Baray District by police officials led by Baray District Police Chief without showing a court order. In the meantime, there is a question about the different answers given by victim Toeum Norn, first when she met with a LICADHO officer and an officer of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Cambodia, and then later. On February 18, 2008, at the LICADHO office, Mrs. Toeum Norn did not make a complaint about detention against her will. Instead, she asked for help from LICADHO to protect her and her family, as she had previously defected from the Sam Rainsy Party to the Cambodian People’s Party and later wanted to go back to the Sam Rainsy Party. But, later on she said she was afraid the Sam Rainsy Party may kill her (2).

According to the CHRAC investigation, Mrs. Toeum Norn did not lose her rights to communicate with her friends and family. And there is nothing to prove that Mrs. Toeum Norn was either detained or arrested.

There has been obstruction and prevention towards some political parties, including the Sam Rainsy Party, the Human Rights Party, the Norodom Ranariddh Party and FUNCINPEC from carrying out political activities such as meetings and, in some cases, local authority crackdowns on meetings and taking down of a political party’s signboard. Evidently, there was violence involved in taking down a Sam Rainsy Party signboard, causing Member of Parliament for Phnom Penh H.E. Mr. HO Vann to be injured on March 22, 2008. The taking down of a Sam Rainsy Party signboard also took place in Pailin. A Norodom Ranariddh Party signboard in Banteay Meanchey was also taken down. In total, until now, there have been at least 20 cases of taking down of political parties’ signboards. These cases, which have happened to non-ruling parties, have not been addressed fairly and effectively.

The political party and candidate registration for the elections is due within less than one month. However, the Prince Norodom Ranariddh case has not been settled yet. This can be considered as contributing to an unequal election contest: the leader, and maybe a potential candidate, of one party cannot contest in the upcoming elections.

Civil society highly appreciates the efforts of the Royal Government and competent authorities who have ensured that the 2008 pre-election environment has seen no cases of murder and severe violence towards politician. However, the competent authorities should continue to try their best to stop arrests, intimidation and violence towards political party activists and politician. The Royal Government, competent authorities and relevant stakeholders should make efforts to effectively settle any case to ensure a good environment for free and fair elections and to ensure politicians and political party leaders (such as Prince Norodom Ranariddh) can contest in the elections fairly without any fear.

Phnom Penh, March 27, 2008

COMFREL NICFEC CHRAC

For further information, please contact:
1. Mr. KOUL Panha, COMFREL’s Executive Director, 012 942 017
2. Mr. HANG Puthea, NICFEC’s Executive Director, 012 959 666
3. Mr. SOUN Sareth, CHRAC’s Secretariat, 012 830 422

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(1) This was noted in LICADHO and ADHOC’s report on Cambodian Human Rights December 2007: ‘Charade Justice’.
(2) According to LICADHO’s report and the Cambodia Daily, published on March 24, 2008 (P.5).

SRP bail request for jailed SRP commune chief

Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

18 SRP MPs requested bail for Tuot Saron, SRP Pongro commune chief, Baray district, Kampong Thom province, who was arrested by the authority on 21 March for illegal detention of a person (Tim Norn). The SRP MPs signed the request on a letter dated 24 March and sent to the Kampong Thom provincial court, asking to act as guarantors for Tuot Saron for his release on bail. In this letter, the opposition MPs stated that the arrest of Tuot Saron was very unfair and that the entire case was concocted to blame him. Furthermore, this case should not involve incarceration of Tuot Saron. Ty Sovin, the Kampong Thom provincial court prosecutor, told the Rasmei Kampuchea newspaper that Tuot Saron’s defense lawyer already sent in to the tribunal the request for bail. Ty Sovin said that, in 5 days time, if the investigating judge finds that there is no reason for bail, then the court will issue a decision blocking this bail request.

Sok Pheng warns human rights organizations not to help SRP officials, accuses the SRP of spreading fear among CPP officials

Friday, March 21, 2008
KI-Media

Sok Pheng, a recipient of Hun Sen’s nomination reward as government advisor for his defection from the SRP, issued a warning to human rights organizations in Cambodia not to provide help to SRP officials accused by the CPP of illegal detention of Tim Norn, a former SRP commune councilor from Kampong Thom who defected to the CPP with Sok Pheng. The Cambodia Daily reported that Sok Pheng’s statement was read on local Cambodian TV stations, calling human rights organizations not to help Men Vannak, SRP Sralao commune councilor, and Thorn Rithy, deputy chairman of the SRP Kampong Thom province council. The Cambodia Daily quoted Sok Pheng as writing: “If the human rights groups protect [the SRP officials] it means that they have actively participated in the abuse against the people’s rights.” Sok Pheng, seemingly forgetting that he now works for the ruling CPP party which controls power in Cambodia, went on to accuse the SRP of spreading fear among CPP officials.