Grandpa Ruom Ritt resurfaces

21 Feb 2010
By Pen Bona
Radio France Internationale
Translated from Khmer by Komping Puoy
Click here to read the article in Khmer

At a time when the border situation creates a tense situation between the opposition and the ruling parties, a report indicates that Ta (Grandpa) Ruom Ritt, the “childhood friend” of King-Father is resurfacing following a several year-long silence. Ta Ruom Ritt’s voice is broadcasted on an Internet radio and it is also reported by a local newspaper.

During the last few days, discussions among politicians, reporters and observers are centered around the resurfacing of Ta Ruom Ritt, the “childhood friend” of King-Father Norodom Sihanouk.

The appearance of Ta Ruom Ritt was broadcasted through interviews with an US-based radio. The fledgling radio station, known as World Khmer Radio, interviewed a man who claimed to be Ta Ruom Ritt. The interviews are also published by the local “Khmer Machas Srok” newspaper on Feb 20.

Ta Ruom Ritt is known among Cambodian politicians, reporters and political observers through King-Father’s website – which used to publish several of his letters, in particular when the political situation is tense. In the past, Ta Ruom Ritt used to criticize PM Hun Xen’s regime.

Through the letters he wrote in French and the views he expressed on King-Father’s website, some observers had considered Ta Ruom Ritt to be no other than King-Father himself. However, the former monarch always denied this fact and he claimed that Ta Ruom Ritt was his childhood friend who currently lives in France.

Following severe warnings from Hun Xen and the latter’s request for Ruom Ritt to show his face to confront him personally, King-Father decided to stop the publication of Ta Ruom Ritt for the past several years. However, the voice of Ta Ruom Ritt is now resurfacing. According to the interviews, Ruom Ritt still maintains his position in criticizing the lost of Cambodian territories. Ruom Ritt also praised opposition leader Sam Rainsy, calling him a true Khmer Son who revealed the truth about the loss of Cambodian territories.

Nevertheless, the true identity of Ruom Ritt still remains a mystery.

Silencing the Spokesman and Eliminating the Messenger

Click on the statement in Khmer to zoom in

November 16, 2009

SILENCING THE SPOKESMAN AND ELIMINATING THE MESSENGER

My parliamentary immunity was lifted this morning. I feel sad and ashamed for my country's "National" Assembly. This assembly has very little national substance when it comes to defending the nation’s interest such as Cambodia's independence and territorial integrity, and to protecting the interest of the ordinary Khmer people such as poor and vulnerable farmers who are losing their vital rice fields and other farmland for internal or external reasons.

I am only a representative, a spokesman and a messenger for countless victims of abuses and injustices. I am only saying aloud that many things are going wrong in this country, that the current situation is just revolting and that Cambodia is heading for danger and other misfortunes.

In response to my warning and my cry for redress the ruling CPP has found nothing better than silencing the spokesman and eliminating the messenger.

By condemning me through the undemocratic and farcical lifting of my parliamentary immunity they have actually condemned their own country and their own people.

Sam Rainsy
Elected representative of the Cambodian people faithfully doing his duty

Civil Society Joint Statement on lifting of Sam Rainsy's parlimentary immunity

CCHR, CLEC, NICFEC and LICADHO

November 16, 2009

We, the undersigned members of Cambodian civil society, condemn the lifting of parliamentary immunity from Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) President Sam Rainsy by the National Assembly on November 16, 2009. The Assembly’s action is yet another blow to Cambodia’s faltering democracy, and continues the government’s disturbing trend of using the courts to intimidate and weaken political opponents.

Rainsy is the third SRP member to be stripped of parliamentary immunity – the second time this year only - in the past five months. Fellow SRP Parliamentarians Mu Sochua and Ho Vann were stripped of their immunity by the National Assembly on June 22, 2009. The latter was acquitted by the Phnom Penh court on September 22, 2009; yet, the National Assembly has failed to restore his parliamentary immunity back.

The Assembly’s practice of routinely stripping opposition party MPs of immunity raises grave doubts about Cambodia's democracy. Even more disturbing is the nature of the charges against these politicians, whose alleged crimes all stem from public expression of opinion on sensitive topics to the ruling party.

The Svay Rieng court is considering charging Rainsy with incitement and destruction to public property in relation to the uprooting of wooden posts set to mark Cambodia’s newly-agreed border with Vietnam which took place on October 25, 2009. The Cambodian government alleges that this act “incited” villagers to commit crimes; Rainsy claims that the markers were on Cambodia’s soil. Accusations were brought against Sam Rainsy after complaints by the Vietnamese government which enjoys a long history with the ruling party.

The Cambodia-Vietnam border issue is a sensitive issue. In late 2005, Beehive radio owner Mam Sonando was charged and sent to Prey Sar prison after Sonando broadcasted an interview in which Seang Pengse was critical of a border treaty signed by the Cambodian Government. Shortly after, Cambodian Independent Teacher Association (CITA) President Rong Chun joined Sonando in jail when the government accused him of incitement in relation to a joint statement signed by civil society leaders calling for the “mourning of lost land” to Vietnam.

Today’s events are a testament to Cambodia’s shrinking democracy, and the willingness of the ruling party – with the support of their partner National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful and Cooperative Cambodia (FUNCINPEC) and the Norodom Ranariddh Party (NRP), it seems – to quash political dissent. This morning, all 87 members of parliament present at the National Assembly voted to lift the parliamentary immunity of Sam Rainsy. Members of National Assembly from SRP and Human Rights Party (HRP) were not present at the NA.

The lifting of parliamentary immunity and the increase in defamation, disinformation and incitement charges against journalists, civil society members and opposition party leaders is reminiscent of the 2005 crack down on opposition and nongovernmental voices. In that year, Sam Rainsy and two other SRP MPs, Chea Poch and Mr. Cheam Channy, also had their parliamentary immunity removed so they could face criminal charges filed by the government. Mr. Cheam Channy was subsequently imprisoned for a year after being unlawfully convicted by the military court on bogus criminal charges.

We urge the National Assembly to respect its principle of parliamentary immunity and for the Cambodian government and courts to cease harassment and end groundless legal attacks against opposition party politicians and other critics.

For more information, please contact:

Mr. Ou Virak, President of Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR), 012 404 051
Mr. Yeng Virak, Community Legal Education Center (CLEC), 012 801 235
Mr. Hang Puthea, Executive Director of Neutral & Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Election (NICFEC), 012 959 666
Ms. Pilorge Naly, Director of Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO), 012 803 650 .

Vietnam threatens our national interests

Tuesday, 21 April 2009
Written by Naranhkiri Tith
Letter to The Phnom Penh Post

Dear Editor,

I read with alarm the article "Vietnam aims to lease land for rice crops" (February 26, 2009), in which it was stated that Vietnam is planning to lease land from the Cambodian government in the provinces contiguous with Vietnam in order to plant rice for the purpose of combating alleged rice smuggling from Cambodia. This is a dangerous project [that is] very detrimental to Cambodian national interests for a number of reasons.

First, Vietnam has been encroaching on Cambodia's land since the 17th century under a scheme known as nam tien, or "southward march", and annexing the land that they occupied and populating it with former soldiers and ex-convicts, as well as claiming land that used to belong to Cambodia, such as the region known as Kampuchea Krom.

Second, there are many Cambodians mired in abject poverty who rely on land for their survival.

Third, as pointed out in your article "The time of reckoning for Khmer Krom" (February 22), Vietnam has been committing atrocities against the Khmer Krom with help from the Hun Sen regime. This, in turn, shows that Vietnam has not been a defender of Cambodian national interests.