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Independent UN expert welcomes electoral reform agreement in Cambodia

Op-Ed: UNs

Independent UN expert welcomes electoral reform agreement in Cambodia

Surya P. Subedi, Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights in Cambodia. UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré

6 March 2014 – An independent United Nations human rights expert hailed a five-point agreement reached today by Cambodia’s two main political parties to initiate electoral reforms in the country towards a more transparent process, and greater freedom of expression and right to public assembly.

“I welcome the agreements reached by the Joint Committee composed of members of the Cambodian People’s Party and the Cambodian National Rescue Party to proceed, among other things, on two concrete measures for electoral reform: to review the voter registry and to elaborate a draft law on the financing of political parties,” said Surya P. Subedi, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia.

“I hope with cautious optimism that progress toward the remaining unresolved issues would soon be made between the two parties.”

In a news release, Mr. Subedi stressed the importance of the agreement for the country, noting that the matters to be discussed by both political parties “are of concern to all Cambodians [and] are issues on which all Cambodians have the fundamental human right to express themselves, whether through demonstrations, marches or other means.”

Members of the opposition have been boycotting the Cambodian National Assembly since the middle of last year in a reported attempt to oust Prime Minister Hun Sen, whose win in July extended his 28-year rule, alleging vote-rigging and calling for a new election. The boycott escalated into demonstrations and deadly clashes with the police. A ban on demonstration was subsequently imposed in the Kingdom shortly thereafter.

Mr. Subedi welcomed the announcement made by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on 25 February to lift the ban. “Since its imposition, I have urged the Royal Government to remove the ban, which in my view was contrary to Cambodia’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and its own constitution,” he said, though expressing concerns that some demonstrations may “continue to be blocked,” and persons are “still routinely detained for distributing leaflets encouraging workers to strike.”

Stating that the right to demonstrate and mobilize people to take part in demonstrations is “part and parcel of the right to peaceful assembly,” he emphasized that “the practice of arbitrarily detaining persons until they thumbprint a document agreeing to refrain from participating in future demonstrations is a violation of multiple human rights and must cease.”

CNRP to walk away from talks

Op-Ed: The Phnom Penh Post

Thu, 13 March 2014

Meas Sokchea and Vong Sokheng

Negotiations between the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party and ruling Cambodian People’s Party looked like they might screech to an abrupt halt yesterday, as opposition leaders visiting supporters in Tbong Khmum province said they will “cut off” talks.

Speaking to about 1,000 supporters in the province’s O’Raing Ov district yesterday, CNRP president Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha said the talks were a “useless” attempt to “dupe foreign countries” into continuing to provide aid and called for renewed demonstrations.

“First, we stop negotiations. The talks are useless, because this [CPP working] group just delays [proceedings] to dupe foreign countries,” Rainsy said. “They said that the [Cambodia] National Rescue Party and [Cambodian] People’s Party have already agreed to negotiate, so give us money.

“So we will cut off negotiations and tell foreign countries not to give the money to [Prime Minister Hun Sen] the thief,” Rainsy said.

He added that dialogue would not restart until the CPP proved itself serious about National Election Committee reform – namely, by agreeing to key CNRP demands that NEC members should require approval by two-thirds of parliament and that it should be a constitutionally mandated body.

“When the NEC [will be] changed, we will talk more,” he said. “This time, there is not any choice besides [holding another] demonstration. So please all [citizens] prepare yourselves to hold a mass demonstration . . . to have 2 million people.”

Cheam Yeap, a senior CPP lawmaker, yesterday called on the CNRP to continue the talks, adding that the CNRP “cannot use demonstrations as a basis to resolve the problem”.

He said the government had no plans to reform the NEC until the next mandate.

“The NEC could change in the next mandate. We will not change it now,” he said.

Despite the public announcement of an end to talks by the CNRP leadership, senior party officials in Phnom Penh yesterday could not confirm whether negotiations – which include a planned Monday meeting of a joint election reform committee – were actually being called off.

Rainsy Warns of New Demonstrations if NEC Not Reformed

Op-Ed: Cambodia Daily

Rainsy Warns of New Demonstrations if NEC Not Reformed

BY KUCH NAREN | MARCH 13, 2014

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy said Wednesday that the CNRP will renew mass demonstrations if the ruling CPP continues to reject a proposal to make the membership of the National Election Committee (NEC) more representative.

Speaking to supporters in Thbong Khmom province, which was recently created from an eastern portion of Kompong Cham province, Mr. Rainsy issued his protest warning after Monday’s second joint-party meeting on election reform stalled over the CPP’s rejection of the CNRP’s proposal that two-thirds of National Assembly lawmakers be required to agree on the appointment of new NEC members.

The NEC’s leadership is currently handpicked by Prime Minister Hun Sen’s CPP. The CPP has said it will not consider the opposition’s proposal, which would end its control over the composition of the election organizing body.

Mr. Rainsy also said that his party will not attend next Monday’s meeting with the CPP if the proposal to reform the NEC is not accepted.

“First, we stop negotiations,” Mr. Rainsy said in a video of the event that was posted to his Facebook page.

“They [the CPP] just wants to waste our time cheating foreigners—not Cambodians, as Cambodians know this well.”

“They make [foreigners] confused that we are getting along and are in the process of negotiations, [so they can ask] ‘please give us [aid] money,’” he said.

“So we stop negotiations and tell foreigners not to give money to these thieves. If they don’t agree to change the NEC, it means that they want to steal votes so there can be no talk. When they change the NEC, we will talk.”

Demonstrations will be the only alternative, Mr. Rainsy added.

“We will prepare another demonstration,” he said.

លោក សម រង្ស៊ី ចោទ CPP ថាគ្មានចេតនាចរចាពិតប្រាកដ

Op-Ed: Post Khmer

WEDNESDAY, 12 MARCH 2014

មាស សុខជា

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លោក សម រង្ស៊ី ប្រធានគណបក្សសង្គ្រោះជាតិ ក្នុងសន្និសីទកាសែតមួយកន្លងមក។ រូបថត ផា លីណា

ភ្នំពេញៈ មេដឹកនាំគណបក្សប្រឆាំងបានប្រាប់ទៅសហគមន៍អន្តរជាតិ តាមរយៈលិខិតមួយកាលពីម្សិលមិញថា ការចរចារវាងគណបក្សប្រជាជន និងគណបក្សសង្គ្រោះជាតិ លើប្រធានបទ កែទម្រង់ការបោះឆ្នោត ត្រូវផ្អាក ដោយសារតែគណបក្សប្រជាជនមិនព្រមជជែកពីការរៀបចំ គ.ជ.ប. ឡើងវិញដែលនេះ «ជាយុទ្ធវិធីរបស់គណបក្សប្រជាជនដើម្បីក្រាញអំណាច»។

លោក សម រង្ស៊ី ប្រធានគណបក្សសង្គ្រោះជាតិ បានសរសេរលិខិតមួយទៅសហគមន៍អន្តរជាតិកាលពីម្សិលមិញ ដើម្បីប្រាប់អំពីបញ្ហាជម្លោះនយោបាយដែលកំពុងបន្តមានបន្ទាប់ពីការបោះឆ្នោតនៅ កម្ពុជា។

នៅក្នុងលិខិតលោក សម រង្ស៊ី បានចោទប្រកាន់ថា យុទ្ធវិធីរបស់គណបក្សប្រជាជន ក្នុងការចរចា គឺគ្រាន់តែជាការពន្យារពេល ដើម្បីក្រាញអំណាចដែលនឹងធ្វើឲ្យអនាគតប្រទេសកម្ពុជាមានភាពអាប់អួរ។

លោក សរសេរថា៖ «ការចរចារវាងគណបក្សប្រជាជនកម្ពុជា និងគណបក្សសង្គ្រោះជាតិ ស្តីពីកំណែទម្រង់កំពុងជាប់គាំងដោយសារគណបក្សប្រជាជនមិនព្រមចរចាការផ្លាស់ប្តូរសមាសភាពនៃស្ថាប័នគណៈកម្មាធិការជាតិរៀបចំការបោះឆ្នោត ដែលសំខាន់ចំពោះការរៀបចំការបោះឆ្នោតនាពេលខាងមុខ ហើយដែលបច្ចុប្បន្នស្ថាប័ននេះ ស្ថិតនៅក្រោមការគ្រប់គ្រងរបស់គណបក្សកាន់អំណាច»។

លោក សម រង្ស៊ី បានលើកឡើងជាថ្មីទៀតថា ដើម្បីដោះស្រាយភាពជាប់គាំងនយោបាយបច្ចុប្បន្ន និងការពារមិនឲ្យមានអស្ថិរភាពនយោបាយនិងដើម្បីពិភាក្សាបញ្ហាភាពស្របច្បាប់នៃរដ្ឋាភិបាល កម្ពុជា គណបក្សសង្គ្រោះជាតិទាមទារឲ្យមានការស៊ើបអង្កេតឯករាជ្យទៅលើការបោះឆ្នោតឆ្នាំមុនឬរៀបចំឲ្យមានការបោះឆ្នោតជាថ្មីមុនអាណត្តិខណៈដែលការទាមទារទាំងពីរនេះត្រូវបានច្រានចោលដោយគណបក្សប្រជាជន។

Dual citizenship for lawmakers attacked

Op-Ed: Phnom Penh Post

Wed, 12 March 2014

Vong Sokheng and Daniel Pye

Legistation should be amended to prohibit elected officials from taking office if they hold dual citizenship, according to senior Cambodian People’s Party lawmaker Cheam Yeap.

Yeap on Monday said that the office of prime minister should be reserved exclusively for Cambodian nationals, but yesterday expanded the call to include all elected lawmakers.

“For the seat of the prime minister and for lawmakers, they should have only Cambodian citizenship in order to ensure their loyalty,” he said.

Yeap admitted that some CPP elected officials hold dual citizenship, but said he was unaware of the exact number.

“I am not sure how many CPP officials hold dual citizenship, but I know it is not many.”

The opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party yesterday hit back at Yeap’s comments, saying that a more pressing issue the CPP should look at was illegal immigration.

Yim Sovann, CNRP spokesman, said that the granting of economic land concessions to “foreigners” and the flow of immigrants from abroad should be a higher priority.

“I think the CPP should pay attention to illegal immigrants … and human rights abuses,” he said. “Foreigners come here to control the land, [the government gives] 99-year land concessions to the foreigners. This is the real issue.”

Sok Sam Oeun of the Cambodian Defenders Project pointed to the apparent hypocrisy of a senior CPP official making such a statement, when elected CPP representatives hold foreign passports. “If they pass this law, it’s against the unity of all Khmer people. What about the former prime minister exiled in another country? Do they commit a crime?” he asked.

“I think many CPP [officials hold dual citizenship]. Chheang Vun is also from abroad. He holds two nationalities. I think [Minister of Commerce] Sun Chantol [is] also from abroad.”

Thank you letter responding to H.E.John Baird of Canada

Dear Mr. Baird;
Thank you very much for taking time to respond to us concerning the Election Irregularities and the latest political development in Cambodia. Many Cambodians and their diasporas in North America have relentlessly advocated for free, fair and just election in Cambodia. They have petitioned to the United Nations particularly the co-signatory countries of Paris Peace Agreement in 23 October 1991 to help enforce the ruling Cambodian People’s Party to abide by the national constitution and the international laws.

Recently, the government-led party used national security arm-force to beat and shoot those worker protesters from various garment factories who demanded the increase of decent wage of $160US per month.

There are remaining huge challenges of impunity in this country. There have been continual of extra-judicial killing, arresting and jailing in this country. As the result from the protesting disperse with arm-force, the government is still jailing 21 workers and unionists, and ban the freedom of assembly in which more than 9 people grouping together is prohibited.

We, the Cambodian-Canadians are desperate to seeing the continual violation of human rights in Cambodia.

We would like to submit our gratitude to the Canadian Government that has renewed support of political institution development, the rule of laws, and the ongoing peaceful negotiation between CNRP and CPP to tackle the problem of election flaws in order to conduct in-dept reform of this electoral institution to be acceptable from all stakeholders.

At the moment, the Cambodian diaporas worldwide have also been collecting the petition from our bothers and sisters to demand the right to vote in Cambodia national election so that we can participate with social, economic and political development in Cambodia.

Yours Truly,

Seng Sophoan
Project Team Leader of CEROC
(Commission for Election Right of Oversea Cambodians)
Email: petition@khmeroversea.info
http://www.khmeroversea.info

Independent UN expert welcomes electoral reform agreement in Cambodia

CNRP to walk away from talks

លោក សម រង្ស៊ី ចោទ CPP ថា​គ្មាន​ចេតនា​ចរចា​ពិត​ប្រាកដ

Dual citizenship for lawmakers attacked

លោក សម រង្ស៊ី ចោទ CPP ថាគ្មានចេតនាចរចាពិតប្រាកដ