US Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.) at the podiumBy Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
18 November 2009
A US congressman warns that removing immunity of the Cambodia's main opposition leader is a threat to democracy the country has barely achieved.
"The lifting of parliamentary immunity from the head of the Sam Rainsy Party is just the latest troubling sign from Cambodia's fledgling Democracy," said Ed Royce (R-Calif.) in an e-mail response to VOA Khmer on Tuesday.
"Cambodia needs to embrace political pluralism in all of its forms, and the State's continued attempts to marginalize the political opposition are of great concern," he said.
The National Assembly stripped Sam Rainsy of his immunity on Monday in a session present only by parliamentarians from Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling party.
Sam Rainy has been charged with inciting a failed criminal act and misdemeanor when he led a team of villagers to uproot six wooden boundary markers in Svay Rieng province bordering Vietnam.
However, Sam Rainsy defends his act saying that he only helps people who brought to his attention a complaint about an encroachment of their rice field by Vietnamese authorities.
"If the US congress wishes to let the opposition do whatever they want, that's not the rule of law," said Phay Siphan, a spokesman at the Council of Ministers, adding that the removal of the immunity was merely to pave the way for a court investigation.
"If the court finds him not guilty, it is not a problem," he said.
Sam Rainsy is currently in Europe mobilizing political support from European parliament and international community.
Three opposition parliamentarians have had their immunity revoked this year for upsetting Prime Minister Hun Sen and senior government officials. Civil society in Cambodia notes that the government has lately taken the strongest action ever against opposition politicians and journalists through its non-independent court systems.
In October four US congressmen - Ed Royce (R-Calif), Frank Wolf (R-Va), Joseph Cao (R-LA), and Jim Moran (D-Va), proposed a Congressional resolution condemning Cambodia's wide-spread corruption, human trafficking, and violation of freedom of expression and human rights.
Original report from Washington
18 November 2009
A US congressman warns that removing immunity of the Cambodia's main opposition leader is a threat to democracy the country has barely achieved.
"The lifting of parliamentary immunity from the head of the Sam Rainsy Party is just the latest troubling sign from Cambodia's fledgling Democracy," said Ed Royce (R-Calif.) in an e-mail response to VOA Khmer on Tuesday.
"Cambodia needs to embrace political pluralism in all of its forms, and the State's continued attempts to marginalize the political opposition are of great concern," he said.
The National Assembly stripped Sam Rainsy of his immunity on Monday in a session present only by parliamentarians from Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling party.
Sam Rainy has been charged with inciting a failed criminal act and misdemeanor when he led a team of villagers to uproot six wooden boundary markers in Svay Rieng province bordering Vietnam.
However, Sam Rainsy defends his act saying that he only helps people who brought to his attention a complaint about an encroachment of their rice field by Vietnamese authorities.
"If the US congress wishes to let the opposition do whatever they want, that's not the rule of law," said Phay Siphan, a spokesman at the Council of Ministers, adding that the removal of the immunity was merely to pave the way for a court investigation.
"If the court finds him not guilty, it is not a problem," he said.
Sam Rainsy is currently in Europe mobilizing political support from European parliament and international community.
Three opposition parliamentarians have had their immunity revoked this year for upsetting Prime Minister Hun Sen and senior government officials. Civil society in Cambodia notes that the government has lately taken the strongest action ever against opposition politicians and journalists through its non-independent court systems.
In October four US congressmen - Ed Royce (R-Calif), Frank Wolf (R-Va), Joseph Cao (R-LA), and Jim Moran (D-Va), proposed a Congressional resolution condemning Cambodia's wide-spread corruption, human trafficking, and violation of freedom of expression and human rights.
2 comments:
"If the US congress wishes to let the opposition do whatever they want, that's not the rule of law," said Phay Siphan, a spokesman at the Council of Ministers, adding that the removal of the immunity was merely to pave the way for a court investigation.
Phay Siphan, you have not logic at all...."remove an immunity" from an elected official so the investigation can follow....! Why would you and/or the CPP even thought of that. The Viet. Cong encroahced Khmer Soverign land, and the CPP including agreed and voted to strip off the immunity from Mr. Sam Rainsy who action is morally right that would reasonably expected to help the well-being of the Khmer people affected by the Viet. Cong's encroachment. IS IT WRONG Phay Siphan? I learned this concepts since Pre-School. I think you (Phay Siphan, Soy Sopheap, and CPP leaders) should go back to pre-school.
On the same note, the US does not let Mr. Sam Rainsy do whatever he wants....the US Congress' actions MERE to assist you and your leader, Hun Sen to open his one eye that Mr. Sam Rainsy's action is within the scope of his duty as an elected official and a citizen of Cambodia.
I have NEVER seen any leader(s) on this Planet that punishes his own elected official and let alone a citizen to peace the aggressor who encroached the soverign land....EXCEPT, Hun Sen. Shame on you!
You are right, only Hun Sen punished his fellow Cambodians to please his foreign master, the Viet because Hun Sen is a traitor and Rainsy is a patriot..
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