By Khmerization
Source: RFA
All 29 members of parliament from the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) and Human Rights Party (HRP) have refused to accept decorations and medals from the parliament, saying that all MPs do not deserve to be awarded such honours.
On Friday 24th December, the parliament conducted a ceremony to award medals to all MPs, including SRP leader Sam Rainsy, who was sentenced in absentia to 12 years jail, for their good services to the nation and the parliament.
Mr. Son Chhay, a senior MP from the SRP, said all 29 MPs from the opposition parties have boycotted the ceremony, even they have all been awarded the medals. "As we have seen, what President Sam Rainsy has done was a big achievement and I think the charges against him were not appropriate. So, I think that they should facilitate his return back to the country", said Mr. Son Chhay.
The ceremony on Friday was attended by 116 MPs out of 123 MPs. Mr. Chheang Vun, an MP from the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP), said the award was presented twice yearly to all MPs for their good services to the parliament and the nation. He said Mr. Sam Rainsy was also presented with the medals because he is not yet a convicted criminal. "When the legal procedures have not been permanently completed yet, he (Rainsy) is not yet a convict. So don't be confused and his flee from the country is his personal issue, not a big issue", he said.
Opposition MPs said they have boycotted the medals because they said only MPs, who are already well off and rich, receive the medals, but the poor and the victims of the land grab who had fought for justice and protested against the injustices have not been been awarded for their services and sacrifices.
Mr. Chan Cheng, SRP MP from Kandal, echoed this sentiment. "Yes, it is true that we have not served the people 100% and so we don't deserve the awards. If the people are still crying out for us to help, like the land evictions in Boeng Kak, then it is very hard for us to accept these awards", he said.
Mr. Kem Sokha, president of the minor opposition Human Rights Party, said his MPs are not interested in the awards either. "We are still very poor and we just keep wearing too many medals, I think that we must strive to work harder than now. I recognised our contributions, but we must strive harder to deserve what the king had awarded us. These medals must also be awarded to the Cambodian people, people from the civil society and the unions who had made sacrifices to the nation and they had done much more for the nation than us MPs", he said.
In 2000, all 24 MPs from the SRP had returned all their medals to the parliament after they said that they don't deserve to receive those medals.
Source: RFA
All 29 members of parliament from the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) and Human Rights Party (HRP) have refused to accept decorations and medals from the parliament, saying that all MPs do not deserve to be awarded such honours.
On Friday 24th December, the parliament conducted a ceremony to award medals to all MPs, including SRP leader Sam Rainsy, who was sentenced in absentia to 12 years jail, for their good services to the nation and the parliament.
Mr. Son Chhay, a senior MP from the SRP, said all 29 MPs from the opposition parties have boycotted the ceremony, even they have all been awarded the medals. "As we have seen, what President Sam Rainsy has done was a big achievement and I think the charges against him were not appropriate. So, I think that they should facilitate his return back to the country", said Mr. Son Chhay.
The ceremony on Friday was attended by 116 MPs out of 123 MPs. Mr. Chheang Vun, an MP from the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP), said the award was presented twice yearly to all MPs for their good services to the parliament and the nation. He said Mr. Sam Rainsy was also presented with the medals because he is not yet a convicted criminal. "When the legal procedures have not been permanently completed yet, he (Rainsy) is not yet a convict. So don't be confused and his flee from the country is his personal issue, not a big issue", he said.
Opposition MPs said they have boycotted the medals because they said only MPs, who are already well off and rich, receive the medals, but the poor and the victims of the land grab who had fought for justice and protested against the injustices have not been been awarded for their services and sacrifices.
Mr. Chan Cheng, SRP MP from Kandal, echoed this sentiment. "Yes, it is true that we have not served the people 100% and so we don't deserve the awards. If the people are still crying out for us to help, like the land evictions in Boeng Kak, then it is very hard for us to accept these awards", he said.
Mr. Kem Sokha, president of the minor opposition Human Rights Party, said his MPs are not interested in the awards either. "We are still very poor and we just keep wearing too many medals, I think that we must strive to work harder than now. I recognised our contributions, but we must strive harder to deserve what the king had awarded us. These medals must also be awarded to the Cambodian people, people from the civil society and the unions who had made sacrifices to the nation and they had done much more for the nation than us MPs", he said.
In 2000, all 24 MPs from the SRP had returned all their medals to the parliament after they said that they don't deserve to receive those medals.
No comments:
Post a Comment