A Change of Guard

សូមស្តាប់វិទ្យុសង្គ្រោះជាតិ Please read more Khmer news and listen to CNRP Radio at National Rescue Party. សូមស្តាប់វីទ្យុខ្មែរប៉ុស្តិ៍/Khmer Post Radio.
Follow Khmerization on Facebook/តាមដានខ្មែរូបនីយកម្មតាម Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/khmerization.khmerican

Thursday 12 May 2016

Gov’t pursuit a waste of time and money, Sokha tells CNRP youth group



Acting opposition leader Kem Sokha speaks to CNRP youth members yesterday at the party’s headquarters in Phnom Penh. Hong Menea


Gov’t pursuit a waste of time and money, Sokha tells CNRP youth group
Thu, 12 May 2016 ppp
Meas Sokchea, Lay Samean and Shaun Turton


Besieged by a growing legal firestorm arising from an alleged affair, CNRP leader Kem Sokha yesterday ignored a summons to appear at court while calling out authorities for wasting the public’s money, resources and time to probe his personal life for political ammunition.

In his first direct response to the ballooning scandal, Sokha told a gathering of 50 youth supporters at the opposition’s Phnom Penh headquarters that his personal life had long been used for political attacks.

“Over my struggle for 20 years, there has not been any mandate, any year, they have not provoked me,” said Sokha, who avoided referring to the ruling Cambodian People’s Party by name.

“Since I started in politics in 1992 and 1993, they have provoked me until now. These aren’t small stories but like a storm. But it’s my individual story, why have they pounded me so much?

“Why have they spent time, used institutions, spent money and used people to pound me so much?”

Sidestepping the issue of the affair itself, Sokha, said his “work for the nation” made him a target.



The opposition leader faces allegations of procurement of prostitution and a defamation claim related to the affair, which was brought to light after covertly recorded phone conversations, said to feature him speaking to at least three mistresses, were leaked online.

He yesterday boycotted a hearing at Phnom Penh Municipal Court related to the latter case, which was brought by social media celebrity Thy Sovantha over disparaging comments made in one of the recordings.

Sokha’s lawyer, Ang Udom, declined to comment beyond confirming his client had not appeared for questioning.

Content image - Phnom Penh Post

On Tuesday, Anti-Corruption Unit President Om Yentieng, a close confidant of Prime Minister Hun Sen who has zealously probed the scandal, warned that Sokha would face arrest if he failed to show up.

Reached yesterday, Phnom Penh deputy prosecutor Keo Socheat, who is handling the case, directed queries to court spokesman Ly Sophana.

“The deputy prosecutor is holding the case and needs to check the legal procedure before taking action,” Sophana said.

Critics say the swift and growing case against both the opposition members and civil society workers is being driven by the CPP to crush its political rivals and critical voices, though ruling party spokesman Sok Eysan again denied this yesterday.

Related: Fading mirage of the CPP

Four workers from rights group Adhoc, a UN worker, an election official and an opposition commune chief, Seang Chert, have been detained and charged with conspiring to bribe Khom Chandaraty, one of Sokha’s alleged mistresses, to deny the affair.

A protest against the group’s imprisonment earlier this week dubbed “Black Monday” ended with eight people being detained for several hours.

Two CNRP lawmakers have also been summonsed for questioning linked to the procurement of prostitution claim.

Yesterday, a scheduled hearing for Chert was delayed until May 18 because the court “was busy”, according to the commune chief’s lawyer, Sam Sokong, who said he would lodge a bail application after that date.

The current political situation was brought up yesterday during a meeting between US Ambassador William Heidt and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhon, according to US Embassy spokesman Jay Raman, who said the envoy’s visit was a courtesy call to the newly appointed diplomat.

Opposition members talk to a group of CNRP youth yesterday at the party’s headquarters in Meanchey district.
Opposition members talk to a group of CNRP youth yesterday at the party’s headquarters in Meanchey district. Hong Menea

“We continue to express our deep concern in public and private about the recent arrests of Adhoc staffers and others,” Raman said, via email.

Raman said Heidt also emphasised the US had no involvement in the “Black Monday” campaign, which government officials have equated to a “colour revolution” aiming to topple the government.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Foreign Ministry spokesman Chum Sounry said he believed Heidt’s comments.

“He made clear that the US understands very clearly what it should do and what it should not,” Sounry said.

Since the scandal has unfolded, Sokha and the party have largely adopted a “don’t respond” policy. On condition of anonymity, however, an opposition insider yesterday said the strategy of staying quiet and holding out for the elections had “backfired” and needed to change.

“It’s the wrong assumption. The CPP has shown in the past they are not trustworthy, they will not deliver on their promises,” they said, using a boxing metaphor to continue their point. “The CPP keeps hitting and hitting. Before, the CNRP could block, but now both hands are down and the CPP is pounding . . . We don’t answer, we don’t respond . . . and it’s not working.”

The insider said that while injustices dealt to the party may draw sympathy from the electorate, supporters needed to see courage. “People will lose trust and become hopeless and think [the CNRP] cannot deliver. We have to go on the offence, in the 1990s, Rainsy was known for confrontation and posture, and it was successful.

“We need to do something different, and confrontation might be it. Not physically but verbally, confront the injustice and keep speaking up about what is wrong and what is right.”

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

បើធ្វើខុសនឹងច្បាប់ហើយ គ្មានទណ្ឌកម្ម មនុស្សណាក៏នឹងរំលោភច្បាប់ដែរ។ ការរំលោភច្បាប់ដែលអោយផលអាក្រក់ធំធេងខ្លាំងបំផុត គឺការរំលោភច្បាប់របស់អ្នកដឹកនាំប្រទេស។ វាពិតជារឿងគួរអោយភ័យព្រួយ និងជារឿងដែលគួរអោយតក់ស្លុតណាស់ នៅពេលដែលមនុស្សណាមួយ មានអំណាច មានកងកំលាំងយ៉ាងច្រើន មានអាវុធពេញក្នុងដៃ រហូតដល់យើងជាអ្នកទន់ខ្សោយទទួលដឹងថា ពិតជាគ្មានអ្វីទាល់តែសោះ អាចមកទប់ឬមកដាក់ពិន័យលើបុគ្គលនោះ បើសិនជាគាត់នោះ មានការរំលោភបំពានទៅលើច្បាប់។ ដែលហៅថាច្បាប់គឺមិនត្រឹមតែជាបន្ទាត់បង្ហាញ និងកំនត់ព្រំដែនសកម្មភាពរបស់មនុស្សប៉ុណ្ណោះទេ។ ប៉ុន្តែច្បាប់ត្រូវតែមានកំលាំងរបស់វាផ្ទាល់ដែលធ្វើអោយគ្រប់មនុស្សក្នុងសង្គម មានអារម្មណ៍ថាខ្លាចច្បាប់នោះណាស់ ទើបច្បាប់ត្រូវបានគេកំណត់ថាជាច្បាប់ពេញលក្ខណៈរបស់វា។ តែក្នុងករណីប្រទេសកម្ពុជាយើង មានមនុស្សខ្លះគាត់គ្មានអារម្មណ៍ថាខ្លាចច្បាប់ទេ ដូច្នេះច្បាប់សំរាប់អ្នកនោះ លែងមានតំលៃជាច្បាប់ទៀតហើយ។ ក្នុងករណីនេះ បើអ្នកណាម្នាក់ ឬក្រុមណាមួយ សំណូមពរឬទាមទាអោយ អ្នកដែលគ្មានអារម្មណ៍ថាខ្លាចច្បាប់ព្រោះតែអំណាចដែលគាត់មាន វាមានកំលាំងធំជាងអំណាចរបស់ច្បាប់នោះ អោយគាត់គោរពច្បាប់ឬអនុវត្តន៍ច្បាប់អោយបានត្រឹមត្រូវ នោះអ្នកសំណូមពរ ឬអ្នកទាមទារនោះ សមនឹងអ្នកយល់ការហៅថាមនុស្សល្ងង់ខ្លៅហើយ ទោះបុគ្គលនោះមានសញ្ញាប័ត្របណ្ឌិតក៏ដោយចុះ។

បើការកាត់បន្ថយអំណាចរបស់អ្នកណាដែលគ្មានអារម្មណ៍ថាខ្លាចច្បាប់មិនត្រូវបានធ្វើឡើងទេ នោះការអនុវត្តន៍ច្បាប់អោយបានត្រឹមត្រូវនឹងស្មើភាពគ្នានឹងមិនអាចកើតមានឡើងជាដាច់ខាតក្នុងករណីប្រទេសយើងនេះហើយភាពគួរអោយព្រួយបារម្ភនិងរឿងដែលគួរអោយតក់ស្លុតនឹងបន្តកើតមានចំពោះជនទន់ខ្សោយក្នុងសង្គមជាតិយើង រកទីបញ្ចប់គ្មានឡើយ។

ក្នុងស្ថានភាពបែបនេះ បើអ្នកទន់ខ្សោយណាមានបំណងធ្វើអ្វីបំពាននឹងច្បាប់ យើងមានអារម្មណ៍ថាគឺជារឿងព្រហើនខ្លាំងណាស់ តែបើចំពោះអ្នកមានអំណាចធំជាងច្បាប់បំពានលើច្បាប់វិញ យើងមានអារម្មណ៍ថាវាគឺជារឿងសមទំនងនឹងទទួលយកបានខ្លាំងណាស់៕

Everyone violate the law when the punishment is not put place. The worst form of the violation of law is the leader's violation. It is sorrowful and terrible to know that someone has excessive power and weapon, and nothing can control or punish him when he commits the violation of law. Law does not only limit activities of the people but it shall has its power to control them. Otherwise, it is not the law. In Cambodia, some people do not fear for law. Thus, law does not have its value for them. In the case that someone or group request or insist those who have excessive power and do not fear for law to be obliged with the law, they should be called fool even if they are PhD.

If power reduction against those who does not fear for law is not carried out, proper law enforcement and equality will never happen in our country and misery will endlessly occur to weak people in our society.

In this situation, we feel that the violation of the law from weak people is very insolent but it is quite acceptable when it is done by those who have excessive power.

Anonymous said...

Kem Sokha, it's a waste of time.

1. Either you confess to your crime, save everyone from your trouble.
2. Or you fight CPP and Mr. Hun Sen head on. Challenge the recorded convo as fake. Bring in the international expert to clear your name.

You remain silence causes so much confusion among the people.