Sokha, beaten MPs return to Phnom Penh

Sokha, beaten MPs return to Phnom Penh

CNRP deputy president Kem Sokha greets a crowd following his arrival at Phnom Penh International Airport yesterday. He has vowed to negotiate Sam Rainsy's return and seek justice for the lawmakers attacked at the National Assembly last month. Heng Chivoan

“Only with the opposition leader in prison would there be a real chance for a temporary suspension of the EU’s ‘Everything But Arms’ [duty free import] initiative and its development cooperation agreement”.

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School of Vice:

So this is all about what could have been and going for the wrong decision, eh? Walk into a set trap and make yourself a "hero" irrespective of resulting consequences to yourself and others and the grand prize is yours? Regardless of such actions on the part of a leader of the Opposition, the overall climate of crippling political opposition through terror, violence, intimidation and arbitrary arrests and so forth, ought to be enough stress signals for punitive measures to be taken by the EU and other donor governments; if indeed, there exists the required political will in these external parties to address the dire state of political situation in the Kingdom. And these developments are not even a novelty.

Had such a will to deal decisively with the regime existed over its repeated and blatant violations of agreed working norms and treaties; its refusal to steer away from one-party rule, this recent spate of violence against opposition law-makers, arrests and detentions of political opponents as well as the arrest warrant issued against the CNRP president would not have materialised in the first place. Whilst all these instances of political crackdown and violence go on, it seems the victims and recipients of these actions can do nothing right! Damned if you do, damned if you don't? Had the Opposition not been condemned over all these proposed trade embargo measures because these actions 'would have hurt ordinary people the most'?

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ppp Wed, 25 November 2015

Meas Sokchea and Shaun Turton

Upon his return to Cambodia yesterday, Cambodia National Rescue Party deputy president Kem Sokha pledged to negotiate with the ruling Cambodian People’s Party to find a way for opposition party leader Sam Rainsy to come home.

Rainsy, who has flown to Europe, faces two years in prison if he returns to the Kingdom, after the Phnom Penh Municipal Court recently ordered the enforcement of a long-dormant 2011 conviction for defaming Foreign Minister Hor Namhong.

Accompanied by injured CNRP lawmakers Nhay Chamroeun and Kong Sakphea, who were bashed outside parliament on October 26 and have been receiving medical treatment in Bangkok, Sokha arrived at Phnom Penh International Airport yesterday afternoon.

Speaking to reporters outside, he stressed dialogue was vital to reducing the soaring political tension.

“We knew already that the political situation is bad, but we must change this to a good situation, [which won’t happen] until we sit and talk,” Sokha said.

“For the beaten lawmakers, we must continue to seek justice. I think that everything is possible [to resolve this], provided that we share good will. When we meet, we will talk about [Rainsy’s return]. I wish to negotiate soon.”

Responding yesterday, CPP spokesman Sous Yara said the ruling party was “open” to discussions and had established a working group to handle talks, but was waiting for the CNRP to set their agenda.

Sokha has been away since late last month, when he flew to Thailand to visit Chamroeun and Sakphea, who were attacked at the tail end of a pro-CPP rally calling for Sokha’s removal as the National Assembly’s first vice president.

Three soldiers have so far been detained over the assault. Meanwhile, a seeming political crackdown on the opposition has continued.

Following the protest, which was foreshadowed by Prime Minister Hun Sen and endorsed by senior military figures, Sokha was ousted as assembly vice president. Then, while visiting Japan and South Korea with Sokha, Rainsy was slapped with the arrest warrant. Three days later, his lawmaker status was stripped by the CPP.

Though he initially pledged to return and contest the conviction, handed down for alleging in 2008 that Namhong was responsible for deaths at a Khmer Rouge prison camp, Rainsy has instead flown to Europe, leaving his deputy and former political rival, to lead the party at home.

Yesterday evening, Sokha headed a meeting of more than 200 opposition members at the party’s headquarters to discuss short-, medium- and long-term goals.

Political analyst Ok Serei Sopheak said it was Sokha’s chance to show mature leadership.

“Can he elevate himself to a statesman’s level? So far he’s been great for attacking the government. It is time to see if he can shift focus, become a negotiator, become more sophisticated in terms of talking to his supporters.”

Meanwhile, Rainsy, who has also been summoned for questioning as an “accomplice” of detained opposition Senator Hong Sok Hour, who faces 17 years in prison over what the premier termed a “treasonous” Facebook post, has flagged a “possible resolution on Cambodia” to be submitted to the European Parliament.

Any motion censuring the Cambodian government’s treatment of the opposition would be “very useful” as it would guide the foreign policy of the EU’s 28 member states, Rainsy said via email yesterday.

Markus Karbaum, a political consultant based in Germany specialising in Cambodia, said a “symbolic” resolution in the EU parliament was not the “quick success” Rainsy needed to vindicate staying abroad.

Similar past campaigns, he said, “did not have a major impact” and, somewhat ironically, Rainsy’s decision not to return and face charges may hurt his chances for foreign action.

“Only with the opposition leader in prison would there be a real chance for a temporary suspension of the EU’s ‘Everything But Arms’ [duty free import] initiative and its development cooperation agreement”.