Postcards from CambodiaWatch-Australia

Taiwan

Taiwan

Taiwan

Read More

Opposition party preps for protests

Thousands of CNRP supporters cheer as opposition leader Sam Rainsy speaks during a political rally at Phnom Penh’s Freedom Park on Monday. PHA LINA

 

Fri, 30 August 2013

Chhay Channyda, Kevin Ponniah and Meas Sokchea

P Penh Post

 

The Cambodia National Rescue Party yesterday held a training session on strategies for peaceful demonstration ahead of September 7, the date for a planned mass protest the ruling party has said is “disguised”, possibly as an attempt to overthrow the government.
The training session, held at the party’s Meanchey headquarters yesterday afternoon, was announced via the CNRP’s website and Facebook page.
Journalists who arrived at the meeting yesterday, however, were barred by the party.
“The press was not invited.… This is an internal training. Please leave,” Tioulong Saumura, opposition lawmaker and wife of party leader Sam Rainsy, said.

Mouen Tola, labour head at the Community Legal Education Center, attended the training as a translator and called it “an orientation in active non-violence”.
“It was just [a discussion] of ideas.… They were talking about [civil disobedience] … like the model from Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela,” he said.
“There were around 100 people … in the room, and they were talking about how to organise non-violence and how to respond to those who would provoke violence.”
Tola added that after the session, a film about the life of Mahatma Gandhi was screened for attendees, including foreign peace experts that had been invited to address CNRP members.
CNRP officials could not be reached for comment, but in their statement said the training was aimed at “prevent[ing] any chaos caused by untoward people”. The party is also planning to hold two practice demonstrations on September 1 and 5, with the time and place to be announced later.
In a separate statement issued yesterday, the Cambodian People’s Party admonished the CNRP for calling a mass demonstration, saying it would disrupt the “peace of the people” and go against the popular will of those who had voted on July 28.
“Such an act is also an intention to negate the election, which was evaluated by national and international public opinions as peaceful, free and transparent,” the statement reads.
It adds that the planned demonstration would be a premature protest of the impending official election result, due to be released the day after, and has been announced “under the so-called disguised pretext … [of] election ‘irregularities’”.
Ministry of Interior spokesman Khieu Sopheak said yesterday that an opposition demonstration would be allowed, as long as it followed the law.
“A demonstration [under] the law will be OK, and we will provide security and protection. [But] we won’t allow any demonstration that is not allowed by law,” he said.
“A demonstration to topple the government is impossible and they cannot do that. [That includes] any intention to topple or change, [as evidenced by] the way they speak during their meetings in the provinces.
“We prevent the intention. It is better to prevent than to cure,” Sopheak said.
At a press conference yesterday morning, CNRP leader Sam Rainsy dismissed allegations that the opposition was intending to overthrow the government.
“Whoever said that … is completely wrong. I would like to reject [those allegations] unequivocally,” Rainsy said.
He emphasised that protests were still a last resort for the CNRP and that he would personally be willing to talk to Prime Minister Hun Sen to find a political solution.
“If we can avoid [demonstrating], we would be happy to do so. But we can’t avoid [this] unless negotiations begin with the [CPP] in order to form an independent committee,” he said.
“We knew beforehand that the Constitutional Council would do the same as the National Election Committee and that the National Election Committee would do the same as the Cambodian People’s Party.”
Phnom Penh Governor Pa Socheatvong sent a letter to the CNRP yesterday expressing his “regret” that the party did not obey its conditions for the Freedom Park rally it held on August 26, attended by close to 20,000.
The CNRP was meant to limit the size of the rally and not invite supporters from the provinces, municipal spokesman Long Dimanche said.
“The governor asked them not to bring people from other provinces, but they did this systematically. This purely violates the stipulations as in the agreed minutes [of a meeting between the party and authorities on August 23],” he said.
“[Sam Rainsy] was able to gather [a crowd] but was unable to manage [them]. This not only caused concern for the authorities but also for the people.”
Dimanche added that City Hall had yet to receive an official letter from the CNRP announcing its September 7 demonstration.

Read More

CPP still open to discussions

Senate president Chea Sim casts his ballot at a polling station in Phnom Penh last month. HONG MENEA

 

Fri, 30 August 2013

Meas Sokchea

P Penh Post

 

Rulling party president Chea Sim insisted yesterday the party was willing to continue talks with the opposition, a day after Cambodia National Rescue Party president Sam Rainsy urged further discussion on an electoral investigation.
But while Rainsy requested Sim to assign Cambodian People’s Party leaders to carry out discussions, there appeared little hint of concrete action.
“CPP continues to maintain good will for further dialogue to solve the remaining issues based on the result of the election and the spirit of national reconciliation, which is the best approach to ensure the harmony of our citizens,” the letter from Sim reads, after detailing the starts and stops such discussions had undergone.

Negotiations between the parties have twice broken off with both at loggerheads over the role the UN, the NEC and NGOs should play in any independent investigation. The CNRP maintains that a thorough investigation demands the presence of the UN, while the CPP has maintained such participation would be illegal.
Senior CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap, who has headed the ruling party delegation, insisted the party had never given up on political negotiation but maintained, yet again, that the NEC must be involved. The NEC weeks ago said it was too late for them to step in.
Asked for more details on what further negotiations might entail, Yeap demurred, referring back to the letter.
“Samdech [Chea Sim] has already responded. It does not matter. Any time is OK, but it must take the election results announced by the NEC as a basis and come in the spirit of national reconciliation.”
At a press conference held yesterday morning at CNRP headquarters, Rainsy said he hoped the CPP “would answer positively”.
Reached in the evening, Rainsy said he was optimistic that talks would proceed given that Sim had taken the time to reply.
“It’s a good channel that we have to maintain,” he said. “As long as there is a channel of communication, there is hope.”
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY ABBY SEIFF

Read More

Unionists remain in hospital

Union Federation for Labour Rights member Sam Visor (left), 25, and Khmer Workers Union Federation officer Loy Socheat, 37, recover from injuries at the Calmette Hospital in Phnom Penh. PHA LINA

 

Fri, 30 August 2013

Mom Kunthear

P Penh Post

 

Blinded, bloodied and barely conscious, two unionists who were nearly beaten to death after passing out pro-union literature in front of a Phnom Penh garment factory remained in their hospital beds yesterday, awaiting a possible transferral to Vietnam.
“I am very worried about them because they seemed to have lost memory and one of them may lose an eye,” Sam Soeun, president of the Union Federation for Labour Rights, said, standing beside his near-comatose brother at Calmette Hospital.
The vicious attack in front of Dayup Global Co Ltd on Monday left Sam Visor, Soen’s 25-year-old brother, and Loy Socheat, a 37-year-old Khmer Workers Union Federation officer, unconscious and vomiting blood.

Both men may have to be sent to Vietnam to receive the advanced medical care necessary to treat their injuries, a doctor said.
According to Soeun, the attack on 10 unionists representing four different unions came without provocation. The men stood outside Dayup’s factory gates, passing out pamphlets detailing workers’ rights in Cambodia, Lay said, and were accosted by about 40 men from the factory bearing pipes and sticks.
“I saw them beat my brother unconscious,” Soeun recalled. “They attempted to chop at his neck with a cleaver, but the villagers and food sellers at the scene shouted for them to stop.”
Soeun and the other workers suffered less-severe injuries, he said. He has since filed complaints with the International Labour Organization, Solidarity Center/ACLIS and the municipal court as well as government ministries.
Yang Rithy, Dayup’s administrative manager, maintain the unionists provoked a fight and damaged property, asserting that he possessed video evidence proving his claim but which he was unable to produce by press time.
Rithy also denied a report from a 26-year-old worker who asked not to be identified that the incident sparked a strike of about half of its more than 1,000-member workforce, who demand that Dayup fire Rithy.
“There are about 20 workers demanding that Dayup fires me, while hundreds of other workers don’t,” he said.
The Arbitration Council released a letter yesterday ordering the workers striking to return to work within 48 hours.

Read More

UN’s Ban makes call for donations to KRT

Fri, 30 August 2013

Stuart White

P Penh Post

 

With the threat of a strike on the Khmer Rouge tribunal’s Cambodian side looming ever larger, UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday called for donors to come up with additional financing for a court “in crisis” or risk losing it entirely.
“Cambodian staff have not been paid since June,” he said in a speech, according to a transcript of the remarks. “The very survival of the Court is now in question.”
Open Society Justice Initiative tribunal monitor Heather Ryan said it was “noteworthy” that Ban had addressed the court’s struggle, but added that the tribunal still required “creative and practical solutions”.

“One possibility would be for the UN to contribute to the court from general funds rather than relying on voluntary funding from individual countries,” she said in an email.
Though the “solution has the disadvantage of letting the Government of Cambodia and the historic donors of the court off the hook”, she added, such a measure may be the only option left.
A two-week strike in March over unpaid wages was ended by a similar “bridging fund” from the UN, a measure that court spokesman Neth Pheaktra said might be “necessary” to avert the strike, which is scheduled for September 1.
Meanwhile, UN special expert to the tribunal David Scheffer, who recently completed a tour of four ASEAN capitals, said in an email that member states had received him "warmly”, but that the prospect of funding was still tentative.
“My best judgement is that these ASEAN governments are considering financial support for the ECCC but the timing of that support remains uncertain,” he said.

Read More

The struggle for gender equality

Seng Takakneary, managing director of Sentosa Silk, speaks to the Post from a showroom in Phnom Penh. PHA LINA

 

Fri, 30 August 2013

Laura Ma

P Penh Post

 

The Cambodia Women Entrepreneurs Association has grown to 150 members since it started last year. As the only representative of women in the private sector, the CWEA connects and trains women in business, a field still dominated by men. Seng Takakneary, president of the association, sat down with the Post’s Laura Ma to discuss women’s presence in Cambodian business.
Why did you start the CWEA?
Women in private sectors, especially micro, small and medium enterprises, still have a hard time in the business world. We are the platform for women to voice issues and concerns to. We then compile those issues to bring them to the government.
We didn’t have this kind of representation before. Women had not a single voice at the government level, except for the Ministry of Women’s Affairs. But there was no private sector representative.
How do you go about assisting these entrepreneurs?
There are many issues in running SMEs. They need support from the government, technical assistance, infrastructure. We bring in professionals to deliver courses on the logistics of starting a business. The CWEA plays a very important role by facilitating all kinds of business requirements and capacity building.
The CWEA also meets with delegations to present opportunities for other countries to support Cambodian women entrepreneurs. Last year, I was honoured to receive Noeleen Heyzer, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, to share our concerns and to look for ways to strengthen women empowerment with female entrepreneur leaders.
Why do women have a harder time as entrepreneurs?
Due to cultural aspects. Women have a lot of responsibilities, work and family combined, but less income. Because of this, they have less time to learn and network. Especially for women without higher education, it’s important for the CWEA to give them access to business information and knowledge. We invite successful women business owners to share their experiences at workshops so other members can learn.
What is the difference in the difficulties male and female entrepreneurs face?
It is harder for women because we are perceived as less capable in business. We don’t want to fight with men, just prove we can also lead and own businesses. Society hasn’t reached that level of acceptance yet. Also, government officials are used to dealing with businessmen. Men have an easier time in resolving issues they bring to officials. Men still have an advantage opening businesses.
What presence do women have in business?
As of 2011, 65 per cent of Cambodia’s SMEs were owned by women. The single largest industry that over 30 per cent of CWEA members are in is the food and beverage industry. For large businesses, I think only one or two per cent are run by women. Women are reaching middle management levels, but they are not yet at the top level.
How does CWEA influence the aspirations of young women?
We have activities and public speaking events that they can attend. We show them how women can be entrepreneurs. We want to give a girl a picture of how her future will look if she becomes an entrepreneur and what kind of preparations are needed.
They can have role models to look up to. Expectations from parents have also grown. Parents now have equal expectations of success from their daughters and sons.
How big is the gender gap in Cambodia’s business world?
Gender equality in Cambodia still lags behind other countries, and women in business here still have a harder time than those in the United States and the United Kingdom. The glass ceiling is still high and we haven’t broken it yet. We don’t have enough numbers yet to break the glass ceiling. We still have a few more decades of struggle.
How would you help fix that gender gap?
It is an easy question, but difficult to answer. Through education, training and motivation, we find as many possible ways to help women as we can. It is hard to narrow that gap, but at least the CWEA can vouch for women’s ability to other ASEAN countries.
If a new office from another country opens in Cambodia, they know to find the CWEA to introduce them to the talent and business connections they want. Women’s economic power is the backbone of the society. Women’s presence in the private sector is improving. It’s not growing as fast as I would like it to but we are achieving that step by step.
The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Read More

Opposition Says Planned Demonstration Is Not To Overthrow Government

Cambodia National Rescue Party leader Sam Rainsy (middle) talks during a press conference on Thursday, August 29, 2013. 

 

Kong Sothanarith

30 August 2013

PHNOM PENH - Cambodia’s opposition leaders on Thursday said they will go forward with a mass demonstration next month, despite warnings from ruling party authorities and calls for calm.

Officials for the ruling Cambodian People’s Party have begun issuing warnings to foreign embassies and organizations, claiming the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party is plotting to overthrow the government.

Opposition officials say they are expecting 100,000 supporters to rally in the streets of Phnom Penh on Sept. 7, to protest flawed elections and a refusal by governing authorities to properly investigate irregularities.Talks between the CPP and the Rescue Party over a separate investigation have yielded no results, continuing the political deadlock that has gone on since the July 28 polls.

“Our aim is to prove for national and international opinion that there are many supporters of the [Rescue Party], that’s all,” opposition leader Sam Rainsy told reporters Thursday.

The demonstration will be canceled if a special commission is formed to address the complaints of irregularities, Sam Rainsy said.

Rescue Party officials say they would have won the election without voting irregularities. But the CPP has already claimed an election victory, citing preliminary results issued by the National Election Committee.

Meanwhile, the CPP issued its own statement, calling on the public for “calm and quiet and help maintaining peace and stability.”

In a letter to Sam Rainsy, CPP President Chea Sim said the election complaints must be looked into by the National Election Committee or the Constitutional Council.

The CPP “is willing to continue talks based on the results of the vote,” he said.

Read More

Opposition Calls for Negotiations, Preps for Demonstrations

In a letter to the CPP’s president, Chea Sim, on Wednesday, Rescue Party President Sam Rainsy said the opposition was requesting an urgent meeting among negotiators, who have met three times so far but failed to find a compromise over investigating the election and the formation of a new government. 

 

Kong Sothanarith, Khoun Theara

29 August 2013

PHNOM PENH - The Cambodian opposition says it will call for mass demonstrations on Sept. 7 if a deadlock over last month’s election does not see some progress.

The Cambodia National Rescue Party is at odds with the ruling Cambodian People’s Party over election results, following polls that opposition leaders say were marred by widespread irregularities.

In a letter to the CPP’s president, Chea Sim, on Wednesday, Rescue Party President Sam Rainsy said the opposition was requesting an urgent meeting among negotiators, who have met three times so far but failed to find a compromise over investigating the election and the formation of a new government.Cheam Yiep, a lawmaker for the CPP, said it was too late to form an investigative team and that probes into irregularities would have to be done by the National Election Committee and the Constitutional Council. But opposition leaders have long maintained that the NEC remains biased toward the ruling party and is responsible for some of the most egregious irregularities, such as flawed voter lists.

“I don’t know what we have to talk about,” Cheam Yiep told VOA Khmer.

The prolonged political standoff and the prospect of mass demonstrations and counter-demonstrations has put Phnom Penh on edge.

In interviews with VOA Khmer, many residents, especially students, say they are hoping for a peaceful political settlement without the violence that has characterized other post-election periods.

“In my opinion, if the opposition party accepts the result a bit, there would not be a long discussion and the rumor of violence and civil war,” said Leng Putheary, a 24-year-old medical student in Phnom Penh. However, “if the opposition keeps insisting, the ruling party should establish a committee.”

Kim Marina, a student of management, said the NEC should organize a revote. “Those whose names did not appear in the voter registration should vote,” he said.

Meanwhile, in Battamang province, the National Election Committee agreed to disclose the contents of a sealed bag of voting documents, revealing a number of minor irregularities. The so-called Security Package A was opened from eight polling stations in the province.

Kouy Bunreoun, a spokesman for the Rescue Party, said many forms were not legally filled out and should be nullified from some polling stations. The Rescue Party had complained about 233 polling stations, but only eight were investigated, he said.

Read More

Cambodia Ruling Party Criticizes Opposition Rally

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia August 29, 2013 (AP)

By SOPHENG CHEANG Associated Press

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling party criticized the opposition's plan to hold a massive protest against last month's election results, saying Thursday that a disruptive demonstration was not in the country's interest.
In a rare statement, the Cambodian People's Party stopped short of asking the opposition to cancel its rally planned for Sept. 7, but implied that protesters would be held responsible for any unrest.
Official results from the July 28 polls gave Hun Sen's party 68 seats in the National Assembly against 55 for the opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party. Opposition leader Sam Rainsy says his party would have won 63 seats if the election had been fair.
Rainsy has called for next week's rally unless an independent committee is formed to investigate alleged irregularities in the election.
Rallies since the election have drawn thousands of people and raised fears of political violence, especially since the government has responded by deploying troops and armored vehicles in Phnom Penh, the capital.

Hun Sen, Cambodia's leader for 28 years, has a reputation of dealing harshly with his opponents.
Sam Rainsy said earlier Thursday that he plans to hold training sessions and rehearsals to show supporters how to hold peaceful protests, since the Cambodian people have little experience with opposition rallies. He said he would call in foreign experts to help with the training.
"We are in the learning process," Sam Rainsy told reporters. "We are receiving training and advice from people all over the world who want to help ensure that demonstrations in Cambodia will be peaceful. We will conduct rehearsals. We will assemble people and train them in how to resist violence."
He denied allegations by the Interior Ministry, which recently set a letter to all foreign embassies accusing the opposition of trying to topple the government.
"We have no plan to topple anyone," Sam Rainsy said. "We are protesting the election results and the election conduct and a lack of transparency. We want to bring justice to the voters."
In its statement, the ruling party did not address the opposition's demand for an impartial investigation into the election. But it urged the opposition to hold another round of talks to ease the standoff, rather than taking its discontent into the streets. The two sides have already held three meetings over the dispute.
The protest is planned for one day before the National Election Committee is expected to ratify the results.
"The announcement by the Cambodia National Rescue Party to hold a massive demonstration against the result of the election — before the final result is announced — will affect the livelihood of the people who are living peacefully," the ruling party said in its statement.
Hun Sen's party also denounced the planned protest as an effort to "intentionally destroy the election results" and a violation of Cambodia's spirit of national reconciliation. It repeated its claim that the election was free and fair.
The opposition's main complaint alleges that the voter registration process failed to properly list possibly more than 1 million people, who were therefore unable to vote. Several nonpartisan poll-watching groups support that claim.

Read More

បទ​វិភាគ៖ មូលហេតុ​បក្ស​ប្រជាជន​បាត់​សំឡេង​ឆ្នោត​ច្រើន

ថ្នាក់​ដឹក​នាំ​គណបក្ស​ប្រជាជន​កម្ពុជា ទំនង​ជា​មាន​ការ​ភ្ញាក់​ផ្អើល​យ៉ាង​ខ្លាំង បន្ទាប់​ពី​ឃើញ​លទ្ធផល​បោះ​ឆ្នោត​ជ្រើស​តាំង​តំណាង​រាស្ត្រ​អាណត្តិ​ទី៥ បង្ហាញ​ថា ចំនួន​អាសនៈ​តំណាង​រាស្ត្រ​របស់​បក្ស​ខ្លួន​ធ្លាក់​ចុះ​យ៉ាង​គំហ៊ុក។

ដោយ ជី វិតា
2013-08-30

RFA

ស្ដាប់ ឬ ទាញ​យក​សំឡេង

ក្រុម​យុវជន​របស់​គណបក្ស​ប្រជាជន​កម្ពុជា និង​គណបក្ស​សង្គ្រោះ​ជាតិ ក្នុង​ថ្ងៃ​ឃោសនា​បោះឆ្នោត​ដំបូង នា​រាជធានី​ភ្នំពេញ នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​២៧ មិថុនា ឆ្នាំ​២០១៣។

Photo: RFA

តើ​មាន​មេ​រៀន​អ្វី​ខ្លះ គួរ​គណបក្ស​ប្រជាជន​កម្ពុជា លើក​យក​មក​រៀន​សូត្រ​ដក​បទ​ពិសោធន៍ បន្ទាប់​ពី​បាន​បាត់​សំឡេង សម្រាប់​ការ​បោះ​ឆ្នោត​អាណត្តិ​ក្រោយ​ទៀត?
កំហុស​មួយ​ទំនង​ជា​ស្ថិត​ក្នុង​ចំណោម​កំហុស​ជាច្រើន​ទៀត​របស់​គណបក្ស​ ប្រជាជន​កម្ពុជា គឺ "វប្បធម៌​ច្រាន​ចោល​គំនិត និង​ការ​រិះគន់​ស្ថាបនា​របស់​អ្នក​ដទៃ"។ វប្បធម៌​ច្រាន​ចោល​សេចក្តី​រាយការណ៍​ពិត ឬ​ធ្វើ​ពើ​មិន​ទទួល​ស្គាល់​ការ​ពិត ទំនង​ជា​ដើរ​តួ​យ៉ាង​សំខាន់​ក្នុង​ការ​ធ្វើ​អោយ​គណបក្ស​កាន់​អំណាច​ដ៏​យូរ​ ជាង​គេ​មួយ​នេះ ជ្រុះ​បាត់​កៅអី​ពី​រដ្ឋសភា​យ៉ាង​គំហ៊ុក ក្នុង​ការ​បោះ​ឆ្នោត​អាណត្តិ​ទី៥ កាល​ពី​ចុង​ខែ​កក្កដា ឆ្នាំ​២០១៣ នេះ។
ជា​ច្រើន​ឆ្នាំ​កន្លង​មក​នេះ អង្គការ​ជាតិ និង​អង្គការ​អន្តរជាតិ បាន​ចងក្រង និង​បញ្ចេញ​របាយការណ៍​ជាច្រើន​អំពី​បញ្ហា​សង្គម បញ្ហា​រំលោភ​សិទ្ធិ​មនុស្ស បញ្ហា​និទ្ទណ្ឌភាព និង​ការ​បំផ្លិច​បំផ្លាញ​ធនធាន​ធម្មជាតិ​ជាដើម ដោយ​ភ្ជាប់​ជាមួយ​នូវ​អនុសាសន៍​កែលំអ។

អនុសាសន៍​ទាំង​នោះ​រួម​មាន ការ​ស្នើ​អោយ​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​ពង្រឹង​នីតិរដ្ឋ ជួយ​ធ្វើ​អោយ​ប្រព័ន្ធ​តុលាការ​ឯករាជ្យ បញ្ចប់​អំពើ​រំលោភ​សិទ្ធិ​មនុស្ស​ជាដើម។ ប៉ុន្តែ របាយការណ៍​របស់​អង្គការ​សិទ្ធិ​មនុស្ស​ទាំង​នោះ ដែល​ភ្ជាប់​ជាមួយ​ភស្តុតាង​ផង​នោះ មិន​ត្រូវ​បាន​រាជ​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​ដឹក​នាំ​ដោយ​គណបក្ស​ប្រជាជន​កម្ពុជា ស្វាគមន៍ ឬ​ទទួល​ស្គាល់​ទេ។
ការ​មិន​លើក​យក​សេចក្តី​រាយការណ៍​ទាំងអស់​នោះ​មក​ពិចារណា ដើម្បី​កែលំអ​បញ្ហា​នោះ​ឯង ទំនង​ជា​មូលហេតុ​ចម្បង​មួយ​ដែល​ធ្វើ​អោយ​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​ខ្មែរ​កាន់​តែ​បាត់​ ជំនឿ​ច្រើន​ឡើងៗ​លើ​រដ្ឋាភិបាល ហើយ​មិន​បោះ​ឆ្នោត​អោយ​គណបក្ស​ប្រជាជន​កម្ពុជា។
មន្ត្រី​គណបក្ស​ប្រជាជន​កម្ពុជា ជាច្រើន​នាក់ មិន​ថា​ឡើយ​ជា​អ្នក​នាំ​ពាក្យ ជា​តំណាង​រាស្ត្រ ជា​រដ្ឋមន្ត្រី ឬ​ជា​នាយក​រដ្ឋមន្ត្រី​នោះ​ទេ ស្ទើរ​តែ​គ្រប់​កាលៈទេសៈ​ទាំងអស់ នៅ​ពេល​ឆ្លើយ​តប​ទៅ​នឹង​របាយការណ៍​ដែល​ចង្អុល​បង្ហាញ​ពី​ចំណុច​ខ្វះខាត ឬ​ចំណុច​អវិជ្ជមាន​ណា​មួយ​របស់​រាជ​រដ្ឋាភិបាល តែង​បដិសេធ​ចោល​ភ្លាមៗ ដែល​ទំនង​ជា​មិន​បាន​ទាំង​សិក្សា​ពី​របាយការណ៍​នោះ​ផង។ ឥរិយាបថ​បែប​នេះ ទំនង​ជា​ដើម្បី​ជៀសវាង​ពី​ការ​ទទួល​ខុស​ត្រូវ ឬ​ក៏​ដើម្បី​ការពារ​មន្ត្រី​ល្មើស​ច្បាប់​របស់​ខ្លួន ប៉ុន្តែ​ទៅ​ទម្លាក់​កំហុស​លើ​ម្ចាស់​របាយការណ៍​ថា​មាន​ចេតនា​អាក្រក់​ទៅ​ វិញ។
មាន​ឧទាហរណ៍​ច្រើន​ណាស់​ដែល​អាច​លើក​យក​មក​បញ្ជាក់​ការ​លើក​ឡើង​នេះ។ ដោយ​ត្រួសៗ ខ្ញុំ​សូម​លើក​យក​ករណី​មួយ​ចំនួន​មក​ជម្រាប​ជូន។
បី​ថ្ងៃ​ក្រោយ​ការ​បោះ​ឆ្នោត​ជ្រើស​តាំង​តំណាង​រាស្ត្រ លោក ឈាង វុន តំណាង​រាស្ត្រ និង​ជា​មន្ត្រី​ជាន់​ខ្ពស់​របស់​គណបក្ស​ប្រជាជន​កម្ពុជា បាន​ចោទ​ប្រកាន់​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​ខ្មែរ ដែល​រក​ឈ្មោះ​របស់​ខ្លួន​ក្នុង​បញ្ជី​បោះ​ឆ្នោត​មិន​ឃើញ ថា​ជា​អ្នក​មាន​ល្បិចកល​នយោបាយ មាន​បំណង​គេចវេស​ពី​ការ​បោះ​ឆ្នោត ដើម្បី​ទុក​យក​លេស​តវ៉ា។ ហើយ​លោក​ថែម​ទាំង​បញ្ជាក់​ទៀត​ថា មនុស្ស​បែប​នោះ​គួរ​តែ​ត្រូវ​ផ្ដន្ទាទោស។
នៅ​ក្នុង​កិច្ច​សម្ភាស​ពិសេស​មួយ​ជាមួយ​វិទ្យុ​អាស៊ីសេរី កាល​ពី​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​៣១ ខែ​កក្កដា ស្ដីពី​បញ្ហា​បាត់​ឈ្មោះ​អ្នក​បោះ​ឆ្នោត​អាណត្តិ​ទី៥ លោក ឈាង វុន មាន​ប្រសាសន៍​យ៉ាង​ដូច្នេះ៖ «អាច​មាន​ហេតុផល​ថា អ្នក​ដែល​តវ៉ា​ហ្នឹង ទី១ គាត់​មិន​បាន​ទៅ​ចុះ​ឈ្មោះ​បោះ​ឆ្នោត។ ទី២ គាត់​មក​មិន​ទាន់​ពេល​បោះ​ឆ្នោត អា​ហ្នឹង គេ​អត់​អោយ​បោះ​ទេ។ ហើយ​ចំណុច​ធំ​មួយ​ទៀត ដែល​យើង​សង្ស័យ​ដែរ​ថា គណបក្ស​ដែល​ដឹង​ថា ខ្លួន​ឯង​ថា​ចាញ់​ឆ្នោត គាត់​ទុក​សមាជិក​ខ្លួន​ឯង​ខ្លះ មិន​អោយ​ទៅ​បោះ​ឆ្នោត​ទេ ចាំ​ធ្វើ​ការ​តវ៉ា។ អ៊ីចឹង ត្រូវ​សួរ​អ្នក​លើក​សំណួរ​នេះ​សិន។ សួរ​អ៊ីចេះ​វិញ​ថា ឧបមា​ថា គាត់​មិន​បាន​ទៅ​បោះ​ឆ្នោត​ទេ គេ​ទុក​គាត់​អោយ​តវ៉ា ត្រូវ​ធ្វើ​យ៉ាង​ម៉េច។ អា​ហ្នឹង​គាត់​ត្រូវ​តែ​ទទួល​ទោស គាត់​ត្រូវ​តែ​ទទួល​ទោស​អ៊ីចឹង​ហ្មង ព្រោះ​អា​នេះ​ជា​ការ​ចោទ​ប្រកាន់​អង្គការ​រដ្ឋ​មួយ ដែល​កំពុង​ប្រតិបត្តិការ​ជូន​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ»។
ការ​ចោទ​ប្រកាន់​របស់ លោក ឈាង វុន ទៅ​លើ​អ្នក​បាត់​ឈ្មោះ​បោះ​ឆ្នោត ត្រូវ​បាន​មហាជន​អ្នក​ប្រើ​បណ្ដាញ​សង្គម​ហ្វេសប៊ុក (Facebook) រិះគន់ និង​និយាយ​ចំអក​យ៉ាង​គ្មាន​សំចៃ​មាត់។
អ្នក​លេង​ហ្វេសប៊ុក​ម្នាក់​ឈ្មោះ ភិរក្ស ឃឹម (Phirak Khim) សរសេរ​បែប​ចំអក​ថា៖ «កំពុង ​តែ​ខក​ចិត្ត ពិបាក​ចិត្ត​រឿង​បោះ​ឆ្នោត​ផង តែ​ឥឡូវ​បាន​ស្តាប់​គាត់​និយាយ​ប្រហែល​១​ម៉ោង​នេះ គឺ​បាន​ធូរ​អារម្មណ៍​ច្រើន​ណាស់ គឺ​បាន​សើច​ចុក​ពោះ។ ការ​ពិត​ទៅ ស៊ី.ស៊ី.ភី (CPP) មាន​មនុស្ស​ពូកែ​ច្រើន​ណាស់ គួរ​អោយ​ស្ញប់ស្ញែង​មែន»។
ទាក់ទង​នឹង​ការ​បាត់​ឈ្មោះ​អ្នក​មាន​សិទ្ធិ​បោះ​ឆ្នោត​នេះ នៅ​មុន​ការ​បោះ​ឆ្នោត អង្គការ​ឃ្លាំ​មើល​ការ​បោះ​ឆ្នោត​នៅ​កម្ពុជា មាន​អង្គការ ខុមហ្វ្រែល (Comfrel) និចហ្វិក (NICFEC) និង​អង្គការ​អាមេរិកាំង អ៊ិន.ឌី.អាយ (NDI) បាន​រក​ឃើញ​ថា មាន​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​ខ្មែរ​ជាង ១​លាន​នាក់ ដែល​មាន​សិទ្ធិ​បោះ​ឆ្នោត បាន​បាត់​ឈ្មោះ​ពី​បញ្ជី​បោះ​ឆ្នោត ហើយ​ព្រមាន​ថា អាច​នឹង​មាន​វិបត្តិ​ក្រោយ​ការ​បោះ​ឆ្នោត។ ប៉ុន្តែ គណៈកម្មាធិការ​ជាតិ​រៀប​ចំ​ការ​បោះ​ឆ្នោត (គ.ជ.ប) បាន​ច្រាន​ចោល​របាយការណ៍​នោះ​ថា ធ្វើ​ឡើង​ដោយ​គ្មាន​សុក្រឹតភាព។
ក្នុង​ការ​ឆ្លើយ​តប​ទៅ​នឹង​សំណួរ​របស់​អ្នក​សារព័ត៌មាន ស្ដីពី​ការ​រិះគន់​នានា ជា​ញឹកញាប់​គេ​សង្កេត​ឃើញ​មន្ត្រី​នៃ​គណបក្ស​កាន់​អំណាច​ឆ្លើយ​របៀប​អោយ​រួច ​ខ្លួន​មួយ​គ្រាៗ របៀប​មិន​បាន​អាន​របាយការណ៍ របៀប​វាយអែបស៊ីអប​យក​ចិត្ត​មេ និង​របៀប​ព្យាយាម​គេចវេស​ការ​ទទួល​ខុស​ត្រូវ​ជាដើម។
ករណី​ជាក់ស្តែង​មួយ អាច​បង្ហាញ​ថា អតីត​ចៅហ្វាយ​ក្រុង​ភ្នំពេញ លោក កែប ជុតិមា ទំនង​ជា​ឆ្លើយ​របៀប​ព្យាយាម​គេចវេស​ពី​ការ​ទទួល​ខុស​ត្រូវ​របស់​ខ្លួន ក្នុង​រឿង​ទំនាស់​ដីធ្លី​រ៉ាំរ៉ៃ​រវាង​ពលរដ្ឋ​សហគមន៍​បុរីកីឡា និង​ក្រុមហ៊ុន ផាន អ៊ីម៉ិច (Phan Emix) ដែល​មាន លោកស្រី ស៊ុយ សុផាន ជា​ប្រធាន។ លោក កែប ជុតិមា ដែល​ជា​សាក្សី​សំខាន់​ម្នាក់​ក្នុង​កិច្ច​សន្យា​មួយ ដែល​បញ្ជាក់​អំពី​ក្រុមហ៊ុន​មាន​កាតព្វកិច្ច​សាងសង់​អគារ​ចំនួន ១០​ខ្នង ទៅ​អោយ​សហគមន៍​បុរីកីឡា នោះ បែរ​ជា​ហៅ​ការ​តវ៉ា​របស់​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​ដែល​មិន​ព្រម​ចេញ​ពី​សហគមន៍​បុរីកីឡា តាម​ការ​បណ្ដេញ​របស់​ក្រុមហ៊ុន និង​អាជ្ញាធរ​នោះ​ថា ជា​រឿង​នយោបាយ​ទៅ​វិញ។
ចំពោះ​វិបត្តិ​ដីធ្លី​នៅ​សហគមន៍​បុរីកីឡា គេ​ឯង​ដឹង​ឮ​គ្រប់ៗ​គ្នា​ថា ឯកសារ​គតិយុត្តិ​ដ៏​រឹងមាំ​របស់​ភាគី​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ គឺ​កិច្ច​សន្យា​ឆ្នាំ​២០០៤ ដែល​ក្រុមហ៊ុន ផាន អ៊ីម៉ិច មាន​កាតព្វកិច្ច​ផ្លូវ​ច្បាប់​ត្រូវ​សាងសង់​អគារ ១០​ខ្នង ប្រគល់​អោយ​ពលរដ្ឋ​ក្នុង​សហគមន៍ ហើយ លោក កែប ជុតិមា ខ្លួន​ឯង ដែល​ជា​ចៅហ្វាយ​ក្រុង​នា​ពេល​នោះ ជា​អ្នក​ចុះ​ហត្ថលេខា​ធ្វើ​ជា​សាក្សី​ទៀត​ផង។
អំពី​មន្ត្រី​នាំ​ពាក្យ​រដ្ឋាភិបាល ឬ​មន្ត្រី​នាំ​ពាក្យ​ទីស្ដីការ​គណៈរដ្ឋមន្ត្រី​វិញ ពេល​ឆ្លើយ​ទៅ​នឹង​សំណួរ​ទាក់ទង​នឹង​របាយការណ៍​អង្គការ​សង្គម​ស៊ីវិល ភាគ​ច្រើន គឺ​ចេះ​តែ​ច្រាន​ចោល​របាយការណ៍ ដោយ​ស្តាប់​ទៅ​ទំនង​ជា​មិន​បាន​ទាំង​អាន ឬ​សិក្សា​ផ្ទៀងផ្ទាត់​ផង ថា​តើ​របាយការណ៍​ទាំង​នោះ​មាន​ការ​ពិត​ប៉ុណ្ណា? ប៉ុន្តែ ចេះ​តែ​ប្រើ​ភាសា​ដដែលៗ ដោយ​ចោទ​ម្ចាស់​របាយការណ៍​វិញ​ថា ចេញ​របាយការណ៍​មិន​ឆ្លុះ​បញ្ចាំង​ការ​ពិត ឬ​មិន​ស្គាល់​កម្ពុជា។ល។ ទោះ​ជា​មាន​ភស្តុតាង​ប៉ុណ្ណា​ក៏ដោយ មិន​ថា​ឡើយ​របាយការណ៍​ស្ដីពី​ការ​រំលោភ​សិទ្ធិ​មនុស្ស ឬ​ស្ដីពី​វិនាសកម្ម​ធនធាន​ធម្មជាតិ​ទេ ទោះ​ជា​មាន​រូបភាព​ការ​ពិត​ជាក់ស្តែង​ប៉ុណ្ណា​ក៏ដោយ រដ្ឋាភិបាល​ស្ទើរ​គ្រប់​ពេល បាន​បដិសេធ ហើយ​ចោទ​អង្គការ​ដែល​ចេញ​របាយការណ៍​ថា មាន​ចេតនា​អាក្រក់​ចង់​លាប​ពណ៌​កម្ពុជា។
ឧទាហរណ៍​ជាក់ស្ដែង យ៉ាង​ហោច​ណាស់​មាន​បេសកជន​ពិសេស​របស់​អង្គការ​សហប្រជាជាតិ ទទួល​បន្ទុក​សិទ្ធិ​មនុស្ស​នៅ​កម្ពុជា ពីរ​នាក់​ហើយ ដែល​រង​ការ​វាយ​ប្រហារ​ដោយ​ពាក្យ​សម្ដី​ធ្ងន់ៗ​ពី​លោក​នាយក​រដ្ឋមន្ត្រី ហ៊ុន សែន បន្ទាប់​ពី​បាន​បញ្ចេញ​របាយការណ៍​ស្ដីពី​ការ​រំលោភ​សិទ្ធិ​មនុស្ស និង​និទ្ទណ្ឌភាព​ធ្ងន់ធ្ងរ​នៅ​កម្ពុជា។ តំណាង​ពិសេស​របស់​អង្គការ​សហប្រជាជាតិ ទទួល​បន្ទុក​សិទ្ធិ​មនុស្ស​នៅ​កម្ពុជា បច្ចុប្បន្ន គឺ លោក សុរិយា ស៊ូប៊ែឌី (Surya Subedi) កាល​ពី​ឆ្នាំ​២០១២ ត្រូវ​លោក​នាយក​រដ្ឋមន្ត្រី ហ៊ុន សែន បញ្ចេញ​ប្រតិកម្ម​ដាក់​យ៉ាង​ដូច្នេះ៖ «អា​ហ្នឹង អង្គការ​សហប្រជាជាតិ​ហ្នឹង ហើយ​ដើរ​តឹកឡឹកៗ​មក​អ៊ីចឹង​ទៅ ជួប​នេះ​ជួប​ណោះ ហើយ​ទៅ​ធ្វើ​របាយការណ៍ រួច​ហើយ​ឲ្យ​គេ​មក​ទទួល​យក។ រដ្ឋ​អធិបតេយ្យ​មួយ​មិន​អាច​ទទួល​យក​នូវ​អ្វី​ដែល​ជា​របស់​អ្នក​ដទៃ​បាន​ទេ ត្រូវ​សួរ​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​សិន។ ឥឡូវ​ឆ្នាំ​២០១៣ សួរ​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​ទៅ បើ​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​លែង​ត្រូវ​ការ​គណបក្ស​ប្រជាជន​ហើយ គេ​បោះ​ឆ្នោត​ទម្លាក់​ហើយ។ បើ​បោះ​ឆ្នោត​ទម្លាក់​ហើយ អ្នក​ឯង​ធ្វើ​ទៅ​តាម​លោក​ឯង​ហ្នឹង​ទៅ។ អា​ហ្នឹង​ខ្ញុំ​គ្រាន់​តែ​ថា និយាយ​ឲ្យ​សិស្ស​ចេះ​ទេ ប៉ុន្តែ​ក៏​វា​មាន​ចំណែក​មួយ​ឲ្យ​អ្នក​ដទៃ​ចេះ​ដែរ កុំ​ល្ងង់​ពេក»។
ក្រៅ​តែ​ពី​មិន​បាន​ស្វាគមន៍ ឬ​លើក​យក​របាយការណ៍​របស់​បេសកជន​អង្គការ​សហប្រជាជាតិ​រូប​នេះ ទៅ​ពិចារណា លោក​នាយក​រដ្ឋមន្ត្រី ហ៊ុន សែន ថែម​ទាំង​បាន​បន្តុះ​បង្អាប់​ប្រទេស​នេប៉ាល់ (Nepal) ដែល​ជា​ទី​កំណើត​របស់ លោក ស៊ូប៊ែឌី ថែម​ទៀត​ផង៖ «ខ្ញុំ​មិន​ និយាយ​ឲ្យ​ចំ​ទេ តែ​មនុស្ស​ហ្នឹង គាត់​ជា​ជនជាតិ​នៃ​ប្រទេស​មួយ ដែល​ប្រទេស​នោះ​គេ​សុំ​រៀន​សូត្រ​ពី​កម្ពុជា វិញ​ទេ។ សូម្បី​ប្រទេស​របស់​គាត់​អត់​ទាន់​មាន​រដ្ឋធម្មនុញ្ញ​ទេ​ម៉ោង​នេះ។ អា​ហ្នឹង​មក​ពី​គាត់​ពូកែ​ពេក ហើយ​សង្ឃឹម​ថា​គាត់​ទៅ​ជួយ​នៅ​ប្រទេស​របស់​គាត់​ល្អ​ជាង​ស្រុក​ខ្មែរ។ ប្រទេស​ហ្នឹង លុប​រាជា​និយម​បាត់​ទៅ​ហើយ។ ហើយ​នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​មុន ខ្ញុំ​បាន​ជួប​ជាមួយ​នាយក​រដ្ឋមន្ត្រី​នៃ​ប្រទេស​ហ្នឹង នៅ​ឯ​ទីក្រុង​តេអេរ៉ង់។ សង្ឃឹម​ថា​គាត់​ទៅ​ជួយ​នៅ​ប្រទេស​របស់​គាត់​ល្អ​ជាង​ប្រទេស​ខ្មែរ។ គាត់​តាំង​ខ្លួន​ជា​សាស្ត្រាចារ្យ​ច្បាប់ ហើយ​បើ​គាត់​ជា​សាស្ត្រាចារ្យ​ច្បាប់ ម៉េច​មិន​ទៅ​ស្រុក​គាត់​ទៅ​ជួយ​សរសេរ​រដ្ឋធម្មនុញ្ញ»។
បេសកជន​អង្គការ​សហប្រជាជាតិ មុន លោក ស៊ូប៊ែឌី គឺ លោក យ៉ាស ក្ហាយ (Yash Ghai) ដែល​ជា​តំណាង​ពិសេស​របស់​អគ្គលេខាធិការ​អង្គការ​សហប្រជាជាតិ ទទួល​បន្ទុក​សិទ្ធិ​មនុស្ស​នៅ​កម្ពុជា ពី​ឆ្នាំ​២០០៥ ដល់​ឆ្នាំ​២០០៨។ លោក យ៉ាស ក្ហាយ ត្រូវ​បង្ខំ​ចិត្ត​លាលែង​មុន​ចប់​អាណត្តិ បន្ទាប់​ពី​មិន​អាច​ទ្រាំទ្រ​ចំពោះ​សម្ដី​មាក់ងាយ​របស់​លោក​នាយក​ រដ្ឋមន្ត្រី ហ៊ុន សែន។ របាយការណ៍​លាត​ត្រដាង​អំពី​បញ្ហា​រំលោភ​សិទ្ធិ​មនុស្ស និង​អនុសាសន៍​ស្នើ​កែទម្រង់​ប្រព័ន្ធ​យុត្តិធម៌​របស់ លោក យ៉ាស ក្ហាយ តែង​ទទួល​តប​មក​វិញ​នូវ​ប្រតិកម្ម​យ៉ាង​គ្រោតគ្រាត​ពី​លោក​នាយក​រដ្ឋមន្ត្រី ហ៊ុន សែន ដែល​បាន​ហៅ លោក យ៉ាស ក្ហាយ ជា​ជនជាតិ​ខេនយ៉ា (Kenya) ថា​ជា "ប្រភេទ​អ្នក​ទេសចរ​រយៈពេល​យូរ" ហើយ​ទទូច​អោយ​អង្គការ​សហប្រជាជាតិ​ប្ដូរ​លោក យ៉ាស ក្ហាយ ចេញ​ពី​កម្ពុជា។
«សំឡេង លោក ហ៊ុន សែន»
ការ​ច្រាន​ចោល​របាយការណ៍​របស់​អង្គការ​ឃ្លាំ​មើល​សិទ្ធិ​មនុស្ស​នៅ​ កម្ពុជា បាន​ក្លាយ​ជា​ទម្លាប់ ឬ​ជា​វប្បធម៌​របស់​មន្ត្រី​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​ស្ទើរ​គ្រប់​ជាន់​ថ្នាក់ ចាប់​ពី​អ្នក​នាំ​ពាក្យ រហូត​ដល់​នាយក​រដ្ឋមន្ត្រី។ ការ​ច្រាន​ចោល​របាយការណ៍​ទាំង​ស្រុង ឬ​ស្ទើរ​ទាំង​ស្រុង ដោយ​មិន​ទទួល​យក​មក​ធ្វើ​ការ​ផ្ទៀងផ្ទាត់ ដើម្បី​បញ្ជាក់​ថា មាន​ការ​ពិត​ប៉ុណ្ណា​នោះ ចង់​មិន​ចង់ ត្រូវ​គេ​មើល​ឃើញ​ថា រដ្ឋាភិបាល​ព្យាយាម​គេចវេស​ពី​ការ​ពិត និង​គេចវេស​ពី​ការ​ទទួល​ខុស​ត្រូវ​របស់​ខ្លួន។
ក្រៅ​តែ​ពី​បដិសេធ​ចោល​នូវ​របាយការណ៍​នានា​របស់​ក្រុម​សង្គម​ស៊ីវិល រដ្ឋាភិបាល​តែង​ហៅ​ម្ចាស់​របាយការណ៍ ឬ​អង្គការ​ទាំង​នោះ​ថា គ្រាន់​តែ​ជា​អ្នក​សរសេរ​របាយការណ៍​ដើម្បី​លក់​យក​លុយ​ពី​ម្ចាស់​ជំនួយ​តែ​ ប៉ុណ្ណោះ ឬ​និយាយ​ដដែលៗ ដោយ​គ្មាន​ការ​ស្រាវជ្រាវ​ថា បើ​អង្គការ​ទាំង​នោះ​មិន​សរសេរ​រិះគន់​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​ទេ​នោះ ម្ចាស់​ជំនួយ​ក៏​មិន​ផ្តល់​ជំនួយ​អោយ​ដែរ។
គេ​សង្កេត​ឃើញ​ថា មន្ត្រី​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​ឆ្លើយ​តប​ទៅ​នឹង​របាយការណ៍​អង្គការ​សិទ្ធិ​មនុស្ស ដោយ​ប្រើ​ភាសា​ដដែលៗ​បែប​នេះ ពី​មួយ​អាណត្តិ​ទៅ​មួយ​អាណត្តិ ទំនង​ជា​គិត​រំពឹង​ថា ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​ខ្មែរ​នឹង​ជឿ ឬ​ទទួល​យក។ ប៉ុន្តែ ទស្សនៈ​បែប​នេះ ទំនង​ជា​ការ​យល់​ច្រឡំ​ដ៏​ធំ​មួយ ហើយ​ក៏​ជា​មូលហេតុ​មួយ​ដែល​បណ្ដាល​អោយ​គណបក្ស​ប្រជាជន​កម្ពុជា បាត់​បង់​កៅអី​ច្រើន​នៅ​រដ្ឋសភា ក្នុង​អាណត្តិ​នេះ។
ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​កម្ពុជា ក្នុង​យុគ​សម័យ​នេះ មិន​មែន​ស្ថិត​ក្នុង​សតវត្សរ៍​ទី១៩ ឬ​ទី២០ ទៀត​ទេ។ អំពើ​អសកម្ម​របស់​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​ក្នុង​ការ​ដោះស្រាយ​បញ្ហា​សង្គម​ជាច្រើន ស្រប​ពេល​គ្នា​នឹង​ការ​រីក​ចម្រើន​ផ្នែក​បច្ចេកវិទ្យា ខាង​ចែក​ចាយ​ព័ត៌មាន​ដែល​លឿន​ជាង​កាំជ្រួច​នេះ បាន​ធ្វើ​អោយ​ពលរដ្ឋ​កម្ពុជា យល់​ច្បាស់​អំពី​ហេតុការណ៍​ពិត​ដែល​កំពុង​កើត​មាន​នៅ​ក្នុង​សង្គម​កម្ពុជា និង​ជុំវិញ​ពិភពលោក ហើយ​ធ្វើ​សេចក្តី​សម្រេច​ចិត្ត​ដោយ​ខ្លួន​ឯង។
ការ​ស្រាវជ្រាវ​បាន​បង្ហាញ​ថា បច្ចុប្បន្ន សូម្បី​តែ​ជនជាតិ​ដើម​ភាគ​តិច​នៅ​តំបន់​ព្រៃ​ភ្នំ​ខ្លះ​ក្នុង​ប្រទេស​ កម្ពុជា ក៏​មាន​លទ្ធភាព​ប្រើ​ហ្វេសប៊ុក ដែរ។
ប្រធាន​មជ្ឈមណ្ឌល​សិទ្ធិ​មនុស្ស​កម្ពុជា លោក អ៊ូ វីរៈ មាន​ប្រសាសន៍​ថា ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​កម្ពុជា មិន​មែន​ខ្វះ​ការ​យល់​ដឹង ហើយ​ងាយ​ត្រូវ​អូស​ទាញ​តាម​ការ​ឃោសនា​បំភ្លៃ​ការ​ពិត​នោះ​ទេ។ លោក​អះអាង​ថា ពលរដ្ឋ​កម្ពុជា លែង​មាន​ជំនឿ​លើ​ប្រព័ន្ធ​ឃោសនា​ក្នុង​ស្រុក​ដែល​គ្រប់គ្រង​ដោយ​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​ ទៀត​ហើយ៖ «កន្លែង​ផ្សព្វផ្សាយ​ព័ត៌មាន ជា​កន្លែង​ឃោសនា​សុទ្ធតែ​ម្តង។ ហើយ​កន្លែង​ខ្លះ តែបែរ​ដល់​ថ្នាក់​និយាយ​មក ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​ទទួល​យក​អត់​បាន​តែ​ម្តង។ ពួក​ទូរទស្សន៍​ហ្នឹង​ល្ងង់​តែ​មួយ​ទៀត ហើយ​ពួក​អ្នក​គ្រប់គ្រង​ទូរទស្សន៍ និង​អ្នក​កាន់​អំណាច​មួយ​ចំនួន​ហ្នឹង​ល្ងង់​តែ​មួយ។ គាត់​ស្មាន​តែ​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​ល្ងង់។ អា​ស្មាន​ហ្នឹង ខុស​អស់​ប៉ុណ្ណឹង​ហើយ ធ្លាក់​សំឡេង​អស់​ប៉ុណ្ណឹង​ហើយ ក៏​នៅ​តែ​ស្មាន​ថា​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​ល្ងង់​ទៀត។ ឥឡូវ​នេះ​គាត់​ល្ងង់​ម៉ា​ផ្នែក​ទៀត ខ្ញុំ​មើល​ណា គាត់​ខំ​យក​ទូរទស្សន៍​ផ្សព្វផ្សាយ​រៀង​រាល់​ថ្ងៃ ដឹង​ផ្សាយ​រឿង​អី​ទេ? គាត់​ផ្សាយ​ថា ឥឡូវ​នេះ​ប្រទេស​កម្ពុជា គឺ​ធម្មតា​សុទ្ធ។ អ្នក​លក់​អី​លក់​ធម្មតា​អ៊ីចឹង​ទៅ ហើយ​សម្ភាស​ធ្វើ​ជា​សម្ភាស​មនុស្ស​ប៉ុន្មាន​នាក់​អ៊ីចឹង​ទៅ ដែល​និយាយ​ថា អូ! ខ្ញុំ​អត់​ភ័យ​អី​ទេ អត់​មាន​បញ្ហា​អី​ទេ គឺ​នៅ​ធម្មតា​ទេ អត់​មាន​អ្នក​ណា​ភ័យ​ខ្លាច​អី​ទេ គេ​មក​ធ្វើ​ការ​ធម្មតា លក់​ធម្មតា នរណា​និយាយ​ហ្នឹង គឺ​អត់​ពិត​ទេ។ គាត់​ខំ​ផ្សាយ​អ៊ីចឹង ប៉ុន្តែ​ពេល​ណា​ផ្សាយ​អីចឹង ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​គាត់​ឆ្លាត។ មនុស្ស​តែ​ផ្សាយ​អ៊ីចឹង​រៀង​រាល់​ថ្ងៃ រាល់​ពេល គេ​ថា​ទូរទស្សន៍​ប្រហែល​ដឹង​រឿង​អី​ដែល​មិន​ចង់​អោយ​ជា​មាន​រឿង​អី​មិន​ចង់​ អោយ​គេ​ដឹង វា​មិន​ពិត​ហើយ បាន​ជា​យក​មក​កុហក​អ៊ីចឹង។ ដោយសារ​អី គឺ​ដោយសារ​ទី១ យើង​អត់​ទុក​ចិត្ត​ទូរទស្សន៍។ អ៊ីចឹង​ពេល ទូរទស្សន៍​បង្ហាញ​ពី​ឆន្ទៈ​ធ្វើ​អី​មួយ​ប្រាប់​ទៅ​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​មើល​ផ្ទុយ​ពី​ហ្នឹង​វិញ ថា​អូ! ឃើញ​ថា មាន​រឿង​អី​ផ្សេង​ពី​ហ្នឹង ប្រាកដ​ជា​អស្ថិរភាព​ហើយ បាន​ជា​ខំ​បង្ហាញ​ពី​ស្ថិរភាព​ហ្នឹង​ជ្រុល។ បើ​មាន​ស្ថិរភាព​មែន​ទែន​ដឹង​ធ្វើ​ម៉េច​ទេ ពោល​ហ្នឹង​ចាក់​ចំរៀង​រាំ​លើ​ទឹក​អី​ណោះ។ អ៊ីចឹង វា​ទាក់ទង​អា​អត់​ជំនឿ​ហ្នឹង។ អត់​ជំនឿ​មួយ​ទៀត ទាក់ទង​នឹង​អត់​ជំនឿ​លើ​ប៉ូលិស។ ហើយ​ទៅ​បន្ទោស​គ្នា (ពលរដ្ឋ) ថា អត់​មាន​ជំនឿ​លើ​ទាហាន និង​ប៉ូលិស។ បន្ទោស​ធ្វើ​អី គ្នា​ឆ្លាត ព្រោះ​អី​យើង​ឃើញ​ទាហាន និង​ប៉ូលិស​ទៅ​ឃោសនា​អោយ​គណបក្ស​ប្រជាជន​កម្ពុជា ហើយ​ឃោសនា​គ្រប់​ពេល»។
ដូច្នេះ ការ​ដែល​មន្ត្រី​គណបក្ស​ប្រជាជន ចេះ​តែ​បដិសេធ​មិន​ទទួល​ស្គាល់​របាយការណ៍ និង​អនុសាសន៍​កែលំអ​របស់​អង្គការ​មហាជន ដែល​មាន​តួនាទី​រួម​ចំណែក​ជួយ​អភិវឌ្ឍ​សង្គម​កម្ពុជា ដែរ​នោះ ទើប​ធ្វើ​អោយ​ពលរដ្ឋ​កម្ពុជា លែង​ផ្តល់​សេចក្តី​ទុក​ចិត្ត​លើ​គណបក្ស​នេះ​ត​ទៅ​ទៀត។
ប្រសិន​បើ​មន្ត្រី​គណបក្ស​នៅ​តែ​ប្រកាន់​ជំហរ​អសកម្ម មិន​ដោះស្រាយ​បញ្ហា​ទាំង​ឡាយ​ដែល​គេ​ឯង​ឃើញ​គ្រប់​គ្នា​នោះ​ទេ ការ​បោះ​ឆ្នោត​អាណត្តិ​ក្រោយ​ទំនង​ជា​នឹង​បាត់​កៅអី​រដ្ឋសភា​កាន់​តែ​ច្រើន។ ប្រតិកម្ម​បែប​មិន​ទទួល​យក​ការ​ពិត ឬ​ប្រតិកម្ម​របៀប​ធ្វើ​ពើ​មិន​ទទួល​ស្គាល់​ការ​ពិត របៀប​ប្រតិកម្ម​មិន​បាន​សិក្សា​ផ្ទៀងផ្ទាត់​របាយការណ៍ ឬ​ប្រតិកម្ម​របៀប​គេចវេស​ពី​ការ​ទទួល​ខុស​ត្រូវ របៀប​ប្រតិកម្ម​យក​ចិត្ត​មេ​កើយ ឬ​របៀប​ខ្លាច​បាត់​បង់​ប្រជាប្រិយ​ភាព​គាំទ្រ​ពី​មន្ត្រី​របស់​ខ្លួន និង​របៀប​ចោទ​ប្រកាន់​ទៅ​លើ​ម្ចាស់​របាយការណ៍​វិញ​នោះ ទំនង​ជា​លក់​លែង​ដាច់ ឬ​លែង​មាន​ប្រសិទ្ធភាព​ទៅ​លើ​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​ខ្មែរ​ទៀត​ហើយ ពីព្រោះ​លទ្ធផល​បោះ​ឆ្នោត​តំណាង​រាស្ត្រ​អាណត្តិ​ទី៥ កន្លង​មក​នេះ បង្ហាញ​ថា ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​ខ្មែរ​មាន​ការ​យល់​ដឹង​កាន់​តែ​ខ្ពស់​អំពី​សិទ្ធិ និង​ករណី​កិច្ច​របស់​ខ្លួន​ដែល​មាន​ចារ​នៅ​ក្នុង​រដ្ឋធម្មនុញ្ញ ដែល​ជា​ច្បាប់​កំពូល​របស់​ជាតិ៕

Read More

Sam Rainsy Rejects Cambodian Government Claim of Planned Coup

2013-08-29

RFA

Sam Rainsy speaks about plans for a mass demonstration at a press conference in Phnom Penh, Aug. 29, 2013.

RFA

Cambodia’s opposition leader Sam Rainsy on Thursday said that a mass protest planned for next week will only call for an investigation of widespread irregularities in July polls and is not aimed at toppling Prime Minister Hun Sen in a coup as alleged by the government.

Sam Rainsy explained the objective of the Sept. 7 protest at a press conference in the capital Phnom Penh, addressing claims by the Ministry of the Interior earlier this week that he plans to overthrow the government by calling for mass protests.“Our goal is to show the national and international community that we have a lot of supporters so that in the future we will have a stronger position in talks,” he said, adding that the planned non-violent rally would call for the establishment of an independent panel to investigate irregularities during the July 28 polls.

The Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), of which Sam Rainsy is president, has said that it would hold a week of demonstrations beginning Aug. 30 and climaxing with a mammoth protest on Sept. 7 amid tensions in the capital Phnom Penh following election uncertainties.

Sam Rainsy said Thursday that the party would “only consider suspending the mass demonstration if the CPP returns to talks” on investigating voter fraud.

Previous rounds of talks on the formation of a joint committee on investigating irregularities stalled after the two parties disagreed on U.N. participation in the probe.

Peaceful rally

The Ministry of Interior earlier this week had sent letters to more than 40 embassies, along with local and international NGOs, warning them of the government’s fears that demonstrations held by the CNRP could be used as an attempt to conduct a coup, according to the Cambodia Daily.

Sam Rainsy denied those claims and said he plans to hold training sessions to show supporters how to peacefully demonstrate ahead of the Sept. 7 rally, saying that he would ask foreign experts for assistance as the Cambodian people lack experience in staging large-scale opposition protests.

The National Election Committee (NEC), which oversees the country’s elections, has said it will release final results by Sept. 8 and, barring any surprises, many expect an announcement giving a win to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party on that date.

Preliminary results awarded a victory to Hun Sen’s Cambodian People Party (CPP) despite complaints of irregularities, including one million voters delisted from the electoral rolls.

Sam Rainsy has accused the NEC of stealing votes from the opposition and giving them to the CPP after its preliminary findings supported the ruling party’s claims that it won 68 parliamentary seats to the opposition’s 55.  The CNRP claims it won at least 63 seats in the National Assembly.

The CNRP has lodged protests over the election irregularities with Cambodia’s highest court, the Constitutional Council, which is conducting a review of the complaints.

CPP reaction

CPP President Chea Sim on Thursday wrote a letter to Sam Rainsy claiming that the ruling party would continue talks with the CNRP on the establishment of an investigative committee, despite senior CPP official Cheam Yeap calling the suggestion “a waste of time” one day earlier.

“The Cambodian People’s Party exhibits goodwill in continuing talks to resolve the remaining issues related to the election results in the spirit of national reconciliation and in order to ensure harmony for the people,” Chea Sim wrote. He went on to criticize the CNRP for the earlier breakdown in talks.

Also on Thursday, the CPP issued a rare statement which warned CNRP supporters who plan to take part in the Sept. 7 rally that they would be held responsible for any unrest, though it stopped short of calling on the opposition to cancel the gathering.

“The CNRP declaring a non-violent mass demonstration … will impact on the daily conduct of the people who are currently living peacefully,” the statement said.

“Such an act is also an intention to negate the election which was evaluated by national and international public opinion as peaceful, free and transparent.”

Capital tension

The Ministry of the Interior has said that the government would protect the country if any mass demonstration turns into riots and Hun Sen has deployed troops, tanks, and armored vehicles in the capital to bolster security, which the opposition said was a move to intimidate the people.

On Thursday, around 200 NGO officials, monks and residents of Phnom Penh gathered in the capital to hold a peace prayer session for the third time since preliminary election results were announced by the NEC.

Hun Sen will lead a delegation to attend the 10th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-China Expo from Sept. 2-3 in Nanning city in China's Guangxi province, as CNRP supporters begin to ramp up for the mass rally.

Reported by RFA’s Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.

Read More

NEC checks continue

NEC officials display a ‘Safety Package A’ yesterday from one of eight Battambang provincial polling stations examined. HENG CHIVOAN

 

Thu, 29 August 2013

Meas Sokchea and Kevin Ponniah

P Penh Post

 

Acting on the orders of the Constitutional Council, the National Election Committee yesterday opened the packages containing ballots and original documents used to tally votes from eight Battambang province polling stations.
In contrast to a similar examination of 13 “Safety Packages A” from Kratie on Sunday that found eight had not been sealed, all of those examined yesterday were appropriately sealed, the Cambodian Center for Human Rights and the Committee for Free and Fair Elections confirmed.
Counting forms 1102 from two polling stations, however, which were used for official election results that have been issued by the NEC, did not have a vote count recorded, a finding that merits further investigation, Comfrel director Koul Panha said.

“I would suggest the Constitutional Council and the NEC conduct a study as to why [polling centre officials] did not write the number and why [political party officials] signed [the form] without looking at the result,” he said.
During the opening of the sealed bags yesterday, overseen by three Constitutional Council members as well as officials from both parties, the NEC simply read out results from the official forms and did not allow the opposition to cross-check numbers with their own copies, even when different tallies were announced. The NEC also read out votes on a political-party basis and did not read out the total ballots cast at each polling station nor count valid and invalidated votes, Cambodia National Rescue Party officials said.
“Your Excellency does not need to complain now. [You] can complain later. I am just doing what has been ordered by the Constitutional Council,” Hy Rong, director of operations at the NEC told CNRP representative Kuoy Bunroeun when he raised an objection.
Bunroeun later told reporters that the CNRP has asked the Constitutional Council to order the opening of 233 safety packages in 15 provinces, in order to verify results and re-count ballots.
According to state news agency AKP, packages from 12 polling stations in Siem Reap will be examined tomorrow.
Bunroeun said that the inability of political parties to contest results at the sessions proved the process was a sham.
“This is a strategy to show and to deceive the national and international [community] that changes in the election data will not affect the election results,” he said. “So I would like to say that for any figures provided, there is another different figure, and that will change the result of the election.”
He added that the NEC’s refusal to allow the CNRP to examine 1102 forms, which detail the number of ballots used at the polling stations, legitimate and illegitimate ballots cast for each party and total figures, suggested something untoward.
“If the [NEC] does not allow us [to check this], I understand that there is something clandestine [going on], because the figure that I have totalled with the figures that are on the 1102 forms that the NEC showed is different [than the figures tallied by the CNRP],” he said.
Panha from Comfrel said he could not “understand” why the NEC had refused to count valid and invalidated ballots yesterday, as they had in Kratie, as it would not “take more than a few minutes” and political parties could easily verify the count.
“I don’t know why they don’t want to read the total. It’s ridiculous to me,” he said.
He added, however, that discrepancies in the popular vote in Battambang were minor.
Shiro Harada, a visiting professor from the University of Tokyo who has been monitoring the election count, said that clear evidence of foul play is yet to be seen from the opening of the safety packages.
“Those kind of careless mistakes were also found in [Kratie] … but I couldn’t see any clear evidence of manipulation against the CNRP,” he said.
Constitutional Council member and spokesman Uth Chhorn, who attended the meeting, said that the council would continue to order the opening of safety packages from other provinces and vowed to finish doing so before final election results are announced on September 8.
“The Constitutional Council works according to the law. We are trying to do this work in order to have transparency,” he said.
The council would address any irregularities in an open hearing that will be held before results are released, he added.
CPP representative Sik Bun Hok said that no one could say any irregularities found during these examinations would affect the election results until the Constitutional Council makes a decision.

Read More

‘Last resort’ protests get official date

Thu, 29 August 2013

Stuart White

P Penh Post

 

The Cambodia National Rescue Party set a date for its long-promised mass demonstrations yesterday, telling supporters to rally to its cause on September 7, the day before the National Election Committee is slated to release the final results for last month’s national elections.
In a statement released yesterday, the opposition still called on the Cambodian People’s Party to return to bilateral talks to establish an independent investigative committee to sort out a host of alleged election irregularities, which the opposition maintains tipped the vote in favour of the ruling party.
“The establishment of the special committee is the main purpose of the CNRP, which it has insisted on time and time again in order to find a peaceful solution,” the statement reads. “If there is no solution in finding a way to form a special committee for resolving all these irregularities in relation to the election, the last resort is that the CNRP will hold a mass peaceful demonstration against the result of the election. It will be held on September 7.”

The statement urges the international community not to recognise the election’s result, or any government formed thereby.
Party spokesman Yim Sovann said yesterday’s statement underlined the need for the CPP’s participation in any investigation, adding that an investigation could not be carried out by civil society alone.
“We cannot form the commission without the CPP, because both parties have to sit down and find the solution, a peaceful solution to the problem,” he said. “We will accept the outcome, the result of the investigation conducted by the special commission. Winning or losing is not important. What is important is finding justice for the people.”
To that end, CNRP president Sam Rainsy issued another statement yesterday saying he had sent a letter to CPP president Chea Sim, asking “for further meetings of the working groups of the CPP and the CNRP urgently, and that the members who join this meeting have the right to make decisions to form an independent committee to resolve the irregularities”.
CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap, who led the CPP delegation to one of the meetings, could not be reached for comment yesterday on the likelihood of future talks.
Cambodian Center for Human Rights president Ou Virak said he believed any demonstrations would be “peaceful, generally,” but did allow for the possibility of minor trouble.
“If you look at the many rallies during the campaign, it was really massive and it was really widespread, but it was peaceful,” he said, adding that, nonetheless, “there’s actually room for concern about small pockets of problems”.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior distributed a set of two DVDs yesterday to embassies and NGOs containing speeches made by Rainsy and his deputy, Kem Sokha, in which the pair exhort crowds to join in demonstrations if a resolution on irregularities is not reached. At least one embassy confirmed receiving the discs, though Virak said that their contents were “not that interesting”.
“Basically, one is labelled Sam Rainsy and another is labelled Kem Sokha, and all it does is collect speeches made by Sam Rainsy in one and speeches made by Kem Sokha on another made in various provinces,” he said. “It was basically downloaded from the Facebook pages of the two individuals, and it’s related to the two and their claim of victory and their call for mass demonstrations to protect their victory, and I think that what’s the Ministry of Interior is trying to show.”
However, ministry and government spokespeople could not be reached for comment on why the discs were sent out in the first place.

Read More

Tycoon back in firing line

Logs of rosewood in Preah Vihear province that the CCHR alleges were felled on orders from Try Pheap and under the protection of local authorities. PHOTO SUPPLIED

 

Thu, 29 August 2013

May Titthara

P Penh Post

 

For the second time in as many weeks, an NGO has accused tycoon Try Pheap of facilitating illegal logging in a protected forest during the election campaign and post-election period, and with the protection of authorities.
In a report set to be released today by the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, the group claims to have evidence of rampant illegal logging in Preah Vihear province at the behest of the powerful oknha.
“The trees in those areas are not logged by tycoon Try Pheap, they are logged by locals and concerned authorities. But the person who is responsible is Try Pheap, because all the trees cut out of the forest are protected by the authorities … and they are bought by Try Pheap,” said senior researcher Chim Savuth, who wrote the report.

Savuth said he had trailed the company for months and seen illegal logging take place on a daily basis since the start of July.
At least a hundred cubic metres of timber illegally felled in protected areas of Boeung Per Wildlife sanctuary are delivered to Try Pheap’s legal warehouses daily, said Savuth, after which his trucks deliver them elsewhere.
Nearly all of the formerly protected sanctuary was reclassified and divvied up for ELCs several years ago, leaving just small areas protected. Those remaining areas, however, are increasingly threatened, said Savuth.
“If the government does not take immediate action, all forest north of Prey Lang will see the entire supply of th’nong [luxury wood] disappear within two months,” Savuth said.
Regularly, the movement is done with the assistance of Forestry Administration officers, Savuth maintained, who brought wood to their office, where it was picked up by Try Pheap’s trucks. “Preventing deforestation is not a difficult thing for government to deal with if the government is willing to do so conscientiously, because the forestry laws are enough for preventing those crimes.
After receiving the information, the government [should] ask for investigation first, and if the government does not know the area, I will show them,” he said.
Spokesmen for Try Pheap could not be reached for comment yesterday, but a man who answered the tycoon’s phone and declined to give his name denied that any illegal actions had taken place.
“If there is an allegation [of wrongdoing], the police can work on it legally. But our company will not be responsible for every crime [done at the lower level], because the manager in that area is responsible. And in Preah Vihear, Ouk Kim San is the manager,” he said.
Kim San, a former Forestry Administration official who was busted in 2009 trying to smuggle two truckloads of illegal luxury timber into Vietnam, could not be reached for comment.
Preah Vihear provincial forestry administration director Pol Kham Nare could not be reached for comment. His deputy director, Lem Moa, declined to address the allegations, saying he was in a meeting when told about the subject and later saying he was not qualified to answer the question.
Last week, a pair of local NGOs released a similar report, saying that at least a dozen companies, including those owned by Try Pheap and other prominent developers, had undertaken rampant illegal logging during the past two months.

Read More

Slow erosion for crematorium

Chipped paint can be seen at the blocked-off entrance to King Sihanouk’s crematorium site. The structure, erected from temporary materials, continues to stand nearly seven months after the funeral. VIREAK MAI

 

Thu, 29 August 2013

Sen David and Sean Teehan

P Penh Post

 

In February, the nation watched as the late King Father’s body was carried across the threshold of an ornate castle-like wall, into a gilded crematorium at the grassy park in front of the National Museum.
Nearly seven months later, the grand structure stands with buckled yellow paint and freckles of dirt on its white pendants. Chains, rope and caretakers stop people from walking under the wall’s arch and a fence surrounding the area deflect them from the park.
“I sometimes wonder why the government still leaves it up and keeps people out,” said Moen Sophy, as she and two of her children sheltered themselves from the rain under a clear plastic tarp set up in front of the wall. Since Sophy, her husband and their five children were displaced from the park where they used to live in relative comfort to make way for the crematorium, that sliver of sidewalk has served as their home.

Construction of the crematorium began shortly after King Father Norodom Sihanouk died of a heart attack last October at the age of 89.
A $1.2 million contract to build the temporary structure went to Vispan, a company owned by Kong Panya, the daughter of Minister of the Royal Palace Kong Sam Ol. Vispan completed the project about a week before the funeral.
The actual crematorium was moved from the site a few months ago, but the wall, fence and other specially made structures remain in the park.
Although Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith said about a week after the funeral that the display would be removed before the May 28 ploughing day festival – typically held in the park, but moved to Kampong Cham province this year – there has been no movement. Instead, 10 workers still remain on site, performing only the most minor upkeep on the crumbling structure and shooing away anyone who tries to wander into the grounds.
“I do not know what the Ministry of the Royal Palace [the ministry in charge of the site] plans to do,” said one of the groundskeepers, who declined to give his name because he is not authorised to speak to the media. “The fence is kept for national and international tourists to visit.”
But the cremation sites of deceased Cambodian Kings are traditionally temporary structures, not meant for fanfare after the funeral, said Prince Sisowath Thomico, a former aide to the late King Father.
“A crematorium site can’t be used as a tourist site or a museum,” Thomico said.
One mitigating factor, Thomico added, is the lack of precedence for a wall and fence built around the crematorium, since no previous king cremations included these structures.
Calls by a Post reporter to the Royal Palace yesterday and Tuesday went unanswered. Despite the fact that the wall and fence’s continued existence keeps Sophy and her family living on the sidewalk, she holds no ill will, she said.
“[Sihanouk] is the hero of Cambodia,” Sophy said. “It is the residents’ obligation to obey the king.”

Read More

Cambodia Ruling Party Criticizes Opposition Rally

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia August 29, 2013 (AP)

By SOPHENG CHEANG Associated Press

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling party criticized the opposition's plan to hold a massive protest against last month's election results, saying Thursday that a disruptive demonstration was not in the country's interest.
In a rare statement, the Cambodian People's Party stopped short of asking the opposition to cancel its rally planned for Sept. 7, but implied that protesters would be held responsible for any unrest.
Official results from the July 28 polls gave Hun Sen's party 68 seats in the National Assembly against 55 for the opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party. Opposition leader Sam Rainsy says his party would have won 63 seats if the election had been fair.
Rainsy has called for next week's rally unless an independent committee is formed to investigate alleged irregularities in the election.
Rallies since the election have drawn thousands of people and raised fears of political violence, especially since the government has responded by deploying troops and armored vehicles in Phnom Penh, the capital.

Hun Sen, Cambodia's leader for 28 years, has a reputation of dealing harshly with his opponents.
Sam Rainsy said earlier Thursday that he plans to hold training sessions and rehearsals to show supporters how to hold peaceful protests, since the Cambodian people have little experience with opposition rallies. He said he would call in foreign experts to help with the training.
"We are in the learning process," Sam Rainsy told reporters. "We are receiving training and advice from people all over the world who want to help ensure that demonstrations in Cambodia will be peaceful. We will conduct rehearsals. We will assemble people and train them in how to resist violence."
He denied allegations by the Interior Ministry, which recently set a letter to all foreign embassies accusing the opposition of trying to topple the government.
"We have no plan to topple anyone," Sam Rainsy said. "We are protesting the election results and the election conduct and a lack of transparency. We want to bring justice to the voters."
In its statement, the ruling party did not address the opposition's demand for an impartial investigation into the election. But it urged the opposition to hold another round of talks to ease the standoff, rather than taking its discontent into the streets. The two sides have already held three meetings over the dispute.
The protest is planned for one day before the National Election Committee is expected to ratify the results.
"The announcement by the Cambodia National Rescue Party to hold a massive demonstration against the result of the election — before the final result is announced — will affect the livelihood of the people who are living peacefully," the ruling party said in its statement.
Hun Sen's party also denounced the planned protest as an effort to "intentionally destroy the election results" and a violation of Cambodia's spirit of national reconciliation. It repeated its claim that the election was free and fair.
The opposition's main complaint alleges that the voter registration process failed to properly list possibly more than 1 million people, who were therefore unable to vote. Several nonpartisan poll-watching groups support that claim.

Read More

Vietnam Plans to Add Border Gates Along Border With Cambodia

By Nguyen Pham Muoi
HANOI — Vietnam plans to build 13 new border gates along the boundary line with Cambodia to help boost trade that has already been growing between the two Southeast Asian nations.

EPA Vietnam and Cambodia are strengthening their trade. Here, a street vendor carries fruit on her bicycle in a street in Hanoi.

Vietnam and Cambodia will work out plans to add 13 new border gates over the next seven years in areas belonging to the Central Highlands and the Mekong Delta region the Vietnamese government said Wednesday.
One of the new ports of entry will be at a railway station, three on the main highways and nine spread out along the local roads. Other border gates will be upgraded.
Trade between Vietnam and Cambodia has been rising fast in recent years, reaching $3.3 billion in 2012. That’s up from $2.8 billion 2011 and $1.8 billion in 2010. Trade between the two countries is expected to hit $5 billion by 2015.

Vietnam exported goods valued at $2.8 billion to Cambodia in 2012, up from $2.4 billion in 2011, with the three biggest items being gasoline, steel and textiles.
It imported goods worth of $486 million from Cambodia in 2012, up from $430 million in the previous year, with the main items being natural rubber, timber and tobacco material.
Currently, there are 15 main border checkpoints between the two countries. They are already connected to the trading centers in the 10 provinces on the Vietnamese side along the borderline. Vietnam will upgrade the infrastructure and provide them with modern equipment to raise efficiency.
Specifically, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has instructed local authorities to add facilities for trade, health care, quarantine and communications at these border gates.
Vietnam and Cambodia signed an agreement on border demarcation in 1985. Since then, they have planted 277 markers along 824 kilometers out of the more than 1,200-kilometer boundary line, according to the administration of An Giang province, which shares the border with Ta Keo province of Cambodia. The two countries haven’t announced a deadline to complete the demarcation of the remaining boundary line.
Aside from Cambodia, Vietnam also shares borderlines of 2,000 kilometers with Laos and 1,400 kilometers with China. The government of Vietnam has said it will build trade zones along the main border-crossing checkpoints, which are mostly located in remote areas.

Read More

គណបក្សប្រជាជនកម្ពុជាបញ្ជាក់ថា​កិច្ចចរចា​ត្រូវឈរ​លើ​លទ្ធផល​នៃ​ការបោះឆ្នោត

​ ថ្ងៃ ព្រហស្បតិ៍ 29 សីហា 2013
RFI

លោក ជា ស៊ីម ប្រធាន​គណបក្ស​ប្រជាជន​កម្ពុជា​ក្នុង​ពិធី​រម្លឹក​ខួប​គណបក្ស​

Siv Channa/RFI

ដោយ លាង ដឺលុច

នៅ​ក្នុង​លិខិត​ឆ្លើយតប​ទៅ​លោក​ សម រង្ស៊ី​ ដែល​ស្នើ​សុំ​បើក​កិច្ចចរចា​ជាថ្មី​ដើម្បី​ដោះស្រាយ​បញ្ហា​​បោះឆ្នោត​ លោក​ ជា ស៊ីម​ ប្រធាន​គណបក្ស​ប្រជាជន​កម្ពុជា​​បាន​ស្តីបន្ទោស​គណបក្ស​​សង្គ្រោះជាតិ​ថា​ បាន​ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​កិច្ចចរចា​រក​ដំណោះស្រាយ​ជួប​នឹង​បរាជ័យ។​ យ៉ាងណា​ក៏ដោយ​​គណបក្ស​កាន់អំណាច​​អះអាង​ថា​ខ្លួន​​នៅតែ​​មាន​សុឆន្ទៈ​​ក្នុង​ការចរចា​តែត្រូវឈរលើ​លទ្ធផលនៃការ​​បោះឆ្នោត​។​

គណបក្ស​ជាប់​ឆ្នោត​ទាំង​ពីរ​នៅ​តែ​បន្ត​បាច​ទឹក​ដាក់គ្នា​ដដែល​ចំពោះ​ បរាជ័យ​នៃ​កិច្ច​ចរចា​រក​ដំណោះស្រាយ​បញ្ហា​បោះឆ្នោត។​ ក្រោយ​ពី​ទទួល​លិខិត​ស្នើ​សុំ​ចរចា​ជា​ថ្មី​​របស់​មេដឹក​នាំ​បក្សប្រឆាំង​ លោក​ ជា ស៊ីម​ ប្រធាន​គណបក្ស​ប្រជាជន​កម្ពុជា​​បាន​ឆ្លើយ​តប​វិញ​ដោយ​ស្តីបន្ទោស​​គណបក្ស​ សង្គ្រោះជាតិ​ថា​ជា​អ្នក​ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​កិច្ច​ចរចា​ជួប​នឹង​បរាជ័យ។​

ក្នុង​លិខិត​ចុះ​ថ្ងៃ​ទី ​២៩​ សីហា​នេះ​ លោក​ ជា ស៊ីម​ បាន​រម្លឹក​ឡើង​វិញ​អំពី​កិច្ច​ចរចា​គ្នា​រវាង​គណបក្សទាំងពីរ​ដែល​បាន​ ចាប់ផ្តើម​តាំង​ពី​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​៣​សីហា​​ដោយ​បាន​ឯក​ភាព​គ្នា​បង្កើត​គណៈកម្មការ​ ​ចម្រុះ​មួយ​ដោយ​មាន​គណៈកម្មាធិការ​ជាតិ​រៀបចំ​ការបោះឆ្នោត​ (គ.ជ.ប)​ ជាអ្នក​សម្របសម្រួល​។​ ប៉ុន្តែ​ ក្រោយ​មក​ គណបក្ស​សង្គ្រោះជាតិ​បាន​ប្រែ​ក្រឡះវិញ។ ​លោក​ ជា ស៊ីម​ បន្ត​ថា​ ចាប់​តាំង​ពី​ពេល​នោះ​មក ​គម្រោង​កិច្ច​ចរចា​នានាបា​ន​ជួប​នឹង​បរាជ័យ​ដោយសារ​តែ​គណបក្ស​សង្គ្រោះជាតិ ​​មិន​បាន​ចាត់​តំណាង​មក​ចូល​រួម​តាម​សំណើ​របស់ ​គ.ជ.ប។​

សូម​បញ្ជាក់​ថា​ គណបក្ស​សង្គ្រោះជាតិ​ដែល​បដិសេធ​មិន​ទទួល​ស្គាល់​តួនាទី​របស់​ គ.ជ.ប​ តែង​បាន​ស្តីបន្ទោស​គណបក្ស​ប្រជាជន​កម្ពុជា​ថា​ ជា​អ្នក​បង្ក​ឧបសគ្គ​ដល់​កិច្ចចរចា​ដោយ​លើក​​យក​បញ្ហា​គ.ជ.ប​ មក​និយាយ​ដដែល។ ​យ៉ាងណា​ក៏ដោយ​ កាលពី​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​ ២៨​ សីហា​ លោក​ សម រង្ស៊ី ​បាន​ផ្ញើ​លិខិត​មួយ​ច្បាប់​ទៅ​ជូន​លោក​ ជា ស៊ីម ​ដើម្បី​​សុំ​បើក​កិច្ចចរចា​ថ្នាក់​កំពូល​រវាង​គណបក្ស​ទាំងពីរ។​ ទន្ទឹម​នឹង​នោះ ​គណបក្ស​ប្រឆាំង​ក៏​បាន​ប្រកាស​​​ពីគម្រោង​ធ្វើបាតុកម្ម​ប្រឆាំង​លទ្ធផល​ បោះឆ្នោត​ដែរ​នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​​៧​កញ្ញា។​

ការប្រកាស​គម្រោង​បាតុកម្ម​ប្រឆាំង​លទ្ធផល​បោះឆ្នោត​នៅ​មុន​ពេល​ដែល​ គ.ជ.ប​ ប្រកាស​លទ្ធផល​ផ្លូវការ​ ​ត្រូវ​បាន​គណបក្ស​ប្រជាជន​កម្ពុជា​ចាត់​ទុក​ថា​ ជាការ​ប្រឆាំង​នឹង​ឆន្ទៈ​របស់ប្រ​ជាពលរដ្ឋ​ម្ចាស់ឆ្នោត​​ដែល​បាន​បង្ហាញ​ តាមរយៈ​ការបោះឆ្នោត។ ​បាតុកម្ម​នេះ​ក៏​ត្រូវ​បាន​គណបក្ស​កាន់អំណាច​​អះអាង​ថា​នឹង​ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​ ប៉ះពាល់​ដល់​សន្តិសុខ​របស់​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ។​

ក្នុង​សេចក្តី​ថ្លែងការណ៍​មួយ​ដែល​ចេញ​ផ្សាយ​នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​ព្រហស្បតិ៍​ទី ​២៩​ សីហា​នេះ​ គណបក្ស​ប្រជាជន​កម្ពុជា​បាន​អំពាវនាវ​ឲ្យ​គណបក្ស​សង្គ្រោះជាតិ​តម្កល់​ ប្រយោជន៍​ជាតិ​និង​ប្រជាជន​ជាធំហើយ​ចៀសវាង​ការប្រើប្រាស់​មធ្យោបាយ​ផ្ទុយ​ពី ​ប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ។ ​គណបក្ស​នេះ​​ក៏បាន​អំពាវនាវ​ឲ្យ​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​ស្ងប់ស្ងាត់​ផងដែរ។ គណបក្សប្រជាជនកម្ពុជា​នៅតែបញ្ជាក់ថា ខ្លួន​មាន​សុឆន្ទៈ​ក្នុង​កិច្ចចរចា​ជានិច្ច ប៉ុន្តែ​ត្រូវឈរ​លើ​លទ្ធផល​នៃ​ការបោះឆ្នោត៕​​

Read More

Cambodia’s Opposition Plans Mammoth Demo on Eve of Official Poll Results

2013-08-28

RFA

Election officials unveil ballot records from Battambang polling stations at the Ministry of the Interior compound in Phnom Penh, Aug. 28, 2013.

RFA

Cambodia’s main opposition party threatened Wednesday to hold a week of daily demonstrations climaxing with a mammoth rally on Sept. 7, on the eve of an expected announcement of final results of the controversial national elections.

The warning of continued protests in the capital beginning on Aug. 30 by the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) came as election officials acknowledged Wednesday the mishandling of sealed ballot records in a second province, stoking concerns over the accuracy of poll results.
The National Election Committee (NEC), which oversees the country’s elections, has said it will release final results by Sept. 8 and, barring any surprises, many expect an announcement giving a win to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party on that date.

The CNRP has claimed widespread irregularities in the July 28 elections and has lodged protests with Cambodia’s highest court, the Constitutional Council, which is conducting a review of the complaints.

The CNRP issued a statement Wednesday saying that if no progress is made on forming a joint committee between the CPP and CNRP to probe election irregularities, the party will lead a mass demonstration in Phnom Penh on Sept. 7.

“If there is a deadlock on the establishment of the special committee for resolving election irregularities, the CNRP’s last option will be to organize a nonviolent, massive demonstration against the election results on Sept. 7,” the party’s statement said.

“The CNRP also appeals to the international community not to recognize an election that doesn’t represent the voters’ will or a government formed from such an election.”

The party will also hold daily demonstrations in the week leading up to Sept. 7 to prepare for the main protest, CNRP deputy chief Kem Sokha said, amid concerns over security after the government deployed additional military forces in the city following the elections.

“From [Friday] we will practice for the demonstration. We will rehearse with team leaders until the [main] demonstration day,” he told RFA’s Khmer Service.

Government spokesman Phay Siphan has previously warned that police will retaliate and demonstration leaders will be held responsible before the law if demonstrations turn violent or affect national security.

The CNRP, which has already led several mass demonstrations both before and after the polls, had previously said it would hold its biggest demonstration after the results announcement if CPP win is decided without a full independent investigation of complaints.

The NEC’s preliminary findings announced earlier this month support the CPP’s claims that it won 68 parliamentary seats to the CNRP’s 55.

The CNRP claims it won at least 63 seats in the National Assembly and has complained of massive irregularities including one million voters delisted from the electoral rolls, calling for a U.N.-backed investigation.

Sam Rainsy urges fresh talks

CNRP President Sam Rainsy urged the CPP Wednesday to resume talks on the formation of a joint committee on investigating irregularities, following previous rounds that stalled after the two parties disagreed on U.N. participation in the probe.

“The CNRP would like to request urgent talks between the two parties’ working groups and the members involved with the talks should be able to make any decision to establish the independent committee,” Sam Rainsy said in a letter to his CPP counterpart Chea Sim.

Cheam Yeap said the independent committee requested by the CNRP is “meaningless” and that the CNRP’s request to include the U.N. as observers in the committee was not in line with the country’s laws.

“We need only the Constitutional Council and the NEC, as is stated in the Constitution and the Election Law,” he told RFA.

“We shouldn’t establish the joint committee because delegates from the CPP already met [with the CNRP] and it was only waste of time.”

Irregularities in Battambang ballot records

The NEC admitted to mishandling ballot records from Battambang province on Wednesday after opening the sealed packages on the orders of the Constitutional Council, which has the final say on complaints of irregularities.

NEC officials show Battambang security packages to reporters and members of the Constitutional Council and the opposition at the Ministry of the Interior compound in Phnom Penh, Aug. 28, 2013. Photo credit: RFA.

The eight security packages, each from a different polling station in Battambang city, were opened in front of officials from the CNRP, the Constitutional Council, and reporters at the Ministry of the Interior in Phnom Penh.

Vote tallies and other records contained in the packages contradicted those that political observers had recorded before the packages were sealed, according to Kuy Bunrouen, the CNRP’s lead representative on election irregularities.

Some ballots that were supposed to be in the packages were missing, he said.

NEC Operations Director Her Rong acknowledged there were problems with the records but said they were only minor, blaming them on low literacy levels of staff in filling out the forms.

“These are writing mistakes from our polling station staff,” he said after the packages were opened. 

“There are 1,000 staff members across the country, so there are bound to be some problems with their writing.”

“However, we have other forms of documentation that we can use, so ultimately it’s not a major problem.” 

NEC officials show Battambang ballot records to reporters and members of the Constitutional Council and the opposition at the Ministry of the Interior compound in Phnom Penh, Aug. 28, 2013. Photo credit: RFA.

Constitutional Council member Uth Chhorn said the council will review issues related to the eight packages at a hearing.

“We will try to resolve this issue transparently to make sure all are happy,” he said.

Kuy Bunroeun said that results from the eight polling stations should be disregarded.

“In principle, if officials can’t comply with procedures, the results shouldn’t be recognized,” he told RFA.

He added that the eight Battambang packages the Constitutional Council ordered opened were among 200 in the province the CNRP had requested be checked.

Hearing on Kratie security packages
The problems with the Battambang records came after 10 out of 13 security packages from Kratie province opened Sunday were found to have been improperly sealed, raising concerns among election watchdog groups of vote tampering.

The Constitutional Council will review its decision on the packages from Kratie’s Svay Chhrum commune at a hearing on Saturday, the court said Wednesday.

NEC Secretary General Tep Nytha said Sunday that irregularities in Kratie ballot records could have occurred due to lack of poor training for employees resulting from budget constraints.

Reported by RFA’s Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Rachel Vandenbrink.

Read More