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PM Shoots Down CNRP Talks
Khmer Times/Taing Vida Monday, 13 June 2016
Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday ruled out starting a dialogue between the ruling party and the opposition, rebuking calls from United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the European Union.
Mr. Hun Sen also said there will be no negotiations related to the judiciary after requests from the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) to discuss political tension, detentions, charges and the prosecution of human rights officials as well as National Election
Committee (NEC) representatives and opposition members.
The opposition CNRP was also hoping to find a way for party president Sam Rainsy, who has been in exile in France since last year, to return to the country before the commune elections in 2017.
In an interview with Fresh News on Saturday evening, Prime Minister Hun Sen said there would be no negotiations between the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) and the CNRP on how the judicial branch functions in the future, claiming that any discussion would affect the court’s procedures and independence.
The National Assembly, he said, was the only way national processes could be debated, but the CNRP’s boycott of the legislative body made it impossible to discuss the issues.
“If there were any upcoming negotiations, the CPP won’t discuss matters related to judicial authorization and the cases of prisoners as well,” he said.
Prom Sokha, the head of the CPP’s working group, told Khmer Times yesterday that he had not been in contact with anyone from the CNRP and agreed with the prime minister’s statement.
His CNRP counterpart Pol Hom said the proposed topics of negotiation were sent through the General Secretariat of the National Assembly, but claimed the CPP was premature in their opposition to the issues of discussion.
“We didn’t set the agenda. We just want to talk about the political heat so far. Why has it happened?” Mr. Hom said. “I think that whatever happens is related to each other. In my past experiences, after discussions, the heat decreases as well.
“For the cases of arrests and prosecutions of politicians and civil society officials, I cannot predict, but we both should try to understand each other.”
CNRP spokesman Yim Sovann echoed this sentiment last Saturday, saying the party hoped to resolve any political issues through discussion and wanted to talk about the repression of the opposition party as well as the return of Mr. Rainsy.
The forceful statement caps a week of back-and-forths between the government and the opposition party. The CNRP asked for a meeting early last week, only to be rejected by CPP leaders outright. But last Thursday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke with Foreign Minister Prak Sokhon directly, telling him the CPP and CNRP should meet to work out their differences.
The Foreign Affairs ministry issued a statement on Friday about the call, hoping to take the edge off the stern message from Mr. Ban, which was in direct relation to recent government-sponsored violence and detentions of opposition members and human rights officials.
They first dealt with the case of Mr. Sokha, the acting president of the CNRP, using their claim that the legal cases surrounding Mr. Sokha had nothing to do with politics.
“Mr. Kem Sokha is a key witness to a criminal case of human trafficking and the court summonsed him to testify two times, but he did not appear both times. That is why the court accused him on charges of a refusal to appear according to article 538 of the criminal code, which is an actual offense,” the statement said.
“This explains the reason why the forces took action to bring in – not arrest – Mr. Kem Sokha to testify at the court,” Mr. Sokhorn said. He downplayed any notion that the government was behind the violence or detentions and said people are free to live as they wish, despite weeks and months of political turmoil and widespread arrests.
In a statement from Mr. Ban, he said he expressed his concern over the political situation and human rights conditions in Cambodia before urging both sides to meet and continue the “culture of dialogue.”
In recent days, Cambodians as far away as the United States have protested, gathering near the Capitol Building in Washington to demand the US government use economic and diplomatic sanctions to force the Cambodian government to respect democracy and release 19 human rights officials now behind bars.
Cambodians in France and Australia also joined the protest, asking their governments for similar sanctions against Cambodia.
BUREAU DU SECRETAIRE GENERAL DES NATIONS UNIES
BAN KI-MOON
COMPTE-RENDU
Compte-rendu de la conversation téléphonique du Secrétaire Général avec S.E. Mr. Prak Sokhonn, Ministre des Affaires Etrangères et de la Coopération Internationale du Royaume du Cambodge.
New York, le 8 juin 2016
Le Secrétaire Général a parlé par téléphone mardi soir [7 juin 2016] avec S.E. Mr. Prak Sokhonn, Ministre d’Etat, Ministre des Affaires Etrangères et de la Coopération Internationale du Royaume du Cambodge. Le Secrétaire Général lui a fait part de sa préoccupation suite à des rapports concernant des actes multiples d’intimidation, le harcèlement et l'arrestation de membres de la société civile, de journalistes, d'employés et de membres de la Commission Electorale Nationale et de membres de l'opposition.
Le Secrétaire Général a exprimé l'espoir que le Gouvernement du Cambodge va assurer le plein respect des droits de l'homme y compris la liberté d'expression, d'association et de réunion.
Il a appelé à la reprise de la culture du dialogue entre le Parti du Peuple Cambodgien [au pouvoir] et le Parti du Sauvetage National du Cambodge [dans l’opposition].
Clik here to view.
PM Shoots Down CNRP Talks
Khmer Times/Taing Vida Monday, 13 June 2016
Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday ruled out starting a dialogue between the ruling party and the opposition, rebuking calls from United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the European Union.
Mr. Hun Sen also said there will be no negotiations related to the judiciary after requests from the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) to discuss political tension, detentions, charges and the prosecution of human rights officials as well as National Election
Committee (NEC) representatives and opposition members.
The opposition CNRP was also hoping to find a way for party president Sam Rainsy, who has been in exile in France since last year, to return to the country before the commune elections in 2017.
In an interview with Fresh News on Saturday evening, Prime Minister Hun Sen said there would be no negotiations between the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) and the CNRP on how the judicial branch functions in the future, claiming that any discussion would affect the court’s procedures and independence.
The National Assembly, he said, was the only way national processes could be debated, but the CNRP’s boycott of the legislative body made it impossible to discuss the issues.
“If there were any upcoming negotiations, the CPP won’t discuss matters related to judicial authorization and the cases of prisoners as well,” he said.
Prom Sokha, the head of the CPP’s working group, told Khmer Times yesterday that he had not been in contact with anyone from the CNRP and agreed with the prime minister’s statement.
His CNRP counterpart Pol Hom said the proposed topics of negotiation were sent through the General Secretariat of the National Assembly, but claimed the CPP was premature in their opposition to the issues of discussion.
“We didn’t set the agenda. We just want to talk about the political heat so far. Why has it happened?” Mr. Hom said. “I think that whatever happens is related to each other. In my past experiences, after discussions, the heat decreases as well.
“For the cases of arrests and prosecutions of politicians and civil society officials, I cannot predict, but we both should try to understand each other.”
CNRP spokesman Yim Sovann echoed this sentiment last Saturday, saying the party hoped to resolve any political issues through discussion and wanted to talk about the repression of the opposition party as well as the return of Mr. Rainsy.
The forceful statement caps a week of back-and-forths between the government and the opposition party. The CNRP asked for a meeting early last week, only to be rejected by CPP leaders outright. But last Thursday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke with Foreign Minister Prak Sokhon directly, telling him the CPP and CNRP should meet to work out their differences.
The Foreign Affairs ministry issued a statement on Friday about the call, hoping to take the edge off the stern message from Mr. Ban, which was in direct relation to recent government-sponsored violence and detentions of opposition members and human rights officials.
They first dealt with the case of Mr. Sokha, the acting president of the CNRP, using their claim that the legal cases surrounding Mr. Sokha had nothing to do with politics.
“Mr. Kem Sokha is a key witness to a criminal case of human trafficking and the court summonsed him to testify two times, but he did not appear both times. That is why the court accused him on charges of a refusal to appear according to article 538 of the criminal code, which is an actual offense,” the statement said.
“This explains the reason why the forces took action to bring in – not arrest – Mr. Kem Sokha to testify at the court,” Mr. Sokhorn said. He downplayed any notion that the government was behind the violence or detentions and said people are free to live as they wish, despite weeks and months of political turmoil and widespread arrests.
In a statement from Mr. Ban, he said he expressed his concern over the political situation and human rights conditions in Cambodia before urging both sides to meet and continue the “culture of dialogue.”
In recent days, Cambodians as far away as the United States have protested, gathering near the Capitol Building in Washington to demand the US government use economic and diplomatic sanctions to force the Cambodian government to respect democracy and release 19 human rights officials now behind bars.
Cambodians in France and Australia also joined the protest, asking their governments for similar sanctions against Cambodia.
BUREAU DU SECRETAIRE GENERAL DES NATIONS UNIES
BAN KI-MOON
COMPTE-RENDU
Compte-rendu de la conversation téléphonique du Secrétaire Général avec S.E. Mr. Prak Sokhonn, Ministre des Affaires Etrangères et de la Coopération Internationale du Royaume du Cambodge.
New York, le 8 juin 2016
Le Secrétaire Général a parlé par téléphone mardi soir [7 juin 2016] avec S.E. Mr. Prak Sokhonn, Ministre d’Etat, Ministre des Affaires Etrangères et de la Coopération Internationale du Royaume du Cambodge. Le Secrétaire Général lui a fait part de sa préoccupation suite à des rapports concernant des actes multiples d’intimidation, le harcèlement et l'arrestation de membres de la société civile, de journalistes, d'employés et de membres de la Commission Electorale Nationale et de membres de l'opposition.
Le Secrétaire Général a exprimé l'espoir que le Gouvernement du Cambodge va assurer le plein respect des droits de l'homme y compris la liberté d'expression, d'association et de réunion.
Il a appelé à la reprise de la culture du dialogue entre le Parti du Peuple Cambodgien [au pouvoir] et le Parti du Sauvetage National du Cambodge [dans l’opposition].