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Khmer Times/May Titthara, Sunday, 01 May 2016
Cambodia is not in crisis, according to Prime Minister Hun Sen, who in a speech on Sunday said the opposition party’s insistence that the country was in the midst of a political storm was confusing the King.
During a visit to workers in Sihanoukville to commemorate International Labor Day yesterday, the premier claimed that while members of an unnamed opposition party had told King Norodom Sihamoni that Cambodia was in crisis, this claim was not true.
“May they look at themselves who are travelling around,” Mr. Hun Sen said. “So, if they are travelling around, it means that they don’t have any crisis, so they are just making sound to keep people awake.”
Although no names were mentioned, it was thought the prime minister was referring to Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) president Sam Rainsy, who has been living in self-imposed exile in France since warrants for his arrest were issued last October.
“You also cheat the King. It’s not enough for you to cheat the Cambodian people. Why do you want to cheat the King? Do you think the King has his own eyes to see what is happening?” Mr. Hun Sen added.
Last Thursday, 53 members of the CNRP sent a letter to King Norodom Sihamoni, asking His Majesty to intervene in the political situation in Cambodia, which they said was in a critical state.
Arrests carried out against opposition politicians, environmental activists, senators and lawmakers were all mentioned in the letter, which also spoke frankly about the restrictions of the rights of civil society and unions imposed by the NGO Law, as well as threats against members of civil society and outspoken critics of the government.
At the time the letter was sent, four senior officials from local rights group Adhoc as well as one National Election Committee official were detained and undergoing questioning by the Anti-Corruption Unit. Later that night, all five were arrested over allegations that they encouraged the alleged mistress of CNRP acting president Kem Sokha to lie during police questioning about the affair.
“Now, the situation is very difficult. If there is no urgent solution, Cambodia will step backward into the past, because the top important national institutions such as the courts and a certain number of state institutions do not function normally, and are not independent,” the letter says.
Neither CNRP spokesmen Yim Sovann nor Nhem Ponnarith could be reached for comment yesterday.
Am Sam Ath, a high-ranking coordinator for rights group Licadho, said that even though the general aspects of Cambodian life seem calm, the arrests of opposition activists and Adhoc’s staff show the true temperature of the Kingdom’s political climate.
“In the name of civil society, I see that the political situation in Cambodia is tensing,” said Mr. Sam Ath.
Clik here to view.
Khmer Times/May Titthara, Sunday, 01 May 2016
Cambodia is not in crisis, according to Prime Minister Hun Sen, who in a speech on Sunday said the opposition party’s insistence that the country was in the midst of a political storm was confusing the King.
During a visit to workers in Sihanoukville to commemorate International Labor Day yesterday, the premier claimed that while members of an unnamed opposition party had told King Norodom Sihamoni that Cambodia was in crisis, this claim was not true.
“May they look at themselves who are travelling around,” Mr. Hun Sen said. “So, if they are travelling around, it means that they don’t have any crisis, so they are just making sound to keep people awake.”
Although no names were mentioned, it was thought the prime minister was referring to Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) president Sam Rainsy, who has been living in self-imposed exile in France since warrants for his arrest were issued last October.
“You also cheat the King. It’s not enough for you to cheat the Cambodian people. Why do you want to cheat the King? Do you think the King has his own eyes to see what is happening?” Mr. Hun Sen added.
Last Thursday, 53 members of the CNRP sent a letter to King Norodom Sihamoni, asking His Majesty to intervene in the political situation in Cambodia, which they said was in a critical state.
Arrests carried out against opposition politicians, environmental activists, senators and lawmakers were all mentioned in the letter, which also spoke frankly about the restrictions of the rights of civil society and unions imposed by the NGO Law, as well as threats against members of civil society and outspoken critics of the government.
At the time the letter was sent, four senior officials from local rights group Adhoc as well as one National Election Committee official were detained and undergoing questioning by the Anti-Corruption Unit. Later that night, all five were arrested over allegations that they encouraged the alleged mistress of CNRP acting president Kem Sokha to lie during police questioning about the affair.
“Now, the situation is very difficult. If there is no urgent solution, Cambodia will step backward into the past, because the top important national institutions such as the courts and a certain number of state institutions do not function normally, and are not independent,” the letter says.
Neither CNRP spokesmen Yim Sovann nor Nhem Ponnarith could be reached for comment yesterday.
Am Sam Ath, a high-ranking coordinator for rights group Licadho, said that even though the general aspects of Cambodian life seem calm, the arrests of opposition activists and Adhoc’s staff show the true temperature of the Kingdom’s political climate.
“In the name of civil society, I see that the political situation in Cambodia is tensing,” said Mr. Sam Ath.
