Hun Sen is Master of Manipulation

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Posted by: | Posted on: October 23, 2019

‘Hun Sen is taking the piss’: Labor MP unloads on Cambodian dictator

Australia and the world made a promise to the Cambodian people, to stand up for human rights, peace and democracy. But 28 years on, the world has failed to keep its promise. Instead, Hun Sen’s regime has attacked human rights; killed democracy; given away the Cambodian people’s sovereignty; accumulated secret wealth overseasand undermined prosperity in our region.

ប្រទេសអូស្ត្រាលីនិងពិភពលោកបានសន្យាជាមួយប្រជាពលរដ្ឋខ្មែរអោយក្រោកឈរឡើងដើម្បីការពារសិទ្ធិមនុស្ស សន្តិភាព និងប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ។ តែ២៨ឆ្នាំមកនេះ ពិភពលោកបរាជ័យក្នុងការរក្សាកិច្ចសន្យារបស់ខ្លួន។ ជាការជំនួសវិញ របបលោកហ៊ុន-សែន បានវាយប្រហារទៅលើសិទ្ធិមនុស្ស សំលាប់លទ្ធិប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ បោះបង់ចោលអធិបតេយ្យភាពដែនដីរបស់ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋខ្មែរ សន្សំទ្រព្យរាប់កោដិទុកនៅក្រៅប្រទេស និងបំផ្លិចបំផ្លាញសុខដុមរមនាក្នុងតំបន់។

‘Hun Sen is taking the piss’: Labor MP unloads on Cambodian dictator

James Massola
WAtoday, By James Massola, October 22, 2019 — 4.30pm

Jakarta: Federal Labor MP Julian Hill has launched an extraordinary attack on Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen, declaring the dictator has sold out his country to China and warning the rising superpower is using the same tactics it used to militarise the South China Sea.

Mr Hill, whose seat of Bruce is home to one of the largest Cambodian-Australian populations, said that on the eve of the 28th anniversary of the Paris Peace Accords that ended Cambodia’s long and bloody civil war, democracy was dying.

Chinese investment brings violence and drugs to once sleepy backpacking town in Cambodia

Billions of dollars of Chinese investment have transformed the town of Sihanoukville in CambodiaThirty-nine found dead in truck in Essex, UK

The MP recently spent a week in Cambodia on a self-funded study tour where he met with civil rights groups, union activists and the remnants of the now-banned political opposition.

“Australia and the world made a promise to the Cambodian people, to stand up for human rights, peace and democracy. But 28 years on, the world has failed to keep its promise,” he told Parliament.

“Instead, Hun Sen’s regime has attacked human rights; killed democracy; given away the Cambodian people’s sovereignty; accumulated secret wealth overseasand undermined prosperity in our region.”

In a speech that goes much further than the Labor leadership has been willing to in criticising the links between China and Cambodia, Mr Hill said “I don’t mean this as anti-China rhetoric … must be honest and say that I do not see what Hun Sen has let China do in Cambodia as positive”.

A woman is tended to after she was assaulted in a casino carpark in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.
A woman is tended to after she was assaulted in a casino carpark in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.CREDIT:JAMES MASSOLA

“It [Chinese investment] may be couched as BRI [Belt and Road Infrastructure investment], but it shows all the signs of Hun Sen allowing the development of naval and air facilities to facilitate Chinese military planning. The same salami slicing tactics that the world saw in the South China Sea are at work.”

Sihanoukville, which has seen a huge amount of Chinese investment, is “like the fantasies about the Wild West of old. Casinos. Booze. Guns. Riches. Women”.

Sihanoukville is the worst place I have ever been.”

CAMBODIA

China’s takeover of Sihanoukville is almost complete, despite base row

Hun Sen won all 125 seats in the parliament in elections in July 2018 and has banned the opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party. Former leader Kem Sokha is under house arrest in Phnom Penh, other leaders including Sam Rainsy and Mu Sochua are in exile while many activists and politicians have been jailed.

Rainsy has recently threatened to return to Cambodia on November 9 to lead a popular uprising, prompting threats of violence and military intervention from Hun Sen, who has ruled the country for 34 years.

Against this back drop, Hill said Australia’s current approach to “just keep talking” to the Hun Sen regime was insufficient.

Hill said Australia should ramp up sanctions against Cambodia, get back into the “information game” through Radio Australia and short wave radio and push back by using our considerable soft power resources.

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Posted by: | Posted on: February 14, 2019

ភាពឯកោរបស់ហ៊ុនសែន បុណ្យមាឃបូជានិងការចាប់ផ្សឹកព្រះសង្ឃហោ សុខុន

សប្តាហ៍នេះជាដើមខែនៃបុណ្យមាឃបូជា ជាបុណ្យសំខាន់សម្រាប់អ្នកកាន់ព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនា។ មាឃបូជាត្រូវបានពុទ្ធបរិស័ទចាត់ទុកថាជាថ្ងៃបុណ្យរំលឹកដល់ព្រះធម៍នៅពេលដែលវិសាខបូជារំលឹកដល់ព្រះពុទ្ធ និងអាសាឍបូជារំលឹកដល់ព្រះសង្ឃ។

តែអ្វីដែលធ្វើអោយពុទ្ធបរិស័ទទូទាំងប្រទេសនិងជុំវិញពិភពលោកភ្ញាក់ផ្អើលនៅពេលនេះគឺការចាប់ផ្សឹកព្រះតេជគុណហោ-សុខុនទាំងយប់អាធ្រាតថ្ងៃទី១៣ខែកុម្ភៈឆ្នាំ២០១៩នេះនៅវត្តបទុមវតី រាជធានីភ្នំពេញ។ សូមបញ្ជាក់ថាព្រះតេជគុណហោ-សុខុនជាព្រះចៅអធិការវត្តច្បារអំពៅមានទស្សនទានព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនាផ្សាភ្ជាប់សង្គមដ៏ខ្លាំងក្លា ហើយរមែងកោតសរសើរមន្ត្រីជាច្រើនក្នុងជួររដ្ឋាភិបាលមានលោកនាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រីហ៊ុន-សែនជាដើម។ ជាពិសេសជាងនេះទៅទៀតនោះ ព្រះសង្ឃអង្គនេះហ៊ានចេញមុខតវ៉ានិងប្តឹងលោកខឹម-វាសនា មេដឹកនាំបក្សសម្ព័ន្ធដើម្បីលទ្ធិប្រជាធិបតេយ្យដែលរមែងប្រើវោហាសាស្ត្រអសុរសវាយប្រហារប្រជាពលរដ្ឋខ្មែរ ព្រះសង្ឃ និងប្រទេសជាតិខ្លួនឯង តែរមែងគេចផុតពីសំណាញ់ច្បាប់។

សារចុងក្រោយដែលអាចនាំទៅរកការចាប់ផ្សឹកនេះគឺការដែលព្រះតេជគុណហោ-សុខុនអានអត្ថបទឡាយតាមហ្វេសប៊ុកសរសើរដល់លោកស-ខេងប្រៀបប្រដូចទៅនឹងផ្កាយសំណាងរបស់កម្ពុជាដែលអាចស្រោចស្រង់ប្រទេសជាតិពីវិបត្តិបច្ចុប្បន្ន។ អ្នកដែលទៅសួរនាំលោកដល់វត្តអំពីសុន្ទរកថានេះគឺលោកជា-សុផារ៉ានិងអភិបាលរាជធានីភ្នំពេញខួង-ស្រេងដែលគេស្គាល់ថាជាមនុស្សស្និទនឹងលោកនាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រីហ៊ុន-សែន។

ការផ្សឹកព្រះសង្ឃហោ-សុខុនគឺប្រផ្នូលនៃការបែកបាក់ដែលមិនអាចផ្សះផ្សាវិញបាន

ជារឿយៗ លោកស-ខេងត្រូវបានមហាជនស្គាល់តាមរយៈភាពមុឺងម៉ាត់ក្នុងការគោរពច្បាប់និងមានចំណេះដឹងខ្ពស់ខាងដឹកនាំប្រទេសតាមនីតិរដ្ឋ ដែលផ្ទុយពីលោកហ៊ុន-សែនដែលរមែងបត់បែននិងជាន់ឈ្លីលើច្បាប់ក្នុងន័យរក្សាអំណាចក្នុងមោទនភាពនយោបាយឈ្នះៗរបស់ខ្លួន។ អ្នកទាំងពីរមានទស្សនៈដឹកនាំប្រទេសជាតិខុសគ្នាឆ្ងាយណាស់រាប់ចាប់តាំងពីលោកជា-សុីមមកម្លេះ។ មហាជនយល់ថាលោកស-ខេងប្រៀបបាននឹងទឹកត្រជាក់ដែលត្រីទាំងឡាយរមែងមកស្នាក់អាស្រ័យ។ ចំណែងលោកហ៊ុន-សែនប្រៀបបាននឹងភ្លើងដែលរមែងឆាបឆេះជារៀងរហូត។ ជាលទ្ធផល មកដល់ថ្ងៃនេះលោកស-ខេងប្រមូលបានអំណាចទន់និងប្រជាប្រីយភាពខ្ពស់ក្នុងជួរថ្នាក់ដឹកនាំគណបក្សប្រជាជនកម្ពុជា នៅពេលដែលលោកហ៊ុន-សែនបានប្រឹងកៀរគរកំលាំងប្រដាប់អាវុធមកដាក់ខាងខ្លួនបានស្ទើទាំងស្រុងទាំងកំឡាំងយោធានិងប៉ូលីស។ លោកហ៊ុន-សែនមិនគ្រាន់តែស្ងប់ចិត្តជាមួយកំឡាំងប្រដាប់អាវុធ ទាំងកំឡាំងអង្គរក្សទាំង៦០០០ពាន់នាក់ដែលស្វាមីភក្តិចំពោះខ្លួននិងកំឡាំងយោធាជាតិដែលមានកូនច្បងរបស់ខ្លួនជាមេបញ្ជាការថ្មីថ្មោងនោះទេ លោកហ៊ុន-សែនបានប្រឹងកៀរគរច្បាមយកសេដ្ឋកិច្ចជាតិទាំងមូលមកដាក់ក្រោមចំណុះរបស់ខ្លួនផងដែរ។ តាមសារវីដេអូឃ្លឹបរបស់ព្រះសង្ឃហោ-សុខុន ព្រះអង្គសរសើរដល់គុណសម្បត្តិរបស់លោកស-ខេងចំៗតែម្តង ដែលជារឿយៗលោកស-ខេងមិនហ៊ានទទួលយកជាសាធារណៈទេ។ ការកោតសរសើរនេះកើតឡើងមិនប៉ុន្មានថ្ងៃក្រោយការលេចធ្លាយឯកសារអ្នកស្រឡាញ់ស្នេហាគណបក្សប្រជាជនកម្ពុជាវាយប្រហារខ្លាំងៗទៅលើលោកហ៊ុន-សែនដែលបានដឹកនាំប្រទេសកាន់តែផ្តាច់ការនិងគ្មានហេតុផលខ្លាំងឡើងៗក្នុងពេលបច្ចុប្បន្ន។

Bhikkhu Ho Sokhon was forcefully disrobed in the night of Feb. 13, 2019

លោកហ៊ុន-សែនហាក់ដូចជាជឿក្នុងខ្លួនថាពេលណាខ្លួនក្តោបក្តាប់ទាំងស្រុងនូវកងកំឡាំងប្រដាប់អាវុធនិងសេដ្ឋកិច្ចបានគឺគ្មាននរណាផ្តួលរំលំលោកបានទេ!

ការសន្និដ្ឋានបែបនេះកើតឡើងនៅពេលដែលលោកហ៊ុន-សែនរើខ្លួនចេញរួចពីបាតុកម្មមហាជនរាប់លាននាក់ដឹកនាំដោយគណបក្សសង្គ្រោះជាតិក្នុងឆ្នាំ២០១៣ប្រឆាំងនឹងលទ្ធផលបោះឆ្នោត។ ពេលនោះលោកហ៊ុន-សែនរុញកូនអុកទៅក្នុងក្រឡា៥យ៉ាងគឺ

១. ប្រូម៉ូតខ្លួនឯងតាមបណ្តាញសង្គមហ្វេសប៊ុកដើម្បីយកប្រៀបលើសម-រង្សុី និងយល់ព្រមតាមសំណើររបស់គណបក្សសង្គ្រោះជាតិតាមចំណុចណាដែលខ្លួនបានប្រៀប។

២.ពង្រីកកំឡាំងអសន្តិសុខខ្លួនឯងដែលគាត់ហៅថាក្រុមបាតដៃទី៣ឬក្រុមប្រជាការពារដោយមានលោកហុឹង-ប៊ុនហៀងជាមេដឹកនាំក្នុងការដឹកនាំកំចាត់នៅក្រៅសំណាញ់ច្បាប់ទាំងក្រុមប្រឆាំងនិងក្រុមរដ្ឋាភិបាល។

៣. បង្កើនថាមពលនិងសព្វាវុធដល់ក្រុមអង្គរក្សផ្ទាល់ខ្លួន កំណែរទម្រង់កងយោធពលខេមរភូមិន្ទនិងប៉ូលីសដោយដាក់មនុស្សសំខាន់ៗដែលទុកចិត្តមានកូនៗនិងសាច់ញាតិជាដើម។

៤.្ ពង្រឹងនិងពង្រីកអំណាចក្រៅច្បាប់របស់ខ្លួនដើម្បីធ្វើអោយប្រាកដថាស្ថាប័នព្រះមហាក្សត្រ រដ្ឋសភា តុលាការ និងមន្ត្រីរាជការសុីវិលមានមនុស្សដែលស្មោះស្ម័គ្រខ្លួន ហើយពួកគេអាចធ្វើសកម្មភាពបានគ្រប់ពេលវេលាទាំងល្មើសច្បាប់ក៏អាចធ្វើបានដោយគ្មានទោសទណ្ឌ។

៥. ប្រគល់ដងខ្លួនមួយកំណាត់អោយទៅវៀតណាមនិងមួយកំណាត់ទៀតអោយទៅចិនដើម្បីអោយមានការគាំទ្រគំរោងបន្តអំណាចរបស់ខ្លួននិងការធ្វើសន្តតិវង្សមូបនីយកម្ម។

ជាលទ្ធផលលោកហ៊ុន-សែនធ្វើបានសម្រេចក្នុងរយៈពេល៣ឆ្នាំនេះដោយរំលាយគណបក្សសង្គ្រោះជាតិនិងដកបក្សដ៏ខ្លាំងក្លានេះចេញពីសៃវេណបោះឆ្នោតប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ និងបោះឆ្នោតលែងសើចក្តោបក្តាប់យកកៅអីសភាទាំង១២៥មកកាន់កាប់។

ប៉ុន្តែផលកម្មនៃគំរោងអធម៍នេះបានរួមរឹតលោកហ៊ុន-សែនទៅវិញ៖

១. ក្លាយជារដ្ឋាភិបាលមិនស្របច្បាប់ឬខ្វះធម្មានុរូបពិតប្រាកដ

២. កាន់តែពង្រឹងកំឡាំងទ័ពនិងកំឡាំងសេដ្ឋកិច្ច ក្រុមមេដឹកនាំគ្រាក់ៗនិងសមាជិកបក្សកាន់តែមានសមានចិត្តដល់លោកស-ខេង

៣. អុីយូ សហរដ្ឋអេមរិក អូស្ត្រាលី កាណាដា និងអង្គការសហប្រជាជាតិ នឹងមានវិធានការណ៌ខ្លាំងក្លាជាបន្តបន្ទាប់លើភាពឆ្គាំឆ្គងរបស់លោកហ៊ុន-សែន

៤. លោកត្រាំទៅជួបប្រជុំលោកគីម-ចុងអ៊ុននៅវៀតណាមខាងមុខនេះនឹងជាសញ្ញាថាវៀតណាមយកអាមេរិកជាបង្អែកក្នុងន័យធ្វើតុល្យភាពអំណាចជាមួយចិនក៏ដូចជាអាចនឹងប្រគល់ដងខ្លួនមួយចំហៀងនោះអោយមកហ៊ុន-សែនវិញ។ និង

៥. ពេលបច្ចឹមប្រទេសផ្តាច់កិច្ចអនុគ្រោះពន្ធពីកម្ពុជា ចិនជាអ្នកបាត់បងចំណូលច្រើនជាងគេពីព្រោះរោងចក្រកាត់ដេរជាង៦០០នៅកម្ពុជា ចិនជាអ្នកផ្គត់ផ្គង់វត្ថុធាតុដើម ហើយម្ចាស់រោងចក្រភាគច្រើនគឺជាជនជាតិចិន។

ហ៊ុន-សែននឹងក្លាយជាជនឯកាបន្តិចម្តងៗ មិនខុសពីភ្លើងបើឆេះសន្ធរសន្ធៅនៅកន្លែងណា មហាជននាំគ្នារត់ចេញពីកន្លែងនោះ។

ការផ្សឹកព្រះសង្ឃហោ-សុខុនគឺជាការជាន់ឈ្លីព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនាដែលអាចនាំទៅរកការមួរម៉ៅក្តៅក្រហាយដល់ពុទ្ធសាសនិកជនខ្មែរ

ព្រះសង្ឃដែលមានអបត្តិបរាជិក៤ ទើបអាចផ្សឹកបាន។ ព្រះសង្ឃហោ-សុខុនដែលជាអ្នកគាំទ្រគណបក្សប្រជាជនកម្ពុជាយ៉ាងប្តូរផ្តាច់ ព្រះអង្គគ្រាន់តែទេសនាវែកញែកតាមរយៈការច្របាច់បញ្ចូលគ្នារវាងធម៍និងសង្គម ឬគ្រាន់តែជាការសរសើរនិងនិន្ទាតាមទស្សនគតិផ្ទាល់ខ្លួន មិនអាចខុសវិន័យរហូតដល់មានការចាប់ផ្សឹកនោះទេ។ ប្រការនេះជាការជាន់ឈ្លឺព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនាយ៉ាងកំរោល។ ប្រទេសកម្ពុជាមានវត្តប្រហែលជាង៤០០០វត្ត និងមានព្រះសង្ឃប្រហែលជាង៦០០០០អង្គ។ ក្នុងចំណោមប្រជាពលរដ្ឋជាង១៥លាននាក់ ៩៨ភាគរយជាអ្នកជឿនិងប្រតិបត្តិព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនា។


ការប្រកាសវិលត្រឡប់ចូលកម្ពុជាវិញរបស់លោកសម-រង្សុីធ្វើអោយហ៊ុន-សែនឆ្លេរឆ្លារកាន់តែខ្លាំងឡើងៗ

ក្នុងវ័យជរានិងមានជំងឺប្រចាំរាងកាយទៀត លោកហ៊ុន-សែនកំពុងប្រឈមបញ្ហាសព្វបែបយ៉ាង ទាំងផ្ទៃក្នុងបក្ស ទាំងការបាត់បង់សំលេងគាំទ្រពីប្រជាជននិងអន្តរជាតិ និងការត្រឡប់មកប្រទេសកម្ពុជាវិញរបស់លោកសម-រង្សុី។ ត្រូវកត់ចំណាំថាគំរោងវិលត្រឡប់មកប្រទេសវិញរបស់លោកសម-រង្សុីនឹងអាចមិនខុសគ្នាពីការប្រកាសជាប្រធានាធិបតីស្តីទីរបស់លោកជួន កៃដូ នៃប្រទេសវេណាស៊ូអេឡាទេ។ លោកសម-សង្សុីនឹងត្រូវប្រជាពលរដ្ឋមកទទួលស្វាគមន៍រាប់លាននាក់ដូចកំឡុងឆ្នាំង២០១៣ អន្តរជាតិជាពិសេសប្រទេសលោកសេរីនិងអង្គការសហប្រជាជាតិមិនអាចមិនអើរពើរ នឹងអមដំណើរលោកសម-រង្សុីនិងគណៈប្រតិភូរបស់គាត់ផងដែរ។

Greeting crowd to welcome Sam Rainsy from abroad lining up from Airport to Phnom Penh city: this photo is at the Cabinet of Minister or House of PM Hun Sen in that Time.
Posted by: | Posted on: February 10, 2019

Freedom house rated Cambodia is “no free” country under Hun Sen leadership

Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen cemented his grip on power with lopsided general elections that came after authorities dissolved the main opposition party and shuttered independent media outlets. The military and police openly campaigned for the ruling party, which won all the seats in the legislature.

នាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រីកម្ពុជាលោកហ៊ុន-សែនចាក់គ្រឹះអំណាចរបស់គាត់តាមរយៈការបោះឆ្នោតជាតិដែលខ្វះធម្មានុរូបច្បាប់ដែលបានប្រព្រឹត្តឡើងបន្ទាប់ពីអាជ្ញាធររំលាយគណបក្សជំទាស់ដ៏សំខាន់និងបិទប្រព័ន្ធផ្សព្វផ្សាយឯករាជ្យ។ មន្ត្រីយោធានិងប៉ូលីសបើកយុទ្ធនាការគាំទ្រគណបក្សគ្រប់គ្រងអំណាចយ៉ាងចំហរដែលគណបក្សនេះបានឈ្នះកៅអីសភាទាំងអស់តែម្តង។

Op-Ed: Key Developments by Freedom House Report 2019

Read more news on VOA in Khmer Language, and VOA in English

KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN 2018:

  • The CPP won every seat in the lower house, the National Assembly, in July elections. The polls were held amid a period of repression that began in earnest in 2017, and saw the banning of the main opposition party, opposition leaders jailed or forced into exile, and remaining major independent media outlets reined in or closed. The CPP also dominated elections for the upper house, or Senate, held in February, taking every elected seat.
  • The Phnom Penh Post, regarded by many observers as the last remaining independent media outlet in Cambodia, was taken over by a Malaysian businessman with links to Hun Sen.
  • A Cambodian court sentenced an Australian filmmaker to six years in jail on charges of espionage. He had been arrested after denouncing rights abuses and filming political rallies.
  • In November, the UN-assisted court known as the Khmer Rouge Tribunal found Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan, two surviving leaders of the Khmer Rouge, guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity. The verdict for the first time legally defined the Khmer Rouge’s crimes as genocide.

OVERVIEW: 

Courtesy: Freedom House Report 2019

Cambodia’s political system has been dominated by Prime Minister Hun Sen and his Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) for more than three decades. The country has conducted semicompetitive elections in the past, but the 2018 polls were held in a severely repressive environment that offered voters no meaningful choice. The main opposition party was banned, opposition leaders were in jail or exiled, and independent media and civil society outlets were curtailed. The CPP won every seat in the lower house for the first time since the end of the Cambodian Civil War, as well as every elected seat in the upper house in indirect elections held earlier in the year.  Political Rights and Civil Liberties: 

POLITICAL RIGHTS: 6 / 40 (–4)

A. ELECTORAL PROCESS: 1 / 12 (–3)

A1.      Was the current head of government or other chief national authority elected through free and fair elections? 0 / 4 (–1)

King Norodom Sihamoni is chief of state, but has little political power. The prime minister is head of government, and is appointed by the monarch from among the majority coalition or party in parliament following legislative elections. Hun Sen first became prime minister in 1985. He was nominated most recently after 2018 National Assembly polls, which offered voters no meaningful choice. Most international observation groups were not present due to the highly restrictive nature of the contest.

Score Change: The score declined from 1 to 0 because the incumbent prime minister was unanimously confirmed for another term after parliamentary elections that offered voters no meaningful choice.

A2.      Were the current national legislative representatives elected through free and fair elections? 0 / 4 (–1)

The bicameral parliament consists of the 62-seat Senate and the 125-seat National Assembly. Members of parliament and local councilors indirectly elect 58 senators, and the king and National Assembly each appoint 2. Senators serve six-year terms, while National Assembly members are directly elected to five-year terms.

Courtesy: Freedom House Country Report 2019

In 2018, the CPP won every seat in both chambers in elections that were considered neither free nor fair by established international observers, which declined to monitor them. In the months before the polls, the Supreme Court had banned the main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) and jailed many of its members, and closed media outlets and intimidated journalists to the extent that there was almost no independent reporting on the campaign or the polls. Several small, obscure new “opposition parties” ran candidates in the lower house elections, though many of the parties were widely believed to have been manufactured to suggest multiparty competition. Following calls for an election boycott by former CNRP leaders, Hun Sen repeatedly warned that people who did not vote in the election could be punished. The election was condemned by many democracies. The United States responded by imposing targeted sanctions on Cambodian leaders, while the EU threatened to roll back a preferential trade agreement.

Score Change: The score declined from 1 to 0 because the parliamentary elections took place in a highly repressive environment that offered voters no meaningful choice, and produced a one-party legislature.

A3.      Are the electoral laws and framework fair, and are they implemented impartially by the relevant election management bodies? 1 / 4 (–1)

In 2015, Cambodia passed two new election laws that permit security forces to take part in campaigns, punish parties that boycott parliament, and mandate a shorter campaign period of 21 days. The laws have been broadly enforced.

Voting is tied to a citizen’s permanent resident status in a village, township, or urban district, and this status cannot be changed easily. In 2017, an amendment to the electoral law banned political parties from association with anyone convicted of a criminal offense.

The National Election Committee (NEC) was reformed in 2013, but the CPP has since asserted complete control over its nine seats. Criminal charges were brought against the body’s one independent member in 2016, who was then jailed and removed from the body. The four NEC members affiliated with the CNRP resigned following the party’s 2017 dissolution. In 2018, the NEC sought to aid the CPP’s campaign by threatening to prosecute any figures that urged an election boycott, and informing voters via text message that criticism of the CPP was prohibited.

Read More …
Posted by: | Posted on: February 13, 2018

Details of ruling party’s five-year plan to minimise opposition revealed

Op-Ed: Phnom Penh Post

Hun Sen White Paper 2018 in English

Hun Sen White Paper -2018-Khmer_11Feb2018

Cambodia’s ruling party will increase surveillance, shut out any opposition “force” and prevent the spread of information that “twists the truth”, according to their five-year political plan, obtained yesterday by The Post.

Hun Sen is a master of manipulation in Cambodia.

Hun Sen is a master of manipulation in Cambodia.

The Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) Political Programme 2018-2023, adopted at the party’s congress three weeks ago, maps out the government’s next steps in what observers describe as authoritarian – if unsurprising – rhetoric.

Chief among the CPP’s diktats was “to not allow the loophole or space that is used for the creation of the opposition force or any illegal armed force to destroy the achievements and prosperity of the society and the nation”.

“[We] must strengthen the capacity of our surveillance system and the controlling technology system thoroughly, and reduce the risk for society,” another read.

The party’s plan comes during a widespread crackdown on dissent in the Kingdom, with politicians imprisoned, media outlets shuttered and activists seeking refuge abroad. Cambodia’s main opposition – the Cambodia National Rescue Party – was forcibly dissolved in November last year, ahead of upcoming elections.

That crackdown appears set to continue, with the CPP vowing in its plan to “oppose any riot activities, subversion, [and] sabotage of all kinds”, and to “attack their black tricks” – a reference to the frequently invoked accusations of “colour revolution” and “foreign interference” that were used by the ruling party to justify the dismantling of the opposition.

The party will also “prevent and eliminate the dissemination activity to distribute information . . . that is of an inciting nature, that breaks up [society], twists the truth, exaggerates the situation, causes insecurity, disorder or immorality, [or] that breaks the culture or tradition of Cambodia”.

Addressing the armed forces, which are led by CPP stalwarts, the party said it would push for RCAF reforms and demanded they “show the great, absolute loyalty to the nation” and that they “have the willingness to fight absolutely in protecting . . . the legitimate government that was born from the people”.

CPP spokesman Sok Eysan yesterday defended the document’s call for a tighter hold on the political sphere, saying “strengthening power is normal for the one who is in charge of the power, because power comes from the people”.

“A loophole can bring a catastrophe to peace and political stability. We allow opposition, but [only] the opposition that complies with the democratic principles – not an opposition that makes anarchy,” Eysan said.

“If we do not strengthen the control [on surveillance technology], it will become anarchy that impacts and influences the implementation of the democratic rule of law,” he added.

Sebastian Strangio, author of Hun Sen’s Cambodia, said the CPP’s plan came as little surprise given the events of the past six months.

“The plan looks like a roadmap to permanent one party rule, albeit with the cosmetic presence of small opposition parties that will do little to challenge the CPP’s control,” he said in an email.

“Overall, this is consistent with the CPP’s long-held view that any smidgeon of political opposition poses a mortal threat to peace and stability, and that these things can only be guaranteed by the CPP’s monopolization of power.”

But he warned that “the CPP may find that abolishing formal opposition is much easier than abolishing public demand for change” while popular demands for political reform go unaddressed.

Social analyst Meas Nee yesterday observed that the document and its aspirations for consolidating power echoed Cambodia’s situation two decades ago, when the CPP’s then-political rival, Funcinpec – which had beaten the CPP in the 1993 UN-backed elections – was ousted by troops loyal to Prime Minister Hun Sen in bloody fighting.

“This is almost identical to the events happening in 1997, when Funcinpec was destroyed . . . There was the 1997 coup and the 1998 election, but after 1998, Funcinpec was not powerful. The whole of Funcinpec was paralysed,” he said.

Funcinpec indeed slid into irrelevance following 1998, only returning to the political fore after it was granted the bulk of the CNRP’s redistributed National Assembly seats late last year. Funcinpec had failed to win a single seat of its own in 2013, unlike the CNRP, which took 44 percent of the vote and 55 seats.

“I thought this was unique to 1998, but when it came to the events in 2017 . . . the dissolution of the CNRP left them completely paralysed . . . but it is more difficult to dissolve the whole mentality of the CNRP in the public imagination,” Nee said

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