EU Resolutions on Cambodia
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EU agrees future human rights sanctions
Human rights abusers worldwide are to face EU asset freezes and travel bans under new-model sanctions agreed by foreign ministers in Brussels Monday. “Today, the EU unanimously decided to legislate a worldwide EU human rights sanction regime,” Dutch foreign minister Stef Blok said. The EU foreign service will put forward a legal proposal following Monday’s deal, with diplomats predicting it will take six months before the measures enter into force.
សហភាពអឺរ៉ុបយល់ស្របផែនការណ៍ដាក់ទណ្ឌកម្មបុគ្គលរំលោភសិទ្ធិមនុស្សពេលអនាគត
បុគ្គលរំលោភសិទ្ធិមនុស្សជុំវិញពិភពលោកនឹងប្រឈមការបង្កកទ្រព្យនិងហាមឃាត់ទិដ្ឋាការសហគមអឺរ៉ុបក្រោមច្បាប់ដាក់ទណ្ឌកម្មថ្មីយល់ស្របដោយរដ្ឋមន្ត្រីការបរទេសក្នុងទីក្រុងប្រុសសែលកាលពីថ្ងៃចន្ទ៖ ថ្ងៃនេះសហគមអឺរ៉ុបបានសម្រេចជាឯកច្ឆន្ទបង្កើតច្បាប់របបដាក់ទណ្ឌកម្មសិទ្ធិមនុស្សអឺរ៉ុបនៅជុំវិញពិភពលោក នេះបើតាមប្រសាសន៍របស់រដ្ឋមន្ត្រីការបរទេសហូរឡង់។ ក្រសួងសេវ៉ាកម្មការបរទេសអឺរ៉ុបនឹងដាក់សំណើរផ្លូវច្បាប់ទៅតាមការសម្រេចកាលថ្ងៃចន្ទជាមួយទូតទាំងអស់ដោយអាចនឹងប្រើពេល៦ខែមុនវិធានការណ៍ចូលជាធរមាន។
For your reference: EU Observer
Hun Sen rival faces trial even as EU threatens Cambodia sanctions
Hun Sen rival faces trial even as EU threatens Cambodia sanctions
Op-Ed: Nekei Asean Review, Kem Sokha will be tried for treason despite being released from house arrest
SHAUN TURTON, Contributing Writer NOVEMBER 19, 2019 14:35 JST
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and the European Union flag. The EU last week sent Cambodia its preliminary report on whether to suspend the country from special trade privileges over its human rights record. (Nikkei Montage/ Source photo by Reuters)
PHNOM PENH — Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen is pressing ahead with a treason case against a leading opposition figure who has just been released from house arrest, despite the nation facing European Union trade sanctions over its human rights record.
Hun Sen said on Monday that charges against Kem Sokha would not be dropped as demanded by the EU, Cambodia’s biggest export destination. “This case doesn’t require one or two days, or one month or two months, it will take a long time,” the strongman leader said.
Sokha was arrested in 2017 and faces up to 15 years in prison for what the government has claimed were plans for a U.S.-backed coup. His arrest and the subsequent Supreme Court ruling that dissolved his main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), saw Hun Sen’s ruling party capture every parliamentary seat in last year’s national election.
The crackdown, which also targeted civil society and media outlets, sparked an EU review of the country’s special trade privileges under the Everything But Arms scheme (EBA).
Losing the preference, which grants duty and quota free access to the bloc for all exports except weapons and ammunition, could be disastrous for the country’s 750,000-worker strong apparel and footwear sector, which generated more than $8 billion in exports last year.
The EU last week sent Cambodia its preliminary report on whether to suspend the country from the initiative, which is conditional on countries abiding by human and labor rights set out by the United Nations.
Its findings were not made public but a leaked copy, obtained by Radio Free Asia, reportedly concluded Cambodia had not taken enough steps to address “severe and systematic” violations of its principles.
In a statement, Cambodia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry claimed RFA’s coverage of the report was “not accurate” but did not provide any details from the document to contradict the outlet’s story. It said the government would review the report and submit “an appropriate response that will reflect updates of recent developments.”
In a sign of the mounting pressure, authorities last week relaxed house arrest conditions for Sokha, who can now travel in Cambodia but cannot leave the country or participate in political activities. The court also officially closed the case’s more than two-year investigation period.
In announcing the charges would not be dropped on Monday, Hun Sen claimed the court process was “independent,” an assertion at odds with the track record of Cambodia’s politically compliant judiciary.
President of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) Kem Sokha, right, shakes hands with European Union ambassador to Cambodia Carmen Moreno at his home in Phnom Penh on Nov. 13. © Reuters
Just last week, Hun Sen ordered the release on bail of more than 70 opposition activists arrested for supporting failed plans by self-exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy to return to Cambodia and lead an uprising.
Following a familiar playbook, the moves appeared an effort to soften the oppression of opponents. The government also announced tentative steps to allowing independent media to once again purchase airtime on local radio stations.
Sebastian Strangio, author of “Hun Sen’s Cambodia,” said using prisoners as “bargaining chips” was a well established practice by the strongman over his 30 years in power.
“These types of concessions have long been part of the political game,” he said.
“The pattern has concealed a steady drift towards more and more control in Hun Sen and the CPP’s hands,” Strangio said. “The EU had to threaten half a billion dollars estimated worth of economic impacts on Cambodia in order to get Hun Sen to back down on this and it’s taken a plus to get this concession out of him.”
But whether Hun Sen’s apparent concessions will sway the EU remains to be seen. While Sokha’s improved conditions were welcomed, the move also appeared a strategic ploy to engender a split between the opposition leader and his CNRP co-founder, Sam Rainsy.
“The decision has been made to play Kem Sokha against Sam Rainsy, to dilute, diminish or marginalize Sam Rainsy at the time his status has been rising,” longtime Cambodian political commentator Lao Mong Hay told the Nikkei Asian Review. “It’s too late and too little,” he said of the concessions.
Cambodia’s exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy talks to the media upon arrival at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Indonesia on Thursday. He met lawmakers in Indonesia before returning to his base in Paris. © AP
Read More …Hun Sen learns how to fake democracy
Hun Sen learns how to fake democracy
SURASAK GLAHANCOLUMNIST
PUBLISHED : 14 NOV 2019 AT 04:01
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, right, and his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen address a press conference together in Bangkok in December 2015 . (Photo by Thiti Wannamontha)
Cambodia may avoid trade sanctions from the EU and US if its government has learnt the art of faking a return to democracy and rule of law from Thailand, which has done its neighbour a huge favour by barring entry to its exiled opposition leaders.
In fact, Thailand is the only “democratic” country in the region that bowed to the request of Prime Minister Hun Sen’s government.
Indonesia and Malaysia ignored the demand not to let Cambodian dissidents land, even letting some enter and stay. But that does not seem to have made Thailand a bad guy in the eyes of the West.
“I also came to power through elections,” Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, the 2014 coup-maker, boasted to locals during his recent trip to Ratchaburi province.
Without a doubt, his government must have delivered the same message to western nations, who have bought it — or perhaps faked their acceptance — out of relief that the political mess in Thailand seems back to tolerable levels.
- Sam Rainsy heads to Singapore
- Kem Sokha meets French envoy after house arrest lifted
- Cambodian opposition leader Kem Sokha freed from house arrest
That indicates Prime Minister Hun Sen could have softened his crackdown on the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), which has been so ruthless and rigorous that the West has threatened penalties over the past few years.
Read More …Hun Sen orders release of 70 Cambodia opposition activists
Hun Sen orders release of 70 Cambodia opposition activists
Longtime leader says people who had been accused of plotting to overthrow the government should be released on bail.
![Cambodia's longtime Prime Minister Hun Sen has ordered the release of 70 opposition activists. [Samrang Pring/Reuters]](https://www.aljazeera.com/mritems/imagecache/mbdxxlarge/mritems/Images/2019/11/14/c3775976a8f5449f92cf53575619a66a_18.jpg)
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Thursday ordered the release on bail of more than 70 opposition activists who have been arrested in recent weeks and accused of plotting to overthrow the government.
Hun Sen, who has ruled Cambodia for more than 34 years, has been under increasing international pressure to improve his human rights record, with the European Union threatening the withdrawal of important trade benefits.
“There are over 70 people, please hurry up work on this case so that these brothers can be released on bail,” Hun Sen said in a speech at a new cement factory in the southern province of Kampot, in comments directed at judicial authorities.
Cambodia arrested dozens of people in the run-up to last Saturday, when veteran opposition leader Sam Rainsy had said he would return from self-imposed exile in Paris to rally opposition to Hun Sen.
Trade in balance
In the event, amid growing government pressure on his party and its supporters, Rainsy flew to Malaysia before arriving in Indonesia on Thursday. He said he had been prevented from flying to Thailand where his deputy, Mu Sochua, had been refused entry last month.
On Saturday, Cambodia also relaxed the house arrest conditions on opposition leader Kem Sokha, who was arrested on treason charges more than two years ago. He says the charges are ridiculous and has called for them to be dropped.
Kem Sokha and Sam Rainsy co-founded the Cambodia National Rescue Party, which was banned in 2017.
Read More …