Photo: Internet
Detainees not being used for leverage: Yeap
A senior ruling party lawmaker has rejected allegations that
the group of 21 activists, unionists and workers arrested during
protests last month and denied bail for a second time yesterday are
being used as a political tool by the government to force the opposition
party to join the National Assembly.
Cheam Yeap, a Cambodian People’s Party lawmaker, yesterday insisted
that the detainees’ cases were under the court’s control and that the
ruling party would not be able to influence the legal outcome.
“These 21 individuals are in the hands of the court. You already know
that the constitution states that there are three [separate] powers in
Cambodia: legislative, executive and [judicial]. Each [branch] cannot
interfere with each other’s internal affairs,” [BLAH, BLAH BLAH, BLAH...] he said. [LISTEN CAREFULLY, KIDS. CIVIC EDUCATION FROM THE COMMIES!]
If the detainees were simply released, the government could be
accused of allowing impunity to flourish, Yeap added, nonetheless saying
that “problems” could not be solved until the leaders of both political
parties meet.
Moeun Tola, labour program head at the Community Legal Education
Center, said outside the Appeal Court yesterday that government rhetoric
in recent weeks had made him believe the detainees’ case was
undoubtedly political.
“With the decision today, it’s clear that court is not looking at the
facts. But they just listen to the … political signs,” he said.
“It’s clear for us to see that the arrest of, the detention of, the
21, it is just like pressure [on] the [Cambodia National Rescue Party]
to legitimise the National Assembly.”
Veteran political analyst Chea Vannath said the detainees’ ongoing
incarceration was a strategy to discourage would-be protesters.
“The 21 individuals are [stuck] between both political parties. I see
that the [detainees] are not being released in order to prevent any
more demonstrations from being held in the future,” she said.
CNRP spokesman Yim Sovann said yesterday that his party demanded the
immediate release of the detainees. He did not, however, confirm that
their release was a pre-condition for fresh talks with the ruling party.
“A better political environment is the pre-condition. Only one phrase that covers everything – a better political environment.”
|Powers in Cambodia: legislative, executive and [judicial]". Clearly Cheam Yeap and the CPP are above all of these listed power, look at how he got away from drive by killing a motorist and it clear the Culture of Inpunity continue...If there IS truely NO MORE INPUNITY in Cambodia. If it realy and indenpent court system they would have summon him and prosecuted with life sentence for a hit and run murder. If the court is independent they would have arrested all the authority and individual who committted the killing of innocents demonstrators for $160 per month from $80. Then and for the government who manage organised these violent to step down and be brought to the court for negligent and murder.
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