European Parliamentarian Ramon Tremosa (left) at a meeting in Brussels in 2011. Tremosa and a number of other EP members formed a bloc called Group in Support of Democracy in Cambodia this week. Convergencia Democratica de Catalunya/Flickr |
World MPs see rights crisis in Kingdom
The Phnom Penh Post | 7 April 2017
Two separate groups of international parliamentarians this week
raised concerns over the state of democracy in Cambodia, seeing threats
to pluralism and human rights in harassment of opposition politicians,
trade unions and civil society activists.
Members of the European Parliament and the Inter-Parliamentary Union
(IPU) condemned what they see as a crackdown on the opposition Cambodia
National Rescue Party by the ruling Cambodian People’s Party ahead of
commune and national elections.
In Bangladesh on Wednesday, an IPU assembly, which represents 171
countries, adopted a resolution calling attention to the arrest,
persecution and suspension from the National Assembly of members of the
opposition.
“The IPU is alarmed at the escalating harassment of members of the
opposition in Cambodia,” the IPU’s statement reads. “The Organization is
also concerned at the prospect that one opposition party, the Cambodian
National Rescue Party, may be dissolved and not allowed to take part in
the upcoming election.”
The newly adopted Law on Political Parties
gave authorities the power to dissolve any political party that
violates a law or threatens national unity or security. The law is
widely viewed as having granted the CPP the legal tools to dissolve
arbitrarily any serious political threat.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, former opposition leader Sam Rainsy
said the IPU’s statement demonstrates that union members believe there
is a lack of political will on the part of Cambodian authorities to
resolve human rights violations.
“[IPU] considers it crucial for the CNRP to be able to stand in the upcoming elections,” Rainsy wrote.
Days earlier, members of the European Parliament formed a new group
called the Group in Support of Democracy in Cambodia. It aims to
pressure the EU to use its economic leverage as a major trade partner
with Cambodia to improve the human rights situation in the Kingdom.
“I think that trade and commercial considerations are taking much too
much importance, and we are forgetting democracy, rule of law, and
human rights,” said Umberto Gambini, a staff member for European
Parliamentarian Ramon Tremosa, a member of the group. “The EU has the
tools to act and suspend its association agreement with Cambodia.”
European Parliamentarian Neena Gill, also a group member, said
attacks on the opposition, as well as on human rights, labour and land
activists, were of considerable concern.
“For democracy to gain a foothold in Cambodia, it is key that local
elections this year and national elections in 2018 are conducted in a
free and fair manner,” Gill said via email. “This first and foremost
requires allowing meaningful political opposition.”
The group’s next meeting will be held April 26, and includes a list
of lobbying tools such as issuing priority questions, issues that must
be reviewed and responded to by European commissioners, and writing
letters.
The group has one priority question still awaiting response, and is
considering issuing a parliamentary resolution on Cambodia this year.
“We are going to use all the tools at our disposal,” Gambini said.
The group will also invite the EU ambassador to Cambodia to join its
discussions. EU Ambassador George Edgar confirmed he had plans to speak
with the group.
But ruling party spokesman Sok Eysan said the concerns were overblown.
“Has the CNRP been dissolved?” he asked. “The CNRP has commune chief
candidates in all 1,646 communes . . . They should pay attention to the
terror [attacks] in Paris and London. They should not be giving a
headache to Phnom Penh.”
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