រសៀលនេះ នៅទីក្រុង ព្រុចស៊ែល (Bruxelles) ប្រទេស ប៊ែលហ្សិក (Belgique) ជាមួយ តំណាងរាស្ត្រ នៃសភា អឺរ៉ុប។ This afternoon, in Brussels, with Members of the European Parliament.
STATEMENT : RED ALERT ON CAMBODIA
The following are excerpts from a statement on Cambodia issued by Amnesty International on September 4, 2017.
https://www.amnesty.org/
It is a very good summary of the current situation in my country. I don’t need to add a single word.
The Cambodian government must immediately end its escalating assault on opposition, media and civil society groups in the lead up to the 2018 general election.
Since commune elections were held on June 4, 2017, the government has used a variety of regulatory and criminal laws to move aggressively against the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), independent media, and local and international civil society groups.
In the early hours of Sunday, September 3, Kem Sokha, the leader of the CNRP was arrested at his home in Phnom Penh. He has been accused of “conspiracy with a foreign power.” The trumped up accusation against Kem Sokha is the latest development in a rapidly escalating campaign by the government that is also restricting independent news and analysis ahead of the 2018 general election.
On July 4, 2017, the Ministry of Interior ordered The Situation Room—a coalition of Cambodian associations and nongovernmental organizations that had provided analysis of the management and fairness of elections—to cease its activities.
In the week beginning August 21, multiple radio stations were forced off the air. The radio stations affected are reported to have sold airtime to the United States-based Radio Free Asia and Voice of America, and to have carried locally-produced content that was at times critical of the government. This will restrict the availability of independent news and analysis ahead of the 2018 general election.
On August 23, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MFA) abruptly announced that the Cambodia operations of the Washington D.C.-based National Democratic Institute (NDI) would be shut down.
On September 4, the publishers of The Cambodia Daily newspaper announced in a statement that they would cease publication and move to dissolve the company that owns the newspaper after receiving a USD 6.3 million tax bill on August 4, 2017 covering the previous ten years. The publishers disputed the bill and stated that they offered to work with the General Department of Taxation to resolve any legitimate tax liabilities through a formal audit and negotiations but were repeatedly rebuffed.
Amnesty International is concerned by the lack of due process given other recent moves to restrict media and civil society organizations. Amnesty International is therefore concerned that these actions constitute violations of the rights to freedom of expression and association.
The U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, Rhona Smith, who carried out her fourth official visit to Cambodia last August, stated at the end of her mission: "The general situation in the country remains tense. Cambodia appears to be approaching a precipice."
Having invested so much in Cambodia over the last 25 years [since the 1991 Paris Accords], the international community should not turn away now, as the Cambodian government threatens to reverse course and use the law as a tool to restrict and silence Cambodia's independent media and civil society.
Brussels, September 6, 2017
Sam Rainsy
Cambodia's elected Member of Parliament
Since commune elections were held on June 4, 2017, the government has used a variety of regulatory and criminal laws to move aggressively against the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), independent media, and local and international civil society groups.
In the early hours of Sunday, September 3, Kem Sokha, the leader of the CNRP was arrested at his home in Phnom Penh. He has been accused of “conspiracy with a foreign power.” The trumped up accusation against Kem Sokha is the latest development in a rapidly escalating campaign by the government that is also restricting independent news and analysis ahead of the 2018 general election.
On July 4, 2017, the Ministry of Interior ordered The Situation Room—a coalition of Cambodian associations and nongovernmental organizations that had provided analysis of the management and fairness of elections—to cease its activities.
In the week beginning August 21, multiple radio stations were forced off the air. The radio stations affected are reported to have sold airtime to the United States-based Radio Free Asia and Voice of America, and to have carried locally-produced content that was at times critical of the government. This will restrict the availability of independent news and analysis ahead of the 2018 general election.
On August 23, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MFA) abruptly announced that the Cambodia operations of the Washington D.C.-based National Democratic Institute (NDI) would be shut down.
On September 4, the publishers of The Cambodia Daily newspaper announced in a statement that they would cease publication and move to dissolve the company that owns the newspaper after receiving a USD 6.3 million tax bill on August 4, 2017 covering the previous ten years. The publishers disputed the bill and stated that they offered to work with the General Department of Taxation to resolve any legitimate tax liabilities through a formal audit and negotiations but were repeatedly rebuffed.
Amnesty International is concerned by the lack of due process given other recent moves to restrict media and civil society organizations. Amnesty International is therefore concerned that these actions constitute violations of the rights to freedom of expression and association.
The U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, Rhona Smith, who carried out her fourth official visit to Cambodia last August, stated at the end of her mission: "The general situation in the country remains tense. Cambodia appears to be approaching a precipice."
Having invested so much in Cambodia over the last 25 years [since the 1991 Paris Accords], the international community should not turn away now, as the Cambodian government threatens to reverse course and use the law as a tool to restrict and silence Cambodia's independent media and civil society.
Brussels, September 6, 2017
Sam Rainsy
Cambodia's elected Member of Parliament
Cambodia and the Khmer have betrayed the Paris 1991 accord by support China and against the freedom of navigation in the South China sea. You keep acting treacherously like that, you will not get any good investment in Cambodia. Who will be foolish to build a multi-billion dollar factory in Cambodia to see you betray later?
ReplyDeleteYou are to be kept poor, uneducated, weak, powerless and insignificant.
you are freaking out of your mind Minh Nguyen!
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