Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy accuses PM Hun Sen of stilling critical voices

23 September 2009

Cambodia's opposition leader Sam Rainsy accused Prime Minister Hun Sen of silencing critical voices in the country in the face of growing discontent among Cambodians induced by the government's corrupt practices and mismanagement of the economy and the effects of the worldwide financial crisis.

Speaking before representatives of the international media in a panel discussion organized by the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) in cooperation with the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand (FCCT) in Bangkok on 23 September 2009, Sam Rainsy said the Hun Sen administration has launched a crackdown, not only against journalists, but also legislators, civil society officers and even their lawyers.

He said the government's corruption has further weakened the national economy. "Cambodia is losing US$500 million every year to corruption," he said.

Aside from this, Sam Rainsy, who heads the Sam Rainsy Party which in turn controls 26 out of 123 seats in Cambodia's parliament, accused the current government of mismanaging the economy, first selling off natural resources like timber and now leasing forested lands to foreign companies for up to 99 years, with the income allegedly going to corrupt officials' pockets.

At the same time, Sam Rainsy said the government is not taking steps to mitigate the effects of the worldwide crisis. It has refused to inject money into the economy, he said, adding that taxes were instead raised, and the interest rates of banks shot up to 3% per month.

To head off the discontent, Sam Rainsy said the Hun Sen government has targeted opposition members of parliament (MPs) and civil society groups, aside from journalists.

On 26 June 2009, Hang Chakra, the publisher and editor-in-chief of the "Khmer Machas Srok" was sentenced to one year in prison. He was tried in absentia, despite the fact that he never fled or left the country. He was also fined 9 million Riel or (about US$2250), a considerable sum in Cambodia, for "disinformation" and for "dishonoring public officials".

On 8 July this year, charges against of "Moneaksika Khmer" (Khmer Conscience) newspaper Sam Dith were dropped, after another formal letter of apology (this time addressed to PM Hun Sen) -- along with a "voluntary" resolution to cease publication of his newspaper. A year earlier, Sam Dith had been slapped with criminal charges over an article that suggested links between Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Nam Hong and the past Khmer Rouge regime.

On 22 June 2009, the National Assembly controlled by the ruling Cambodia People's Party suspended the parliamentary immunity of two members of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP). The move paved the way for defamation charges brought by PM Hun Sen and the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces against opposition legislators Mu Sochua and Ho Vann.

The government then also went after the oppositionists' lawyers. Kong Sam Onn, the legal counsel who represented Mu Sochua and Ho Vann, was himself charged with defamation by Hun Sen. He was also threatened with disbarment. Like the editor Sam Dith, Kong Sam Onn was forced to apologize to the prime minister, and then compelled to join the ruling party, in return for the withdrawal of the case against him.

Sam Rainsy added that while the government harasses political and civil society leaders and journalists with lawsuits, rank-and-file members have been assassinated recently, especially in the rural areas.

Duong Hak Sam Rithy, vice president of the Cambodian Association for the protection of Journalists (CAPJ) claimed that some 10 journalists have been killed by government agents. Up to now, he said, police have not yet concluded their investigation in any of the cases.