-CPP backs NEC ban on foreign participation in council elections -Financial crisis hits Cambodian rubber exports -Cambodian government rejects U.S. human rights report -Cambodia Home Boy
full article below: CPP backs NEC ban on foreign participation in council elections Written by Vong Sokheng Tuesday, 17 March 2009 Election watchdog Comfrel says military, police influence a higher priority. THE ruling Cambodian People's Party said Monday it supports the ban on foreign citizens participating in the May 17 district, municipal and provincial elections. In the election, votes will be cast by the 11,353 elected commune council members, but not by the public. The new bodies are part of the government's decentralisation program to improve representation among the National Assembly and the commune councils. Senior CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap told the Post his party agreed with last week's ruling by the National Election Committee and said it would help to prevent any violence that might ensue by inflammatory comments by foreigners. He claimed the CPP had discovered foreigners helping the opposition Sam Rainsy Party in last year's general election, campaigning in Kampong Cham and Prey Veng. "We are patient with criticisms made by Cambodian politicians, but we don't want to see electoral campaigns conducted by foreigners in support of opposition political parties," said Cheam Yeap. "Their criticisms look down on Cambodia and our people." But SRP Secretary General and lawmaker Ke Sovannroth denied the allegation. She said the only foreigners who took part in the general election were international observers monitoring proceedings. The election-monitoring body Comfrel said the NEC had missed the point and ought to focus on more relevant issues. Comfrel Executive Director Koul Panha said the issue of foreign participation was not a priority. "It happens very rarely and would have no influence - foreigners respect the code of conduct," he said. Koul Panha said the NEC ought to prioritise focussing on the role of the police and Royal Cambodian Armed Forces in influencing election results. He said the NEC should issue clear regulations on how those bodies participated in elections. NEC Secretary General Tep Nytha said the regulation was designed to remind all parties that foreigners were not allowed to take part in the campaign, and any party that flouted the rule could be fined. Campaigning for the election will run from May 1 to 15 and is to see the CPP, the SRP, the Norodom Ranariddh Party and Funcinpec competing to win votes from the country's 11,353 commune councillors. The outcome will determine the composition of the parties at the higher- level district councils and the municipal and provincial councils. Tep Nytha said CPP candidates were listed at 217 polling stations, the SRP had candidates at 205, Funcinpec candidates were at 71 and the NRP were at 62. A total of 17,293 candidates from the four parties are registered with the NEC. The CPP's Cheam Yeap said his party was ready to compete with all four political parties in May's election and appealed to each party to actively build confidence among their voters. "We aren't worried about the influence of those foreigners who back opposition parties, but we don't want foreigners coming here and insulting the Cambodian people," said Cheam Yeap. http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2009031724807/National-news/CP... Financial crisis hits Cambodian rubber exports PHNOM PENH, March 16 (Xinhua) -- The global financial crisis has cooled down car sales, thus decreasing the demand for tyres and rubber and eventually hitting Cambodia's rubber exports, Chinese-language newspaper the Jian Hua Daily reported on Monday. The rubber price has gone down to 1,300 U.S. dollars per ton in the international market and 1,200 U.S. dollars per ton in the Cambodian market, the newspaper quoted officials at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forests and Fisheries as saying. The bottom line for Cambodian rubber planters was 700 U.S. dollars per ton, they said. Although the planters were not in deficit at the current times, they made much less profits than before, they added. Cambodia boasts an easy environment for rubber plantation and now has 110,000 hectares of land to grow rubber. The number is expected to rise to 150,000 hectares in 2015, according to official figures. Editor: Xiong Tong http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-03/16/content_11018707.htm Cambodian government rejects U.S. human rights report PHNOM PENH, March 16 (Xinhua) -- The Cambodian government has condemned that a human rights report recently issued by the U.S. State Department didn't reflect the reality of Cambodia, said official news agency AKP on Monday. "The 2008 Country Report on Human Rights Practices on Cambodia issued by the U.S. State Department seems to be a routine that has nothing to do with human rights reality in Cambodia, and appears to be almost a carbon copy of the reports of the previous years with a few cosmetic changes here and there," the Agence Kampuchea Presse quoted a spokesman of the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation as saying in a statement. The report contains a number of unsubstantiated assertions which appear to rely on misleading information supplied by certain organizations, which are monitored and financially supported by certain foreign countries, said the spokesman. He clarified that "it is very normal in democratic countries that political party which wins landslide victory in democratic elections has to lead the country, and there is nothing unusual about such democratic practice everywhere in the world." "There is simply never 'extra-judicial killing' by security forces in Cambodia as mentioned in the report. This is only vulgarlie," he said. "With regard to the freedom of speech and press in Cambodia, one only needs to read and see how the ubiquitous opposition newspapers attack the Royal Government of Cambodia. Even the newspapers written in foreign languages, financed and managed by foreigners do not have the slightest reservation or hesitation in criticizing the Royal Government of Cambodia," he added. The spokesman also explained the so-called "unlawful forced eviction," saying that "one must ponder whether there is any country in the world which allows squatters to take over possession of or occupy permanently private properties or public areas such as public gardens, sidewalk and streets." "Finally, if enforcing rules to maintain public order is construed as human rights violation, then what does one have to say in terms of human rights respect on the condition in the secret prisons of a certain country where torture of prisoners is practiced as reported in the media?" added the spokesman in the statement. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-03/16/content_11021773.htm Editor: Zhang Xiang Cambodia Home Boy David O'Shea reports on the fate of nearly 200 Cambodian refugees whose parents fled the killing fields of the Khmer Rouge. They were granted safe haven in the United States, and have spent most of their life there. But under a policy introduced by former US President George W Bush, refugees who have broken the law are being plucked out of their American lives and deported to Cambodia. As O'Shea reports in his story - despite the unfamiliar surroundings, and often not even being able to speak the language, they're trying to make the most of life in their new country. Find out more this Sunday, 8:30pm on Dateline (SBS). On air: 22nd March 2009 http://www.sbs.com.au/dateline/story/about/id/600022/n/Cambodia-s-Home-Boys --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ The articles and commentaries on this forum reflect only the personal opinion(s) of the poster(s) and not that of any organization or group with which the moderator(s) is (are) affiliated. A forwarded message or event may be posted for informational/educational purposes. Unless specifically stated, no endorsement of the posted opinions/events should be implied. 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