-----Original Message----- From: Morry Hermón from the School of Social Welfare <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Tue, Aug 18, 2009 6:46 pm Subject: Mu Sochua, Member of Cambodian Parliament and Women's Human Rights Advocate, to speak at UC Berkeley on Monday, September 14th The 2009 Friedlander Lecture Series in International Social Welfare Mu Sochua, Member of Cambodian Parliament and Women’s Human Rights Advocate Monday, September 14th 4pm - 6pm The Goldberg Room, Boalt Hall (2nd floor), UC Berkeley School of Law (entrance on Bancroft Way near Piedmont Avenue) Title: Cambodian Democracy and Human Rights under Siege: One Woman's Fight Description: The UC Berkeley School of Social Welfare proudly presents alumna Mu Sochua (MSW ’81) — opposition leader, social worker, and women's rights advocate — for the 2009 Walter Friedlander Memorial Lecture on Monday September 14th, at 4pm. Sochua will discuss her years battling sex trafficking, domestic violence against women, government corruption and land grabs in Cambodia, and the court case that has now attracted the attention of the UN High Commission on Human Rights. One of the most outspoken members of the Cambodian parliament, Mu Sochua has taken on the Prime Minister in a test of her country’s legal system. In a series of events that began last year, over the summer Mu Sochua had her parliamentary immunity stripped and faced trial without legal representation (her lawyer was threatened by Prime Minister Hun Sen to drop his client or be disbarred). Hers is one of at least six cases in which the Cambodian government is currently using the courts to silence opposition leaders, journalists and human rights groups, reports the Asian Human Rights Commission. According to UC Berkeley Law School faculty member Stephen Golub, “Sochua's battle is important in and of itself, but also resonates far beyond Cambodia. It has important implications for US foreign policy and for development aid provided by our country and many others." To read more about this issue, you can read two recent articles in the Washington Post and the New York Times. Mu Sochua originally served as a member of Prime Minister Hun Sen's cabinet but left the position after witnessing government corruption; she is now a senior member of the Sam Rainsy Party. A former minister of women's affairs, in 2005 she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for her work with women trapped in the Cambodian and Thai sex trade. In 2007, UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau presented Sochua with the prestigious Elise and Walter A. Haas International Award for her distinguished record of service to her people and country. This event is co-sponsored by the University of California, Berkeley Human Rights Center, the Center for Southeast20Asia Studies, the Boalt Hall School of Law International Human Rights Law Clinic and the Miller Institute for Global Challenges and the Law . Sochua's talk will be followed by Q&A and a reception. Refreshments will be served. This event is free and open to the public. Please join us. For more information: http://socialwelfare.berkeley.edu/ (510) 643-5433 [email protected] Copyright © 2009 UC Regents. All rights reserved. Update Email Preferences | Tell A Friend | Unsubscribe --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Cambodia Discussion (CAMDISC) - www.cambodia.org" group. This is an unmoderated forum. Please refrain from using foul language. Thank you for your understanding. Peace among us and in Cambodia. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/camdisc Learn more - http://www.cambodia.org -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
