(CAAI News Media)
Nearly 50 Non-Governmental Orga-nizations (NGOs) in Cambodia have released a joint statement supporting the lifting of Cambodian Opposition Leader Sam Rainsy’s parliamentary immunity by the National Assembly (NA) last week, paving the way for Svay Reing Provincial Court to bring a case against him.
The 48 NGOs included an ASEAN-Cambodia organization, Human Rights United, the Cambodia Development Organization, the ASEAN-Cambodia Youth Association. Their statement said that lifting Sam Rainsy’s immunity was in line with legal procedures and democratic processes.
Rainsy has been stripped of his parliamentary immunity for a second time this year over a dispute about wooden posts marking the border between Cambodia and Vietnam.
Cambodia’s Parliament voted last Monday to remove Rainsy’s legal immunity with 87 votes, mostly Cambo- dia People’s Party (CCP) lawmakers
“While Cambodia has a row in diplomatic tie with Thailand, Sam Rainsy should not cause another issue to gain political benefits which would make Cambodians take turn to focus on this problem,” the statement said.
To demarcate the border between the two counties is responsible for Cambodia Joint Border Committee (JBC) with being deep careful and due to technical work in Svay Rieng, the statement added.
Rainsy “without conscience damaged public property,” the statement claimed.
The NGO statement, mostly made by lesser known organizations, criticized the internationally well-respected human rights, pro-democracy and free speech groups who had lambasted the NA move a typical of an ongoing drive to silence and intimidate Government critics.
Rainsy, who is currently in Europe, has claimed he was merely standing up for the rights of local villagers who said they were losing land to Vietnam.
Opposition Sam Rainsy Party legislator Son Chhay said the vote was motivated by politics, not law.
“This lifting of Sam Rainsy’s immunity clarified that the present Govern-ment does not care and pay attention to the citizens’ trouble facing to lose their land abused by Vietnamese authority,” an SRP statement said.
Cambodia King Norondom Sihamoni on November 10 sent three official letters to Senate President Chea Sim, NA President Heng Samrin, and Prime Minister Hun Sen, appealing for a review of the case related to the wooden border posts in Chantrea district, Svay Rieng Province bordering Vietnam.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on November 4 called on the Cambodian Government to take action against Sam Rainsy over his actions and warned not to allow a repeat of this action.
Kem Sokha, Human Right Party Leader, on Saturday told DAP News Cambodia the NGOs supporting the NA’s suspension of Rainsy’s immunity were exercising their right to freedom of expression.
“The opposition party leader’s action really destroyed the relationship between the two countries in deep way and it was very serious,” Information Minister Kheiu Kanharith told DAP News Cambodia.
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