Please help Koh Kban Kandal villagers who were victimized by Hanoi's puppet regime
Dec 28, 2009
Click on the appeal letter in Khmer to zoom inUnofficial Translation from Khmer
Sam Rainsy Party
Appeal
Appeal
The Sam Rainsy Party would like to inform all our members and all generous persons from both inside and outside of Cambodia that Mrs. Meas Srey and Mr. Prum Chea, two villagers from Koh Kban Kandal North village, located in Chantrea district, Svay Rieng province, were unfairly arrested and sent to prison by the Svay Rieng provincial court on 23 December 2009. The court accused the pair of willfully damaging border post No. 185 on 25 October 2009. Mrs. Meas Srey and Mr. Prum Chea were among the many land owners who lost their rice fields due to the planting of border post No. 185 on top on their properties.
Videos summarizing the event can be viewed at the following links: http://tinyurl.com/yhwf289 and http://tinyurl.com/yfmakb5
In the name of the victim’s families and in the name of the Sam Rainsy party, I am appealing to all our members, as well as generous donors from both inside and outside our country, to please help provide funds, according to your means and capability, to help encourage, support and alleviate the needs of the families of Mrs. Meas Srey and Mr. Prum Chea who were victimized and lost their lands from the planting of border post No. 185 on top of their rice fields.
I am deeply thanking our party members and all the generous donors from both inside and outside our country who had always contributed their personal funds to provide for the families of the victims in their fight to defend our national interest, our territorial integrity, our democracy and social justice.
I am wishing all our party members and all the generous donors from both inside and outside our country with the five Buddhist blessings.
Sam Rainsy takes sole responsibility for the uprooting of border stakes
Sam Rainsy raised Mrs. Meas Srey's hand to show her courage to uproot the border stakes (Photo: Meng Huor, Radio France Internationale)26 December 2009
By Pen Bona
Radio France Internationale
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the article in Khmer
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy declared that he is taking sole responsibility for the uprooting of border stakes in Chantrea district, Svay Rieng province. Sam Rainsy’s decision to come out and take this responsibility takes place at a time when the Svay Rieng provincial court charged a number of villagers of colluding with Sam Rainsy to uproot the border stakes at the end of October. This legal case is heating up the political atmosphere in Cambodia one more notch.
Sam Rainsy, who in the past claimed that he was only a witness in the uprooting of border stakes, has changed his mind and he now accepts the full and sole responsibility in this case.
From France where he is now staying, the opposition leader issued a statement on Friday indicating that, according to the law, he is the person who is solely responsible and who should be tried by the court. All the other persons who were present in this incident were victims of his action only.
Sam Rainsy’s decision to accept full responsibility is taking place at a time when the Svay Rieng provincial court is continuing its investigation in this border stakes uprooting. The court also charged a number of villagers who participated in the uprooting with Sam Rainsy. Up to now, the court has arrested two villagers and three others fled because they are concerned about being arrested.
At the end of October, Sam Rainsy and a group of villagers uprooted 6 border stakes that were installed by the joint Cambodian-Viet border committee in Koh Kban Kandal village, Chantrea district, Svay Rieng province. The villagers charged that these stakes were planted on top of their rice fields. Subsequently, Sam Rainsy was charged by the Svay Rieng court for destruction of public properties and for inciting racial discrimination.
Sam Rainsy declared that he was only witnessing the uprooting of these border stakes that led to the loss of Cambodian territories. However, now, he declared that he is taking full and sole responsibility in this case. Yim Sovann, SRP spokesman, explained today that Sam Rainsy did not uproot the stakes, but as a MP who was present on the spot, he accepts to take the responsibility for the villagers.
Yim Sovann claimed that the villagers are not to be blamed because they uprooted border stakes that are planted on their properties. However, if the court wants to charge anyone in this case, the court should only charge Sam Rainsy. Nevertheless, the Svay Rieng court is still continuing its work in this case.
Sam Rainsy, who in the past claimed that he was only a witness in the uprooting of border stakes, has changed his mind and he now accepts the full and sole responsibility in this case.
From France where he is now staying, the opposition leader issued a statement on Friday indicating that, according to the law, he is the person who is solely responsible and who should be tried by the court. All the other persons who were present in this incident were victims of his action only.
Sam Rainsy’s decision to accept full responsibility is taking place at a time when the Svay Rieng provincial court is continuing its investigation in this border stakes uprooting. The court also charged a number of villagers who participated in the uprooting with Sam Rainsy. Up to now, the court has arrested two villagers and three others fled because they are concerned about being arrested.
At the end of October, Sam Rainsy and a group of villagers uprooted 6 border stakes that were installed by the joint Cambodian-Viet border committee in Koh Kban Kandal village, Chantrea district, Svay Rieng province. The villagers charged that these stakes were planted on top of their rice fields. Subsequently, Sam Rainsy was charged by the Svay Rieng court for destruction of public properties and for inciting racial discrimination.
Sam Rainsy declared that he was only witnessing the uprooting of these border stakes that led to the loss of Cambodian territories. However, now, he declared that he is taking full and sole responsibility in this case. Yim Sovann, SRP spokesman, explained today that Sam Rainsy did not uproot the stakes, but as a MP who was present on the spot, he accepts to take the responsibility for the villagers.
Yim Sovann claimed that the villagers are not to be blamed because they uprooted border stakes that are planted on their properties. However, if the court wants to charge anyone in this case, the court should only charge Sam Rainsy. Nevertheless, the Svay Rieng court is still continuing its work in this case.
With a Vietnamese citizen for president, how can BIDC be billed as a Cambodian bank? BIDC is just another Yuon subterfuge?
The Bank for Investment and Development of Cambodia (BIDC) opens its Ho Chi Minh City branch on December 26 in the presence of Vietnamese and Cambodian Prime Ministers Nguyen Tan Dung and Hun Sen (Photo: VNA)Cambodian PM honours bank opening in HCM City
Sunday ,Dec 27,2009
VNA (Hanoi)
The Bank for Investment and Development of Cambodia (BIDC) opened its Ho Chi Minh City branch on December 26 in the presence of Vietnamese and Cambodian Prime Ministers Nguyen Tan Dung and Hun Sen.
This is the first branch of the BIDC’s expansion strategy to generate a major financial source for Vietnamese investors and businesses operational in Cambodia;
The Phnom Penh-headquartered BIDC was put into operation on July 26 with the charter capital fuelled by the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV).
BIDC President Tran Thanh Van said at the opening ceremony that the new branch is expected to successfully serve as a payment channel to connect two economies and banking systems in the two countries.
He pledged to lead the BIDC and its HCM City branch to a great success and abide by the two countries’ law, thus boosting trade and investment relations between the business circles and residents from the two countries.
Hun Sen was in Vietnam’s southern economic hub to co-chair with his Vietnamese counterpart, Nguyen Tan Dung, a conference to promote investment between the two neighbouring countries.
This is the first branch of the BIDC’s expansion strategy to generate a major financial source for Vietnamese investors and businesses operational in Cambodia;
The Phnom Penh-headquartered BIDC was put into operation on July 26 with the charter capital fuelled by the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV).
BIDC President Tran Thanh Van said at the opening ceremony that the new branch is expected to successfully serve as a payment channel to connect two economies and banking systems in the two countries.
He pledged to lead the BIDC and its HCM City branch to a great success and abide by the two countries’ law, thus boosting trade and investment relations between the business circles and residents from the two countries.
Hun Sen was in Vietnam’s southern economic hub to co-chair with his Vietnamese counterpart, Nguyen Tan Dung, a conference to promote investment between the two neighbouring countries.
Fatal flaws in Chinese law
The Dalai Lama, a thorn for communist China (Photo: AP)28/12/2009
Bangkok Post
EDITORIAL
China is a rapidly emerging nation, in the jargon of the day, but it has shown defects that will prevent it from being a true world power. Industrially and in many economic areas, China measures up to its reputation as a global player. Its defence forces are modernising. But two recent events, at home and abroad, show that Beijing has not earned and cannot command the respect of a 21st century superpower.
The ''state subversion'' trial of the dissident Liu Xiaobo failed all possible tests of fairness. Outsiders were not permitted and the witnesses did not testify in public. Mr Liu, a 53-year-old former literature professor, was brought into the court, heard his accusation read, and then was taken away for 11 years in prison, plus two more years of enforced censorship.
The procedure was no trial to determine guilt or innocence. Instead, it was a harsh warning to others who might dare to write or to voice complaints against central authorities.
The second case took place in Cambodia, and the proceedings were even murkier and more opaque than the trial of Prof Liu. Chinese diplomats or other authorities gave Cambodia orders, threats or an ultimatum - who knows which, or what combination? - that caused the Hun Sen government to reverse its old policy of granting asylum to political refugees. Now, Cambodia has ''decided'' to deport 20 Chinese Uighurs, including two infants back to China. Beijing has said the 20 were criminals, involved in last July's riots which left at least 197 people dead in Urumqi city and the surrounding Xinjiang Autonomous Region.
China offered no public proof that the Uighur refugees were criminals or violent. The refugees themselves said they feared punishment, jail terms or the death penalty. Cambodian authorities who had previously drawn strong praise from the United Nations for helping refugees from regional minority groups clearly felt the Chinese breath on their back of the neck over the case. It was obviously no coincidence that just days after Cambodia deported the Uighur, China announced 14 separate aid deals, worth US$850 million (30 billion baht).
Like all countries, China uses its diplomatic and economic strength to try to gain its strategic goals. But Beijing officials too often go overboard, seem unwilling to suspend their own questionable beliefs, and consider that there is more than one way to approach an issue and to solve disagreement.
For example, China has bullied Thailand for three decades over the Dalai Lama. The Chinese embassy and senior government officials on visits to Thailand have made it clear there would be severe repercussions if the former Tibetan leader stepped foot on Thai soil. It is a shame that Thai officials have bent to this threat, but there is no reason to make such an issue out of a possible visit to Thailand by a world Buddhist figure. China, of course, made exiled Thai communists welcome and gave them strong support for the violent plans to overthrow the government and institutions of Thailand. Nor has any harm come to Thailand because of failure to crack down on the Falungong group, detested and banned in China.
The single-minded cruelty of the Liu trial and the Uighur deportation is a serious blemish on the makeup of the Chinese administration. It is clear from examples in China and other countries that Prof Liu posed no real threat to central power. Both he and the Uighur families deserved fair hearings instead of the deeply flawed justice of today's China.
The ''state subversion'' trial of the dissident Liu Xiaobo failed all possible tests of fairness. Outsiders were not permitted and the witnesses did not testify in public. Mr Liu, a 53-year-old former literature professor, was brought into the court, heard his accusation read, and then was taken away for 11 years in prison, plus two more years of enforced censorship.
The procedure was no trial to determine guilt or innocence. Instead, it was a harsh warning to others who might dare to write or to voice complaints against central authorities.
The second case took place in Cambodia, and the proceedings were even murkier and more opaque than the trial of Prof Liu. Chinese diplomats or other authorities gave Cambodia orders, threats or an ultimatum - who knows which, or what combination? - that caused the Hun Sen government to reverse its old policy of granting asylum to political refugees. Now, Cambodia has ''decided'' to deport 20 Chinese Uighurs, including two infants back to China. Beijing has said the 20 were criminals, involved in last July's riots which left at least 197 people dead in Urumqi city and the surrounding Xinjiang Autonomous Region.
China offered no public proof that the Uighur refugees were criminals or violent. The refugees themselves said they feared punishment, jail terms or the death penalty. Cambodian authorities who had previously drawn strong praise from the United Nations for helping refugees from regional minority groups clearly felt the Chinese breath on their back of the neck over the case. It was obviously no coincidence that just days after Cambodia deported the Uighur, China announced 14 separate aid deals, worth US$850 million (30 billion baht).
Like all countries, China uses its diplomatic and economic strength to try to gain its strategic goals. But Beijing officials too often go overboard, seem unwilling to suspend their own questionable beliefs, and consider that there is more than one way to approach an issue and to solve disagreement.
For example, China has bullied Thailand for three decades over the Dalai Lama. The Chinese embassy and senior government officials on visits to Thailand have made it clear there would be severe repercussions if the former Tibetan leader stepped foot on Thai soil. It is a shame that Thai officials have bent to this threat, but there is no reason to make such an issue out of a possible visit to Thailand by a world Buddhist figure. China, of course, made exiled Thai communists welcome and gave them strong support for the violent plans to overthrow the government and institutions of Thailand. Nor has any harm come to Thailand because of failure to crack down on the Falungong group, detested and banned in China.
The single-minded cruelty of the Liu trial and the Uighur deportation is a serious blemish on the makeup of the Chinese administration. It is clear from examples in China and other countries that Prof Liu posed no real threat to central power. Both he and the Uighur families deserved fair hearings instead of the deeply flawed justice of today's China.
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