![]()
Threats to Immunity
'Baseless': Sam Rainsy
By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
18 September 2008
Opposition
leader Sam Rainsy said Thursday his lawmakers-elect would continue to
boycott the formation of a new government, in the face of a verbal
attack by Prime Minister Hun Sen that hinted at attacking the
opposition's parliamentary immunity.
National Assembly lawmakers-elect are less than a week away from
swearing in a new government, but elected lawmakers of the Sam Rainsy
and Human Rights parties have said they will not attend the Sept. 24
event.
"I'm
maintaining my position to boycott the swearing-in ceremony, even if
Prime Minister Hun Sen threatens to take legal action against me,"
Sam Rainsy said Thursday. "I maintain my position against the unfair
election and the lack of solution to my election complaints."
Hun Sen said in a public speech Wednesday the National Assembly had
been "insulted," by being called "yuon," a racial slur for the
Vietnamese, an Assembly of "ghosts," and an institution of "thieves."
He was referring to a Radio France International interview with Sam
Rainsy.
"If
we take legal action against Sam Rainsy, we can easily strip his
National Assembly immunity," Hun Sen said, during a graduation
ceremony at Pannasastra University.
Sam Rainsy said in the RFI interview that the
National Assembly lawmakers for the Cambodian People's Party had been
elected by illegitimate or non-existent "ghost" voters.
Sam Rainsy told VOA Khmer Thursday the remarks by Hun Sen were intended
to "shut up" and censure the freedom of _expression_ and criticism of the
opposition.
"I
am not afraid of Hun Sen's threats," he said. "I have been
getting such threats from the country's leaders for 15 years. I'm not
afraid, and I'm not stopping the activities of the opposition, and the
remarks of Prime Minister Hun Sen are baseless."
Human Rights Party spokesman Yem Ponhearith on Thursday said the remarks
by Hun Sen were detrimental to free speech.
"The
criticism during the election campaign did not constitute an insult,"
he said. "If Hun Sen takes action against Sam Rainsy, I believe our
democracy is not enough and this will affect democrats in their
_expression_."
Lao Monghay, a researcher for the Asian Human Rights Commission, said
Thursday the remarks were not a good sign for Cambodia.
"The two sides should make a good compromise with each other," he said.
"If
Hun Sen complains to the court, the court has been criticized as being
under the power of the government and Hun Sen."
