Former Parliamentarian Samrainsy and a Chance to be back to Cambodia

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• 2012 VOF Module 3

Former Parliamentarian Samrainsy who removed almost 2 years to abroad to escape from municipal court’s lawsuit in charge me 12 years in jail could hope to return to country if he steps down his tension to be sort for please for government and also got intervention and support from international community which have influenced on government and national assembly.

Even the absent of one among 123 Member of Parliament, it’s not the good image for national assembly sector in monitoring the government’s implementation, meeting and intervention on challenges faced by voters such land dispute. And voters are also not happy to see noncooperation among political actors.

Lately, political compromise used to exist in order to free political actor from punishment through the request made by government and send to the king to use the royal right to pardon as sated on chapter 2 article 27 of Cambodian Constituency “The King shall have the rights to grant pardons or amnesties”. But that is always an exchange between governments with accursed political actor.

Recently, positive sign, provided by the Member of Parliament Cheam Yeap head of 2nd committee of National Assembly and Cambodian People’s Party’s spokesperson to former parliamentarian Samrainsy as well as Parliamentarian from SRP via media, is that former parliamentarian Samrainsy could have a solution to return to Cambodia without conviction in case this former parliamentarian stop critiquing, attacking and turn to please with government. He added that “2 ways for him to choose. As Samrainsy used to stipend the immunity and face with jail sentence many times, he was normally pardoned by the king as state in chapter 2 that the king has royal right to pardon and amnesties or National Assembly also has authorize to make bill on pardon”.

To be a clue, Hun Sen, Prime Minister and member of parliament from Cambodian People’s party showed about his stand as a mature political actor to solve among Khmer political actor in non-violence way and propose to have solidarity among each other. That can be interpret for former parliamentarian Samrainsy that solution could be negotiate peacefully and change the mindset as a mature political actor to each other. He added that “We support the political actor who has political inspiration to reunify, solidarity, and unite in point of our country’s interest because we do not want to create any tense situations at all”. Prime Minister Hun Sen used to clarify it on June 13, 2011 during the graduated ceremony for officials at Royal School of Administration.

Meanwhile, Member of Europe Parliamentarian Ms. Cecilia Wikstrom requested to Cambodia government to comfort former parliamentarian Samraisy could return to country to join the coming up 2012 and 2013 elections to show the step forward of Cambodia’s democracy. And, she promise to bring Samraisy returning to Cambodia soon before the general election arrives “it is certain that she will report to the EU Parliament on the progress of democracy in Cambodia. She added that during the campaign for the upcoming general election, opposition leader Sam Rainsy will be present in Cambodia”. The clues are that the pressure on taxation and delay on Cambodia’s export to Europe community which base on the report on human right abuse and land conflict in Cambodia.

On the other hand, the United Nations Special rapporteur Mr. Surya Subedi, during his mission 5 days at the end of May 2011 during the greeting with President of National Assembly and members of Parliamentarian, had requested to take strong action to maintain and protect the freedom of expression of all parliamentarians, and revise the Parliamentarian’s immunity removal procedure. He said, “the extent for members of parliament in debating were limited and some of them were removed the immunity because of their expression over various issue related to country’s interests.

Besides, Mr. Nicolas Dupont Aignan, an independent member of parliament who does not belong to any political party or political group, sent a formal letter to Mr. Alian Juppe, the French minister of Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs to intervene for former MP Sam Rainsy who has been self-exiled in France to safely come back to Cambodia. “Request that European Union should not ignore the suppression on the victim who is the Member of Parliament from opposition party and request to claim for the full privileges and rights of expression as MP had before”.

European Union used to make a decision in 21st October 2010 on the condemnation and harassment made by Cambodian court on the former MP Sam Rainsy and members of opposition party in general. The verdict banned the former MP Sam Raisny from involving in election campaign in 2013. As a result, it negatively affects freedom of expression of other MPs of the opposition party and protection of citizens’ benefits as presently the condemnation on the freedom of expression on Members of Parliament results in narrowing down the scope and process of democratization in Cambodia.

To be concluded, based on the message from ruling party as well as Prime Minister Hun Sen, Mr. Samraisy should rethink the long term benefit for him and country as a whole to negotiate with the government in order to free from accusing and come back to serve the Cambodia people as they want to see Cambodia in democratic way involving with ruling and opposition party to play an important role in democratic country. Cambodian people is willing to see the unite among Khmer political actors.

This article is part of a writing assignment for Voices of Our Future a program of World Pulse that provides rigorous new media and citizen journalism training for grassroots women leaders. World Pulse lifts and unites the voices of women from some of the most unheard regions of the world.