Prak Chan Thul
3 MIN READ
PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Cambodia’s former opposition leader, Sam Rainsy, called on Sunday for Cambodians to boycott a general election set for July 29 if his dissolved party isn’t allowed to take part.
FILE PHOTO - Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy delivers a speech to members of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) at a hotel in metro Manila, Philippines June 29, 2016. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco
The Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) was dissolved by the Supreme Court last November at the request of Prime Minister Hun Sen’s government, which alleged it was plotting to take power with the help of the United States.
The CNRP and the United States have denied the allegations, which followed the arrest of current party leader Kem Sokha on treason charges over the alleged plot. He has denied the charges and called them a ploy to help Hun Sen win re-election.
“I call on all my Cambodian fellow compatriots who believe in democracy to boycott the 29 July 2018 elections if the CNRP is not allowed to participate,” Sam Rainsy said in a tweet on Sunday.
The party had not previously called for a boycott and it was not immediately clear if Sam Rainsy was speaking on behalf of the party.
He resigned as president of the CNRP in 2017 but has for decades been a vocal critic of Hun Sen. He has lived in France since 2015 to avoid a series of convictions he says are politically motivated.
Sok Eysan, a spokesman for Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party, said Sam Rainsy’s call would have no impact.
“The CNRP is already dead by the Supreme Court’s decision,” Sok Eysan said. “Even if Sam Rainsy appeals until he dies, people no longer believe him.”
The ban on the CNRP prompted some Western countries to condemn the crackdown, cut aid, and impose visa bans on some ruling party members. But Japan provided Cambodia with a grant and loan agreement totalling over $90 million on Sunday, while saying it wanted to see a free and fair election.
“Everybody can have their own idea what is free and fair, but free is free and fair is fair,” Norio Maruyama, a Japanese Foreign Affairs spokesman, told a news briefing.
A former deputy president of the CNRP, Mu Sochua, said Cambodians expected Japan not to recognise any government that emerged from a “sham election”.
Japan is locked in a regional battle for influence with China, which is by far the biggest donor to Cambodia and has consistently voiced support for the government.
Reporting by Prak Chan Thul, editing by Larry King
3 comments:
I will not go to vote for HUN SEN and the CPP, ever as long as I live!
Ah kwak and the cpp monkeys would see this appeal for the July election boycott coming to haunt them. If this appeal causes the low turn out,because it is a payback time; a form of protest from the will of Khmer who don't accept this dictatorial regime, ultimately illegitimate it
Khmer people need to do some works to force Hun Sen and his master Yuon to let the CNRP in the election.
Just remember that Vietnam had lost a lot of soldiers to conquer Cambodia.
Why do we want to get Cambodia back without paying anything?
Here is one of the solutions:
WHAT MUST KHMER PEOPLE DO IN THIS 2018 UPCOMING ELECTION ?
Khmer people have done the right thing by planning to vote Hun Sen out in this 2018 election, but Hun Sen crushed Khmer people's hope after he has dissolved the CNRP.
TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM, Khmer people need to wage a nationwide peaceful demonstration demanding for the REINSTATEMENT OF THE CNRP a few days before the election day and let it go on until the election day, MAKING THE ELECTION IMPOSSIBLE. I firmly believe this is the only opportunity that Khmer people have left to fight this evil Vietnam and its slave Hun Sen effectively. The dissolution of the CNRP was unconstitutional.
If Khmer people fail to stop the July 2018 election, Hun Sen will proclaim that the CPP is the winner and he is the new Prime Minister of the new government. Any peaceful demonstration afterward will be persecuted by his new government as color revolution.
That's why the demonstration to stop the 2018 election is extremely crucial. We must help ourselves first before the international community can help us. We must exert our right to force Hun Sen to reinstate the CNRP so that it could participate in the election.
If the CNRP won the election and Hun Sen and his master Vietnam did not relinquish the power, then a nationwide peaceful demonstration demanding the loser to abide by the electoral rule will be made. The International community will spontaneously support Khmer people who stood up for their right.
Notice that we must OFFICIALLY win the election first (that means the NEC declares that the winner is the CNRP) before the international community can help us. It is imperative that Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha stay tightly united in order to win the election. Some Khmer people such as James Sok, Kem Monovithia should stop trying to elevate Kem Sokha and put Sam Rainsy down to create friction between these 2 men and their respective supporters.
Sam Rainsy alone cannot win the election. Kem Sokha alone cannot win the election. We need both of them to win the election.
This is the right time to sacrifice our life for our motherland. We must stop this election to force Hun Sen to let the CNRP in the election. Yuon and its slave Hun Sen will not give up Cambodia easily. We must fight hard to get it.
Bun Thoeun
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