Cambodian PM says won't step down or hold reelection despite continued opposition protest

English.news.cn   2013-12-20 13:01:01

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Friday that he would neither step down nor hold a reelection as the opposition's daily protest entered sixth day.
"I have ascended to the prime minister through the constitution. If I descend, it will also be through the constitution," Hun Sen told reporters after a parliamentary session. "Therefore, I confirm that there is no reelection because no one can dissolve the National Assembly and no mechanism states about a snap election before the end of the term."
The premier said Cambodia was different from other countries where prime ministers could dissolve parliaments.
He said according to Article 78 of Cambodia's constitution, the National Assembly shall not be dissolved before the end of its five-year term, except when the royal government is twice deposed within a period of twelve months.
"So, in Cambodia, the prime minister, the king, and the National Assembly itself have no rights to dissolve the parliament, " he said.
In regard to the opposition's plan to block highways and capture government buildings next month to force him to step down, the premier said that legal measures would be taken to ensure security and public order.
"If it happens, blocking roads is illegal and it will affect people, so the government will respond to this action in accordance to the law," the premier said. "The government has exercised its restraint and respected for the rights of people in holding peaceful demonstrations, but the government will not agree with any unlawful activities that can cause instability to the nation and the people."
Sam Rainsy, president of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, has launched a new round of daily protest in capital Phnom Penh since Sunday by leading thousands of protesters through streets.
Political dispute between Hun Sen's ruling party and Sam Rainsy 's opposition party has persisted since July's election results showed that the ruling party won a majority of vote with 68 parliamentary seats against 55 seats for the opposition.
The opposition refused to accept the outcome, claiming serious irregularities and has boycotted parliament since then in order to call for Prime Minister Hun Sen to step down or to hold a reelection.
One of the protests in mid-September turned violent as protesters threw stones at police and the police retaliated with tear gas, smoke bombs and water cannons. As a result, a protester was shot dead and several got wounded.

Editor: Fu Peng

Cambodia sends 4th batch of troops to Lebanon for U.N. peacekeeping mission

English.news.cn   2013-12-17 10:00:49

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Tuesday dispatched the fourth batch of 184 soldiers to Lebanon to replace the third batch's forces, whose one-year United Nations peacekeeping duties have come to an end.
The civil engineering group would perform their one-year duties by clearing landmines, constructing roads, bridges, shelters and defense posts, producing drinking water, and providing medical treatment to Lebanese civilians, Gen. Pol Saroeun, Commander-in- Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, said at the send-off ceremony at the capital's Military Airbase.
He advised those peacekeepers to strictly respect Lebanon's independence and sovereignty and to work hard in order to achieve this humanitarian mission.
"Your duties in Lebanon represent Cambodia, so you must strictly comply with all the rules and disciplines of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and international laws, and do not commit anything that can affect the tradition, custom, religion and dignity of the people in the host country," he said.
Claire Van der Vaeren, resident coordinator of the United Nations Development Program to Cambodia, extended her admiration to Cambodia for its active contribution to providing assistance to countries enduring conflicts and instability.
"Twenty years ago, the United Nations peacekeeping forces were sent to Cambodia, but Cambodia now sends troops and expertise to U. N. peacekeeping operations," she said. "The participation of Cambodian forces in the U.N. peacekeeping missions will honor not only troops themselves and Cambodia, but also the whole world."
She said the last three Cambodian missions in Lebanon have cleared landmines and fragments from more than 2 million square meters of the Lebanese soil. In addition, they have constructed roads, bridges, defense posts for their fellow peacekeepers, and provided medical treatment to Lebanese people.
The Southeast Asian nation firstly sent troops overseas in the framework of the U.N. Peacekeeping Operations in 2006. Since then, it has deployed more than 1,600 peacekeepers in Sudan, South Sudan, Chad, the Central Africa, and Lebanon. Most of them have ended their missions and returned home, except those in South Sudan and Lebanon.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said last month that the country would also offer troops to the conflict-torn West African nation of Mali for the first time in early next year.
Lt. Gen. Sem Sovanny, director-general of the Cambodian National Center for Peacekeeping Force, has said some 298 troops will be sent to Mali where they work in mine clearance and civil engineering.

Cambodian Buddhist monks call for urgent action against theft of Buddha's relics

English.news.cn   2013-12-17 13:07:01

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Some 150 Buddhist monks held a protest in the capital on Tuesday morning, calling for the Cambodian government to take an urgent action against the theft of the country's only relics of the Buddha.
Monk-protesters carrying national and religious flags and banners read: "The demonstration is to demand the government to take an urgent measure for the loss of the relics of the Buddha."
"We urge the government to launch a serious probe into the loss of the relics of the Buddha last week," Venerable But Buntenh, a representative of the protesting monks, told reporters during the protest on a street in front of the Chak Tomuk Theater.
A golden urn containing what are believed to be relics of the Buddha including hair, teeth and bones was stolen from a mountaintop shrine in the former royal city of Udong in Kandal province on Tuesday last week, Kheng Tito, spokesman for the National Military Police, said.
On Sunday, the Kandal Provincial Court charged five persons with aggravated theft for their suspected involvement in stealing the relics of the Buddha. So far, the whereabouts of the relics remains unknown.
The protest ended in the same morning after Venerable Khim Sorn, chief of the secretariat of the Mohanikaya Buddhist order, met with protesting monks and promised to write a letter to the government to demand the expedition of the investigation into the case.
Cambodia's late King Norodom Sihanouk brought the relics from Sri Lanka to Cambodia in the 1957 to mark the 2,500th anniversary of Buddha's birth.
Deputy Prime Minister and Cabinet Minister Sok An said Monday that an investigation into this case was underway.
"Now, all the competent authorities are working very actively on this case and when the work is in the process, I don't want to make any comments," he told reporters.
Cambodia is a Buddhist-dominant country, where about 90 percent of the 14.8 million populations are Buddhists.
Late King Norodom Sihanouk moved the relics in 2002 from the capital Phnom Penh to Udong Mountain, some 45 km northwest of Phnom Penh in an elaborate ceremony, which was attended by tens of thousands of Buddhist holders.

Editor: Fu Peng

Cambodian King congratulates China on successful landing of Chang'e-3 probe on moon

English.news.cn | 2013-12-17 17:32:36 | Editor: Tang Danlu

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni has congratulated China on the successful landing of "Chang'e-3" probe on lunar surface.
"The Royal Family, the Royal Government and the people of Cambodia join me in extending our warmest congratulation and admiration to Your Excellency, the Communist Party, the Government, the People's Liberation Army, the great and heroic people of China on the complete success of impressive soft landing of the Chang'e-3 probe on the moon and deployment of the Yutu (Jade Rabbit) lunar rover,"the king said in his letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday.
"This represented another milestone for China's continuous success in space program," he said.
Comprising a lander and a rover, Chang'e-3 lunar probe soft- landed on moon at 9:11 p.m. Saturday Beijing Time. Yutu later separated from the lander and rolled onto moon surface earlier Sunday.
The Chang'e-3 mission makes China the third country after former Soviet Union and the United States to put a spacecraft on lunar soil.

Cambodian opposition insists on re-election as protest enters 3rd day

English.news.cn   2013-12-17 20:08:01

Sam Rainsy (L), president of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), addresses to his supporters in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Dec. 17, 2013. The protest against Prime Minister Hun Sen's government entered the third day on Tuesday, as the opposition continued calling for a snap election after allegations of serious fraud in the July's polls. (Xinhua/Sovannara)

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- The protest against Prime Minister Hun Sen's government entered the third day on Tuesday, as the opposition continued calling for a snap election after allegations of serious fraud in the July's polls.
The numbers of protesters have gradually declined from about 10, 000 people on Sunday to around 4,000 on Monday and some 3,000 on Tuesday.
Sam Rainsy, president of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), repeated a call for Hun Sen to hold an early re-election, or step down.
"If you do not hold a re-election, step down," he addressed the rally at the capital's Freedom Park on Tuesday afternoon.
Then, he led the protesters to travel by cars and motorcycles through streets in the city.
Security forces had been deployed along streets to ensure security and public order. There is no report of incidents during the rally.
The CNRP announced Sunday it would launch daily protests in the capital to demand an early re-election within three months
Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sar Kheng last Tuesday rejected the opposition's call for a re-election, saying it was impossible to hold a snap election in Cambodia because there was no reason and to hold a re-election would take at least one or two years.
He said the ruling Cambodian People's Party's door remained open for further negotiations with the CNRP.
Dispute between Hun Sen's ruling party and the longtime opposition leader Sam Rainsy's party has persisted since the July election results showed that the ruling party won a majority of vote with 68 parliamentary seats and the opposition earned the remaining 55 seats.
The opposition refused to accept the outcome and has boycotted parliament since then in order to call for an independent probe into the alleged irregularities during the polls. But the ruling party rejected the call, saying it was against the nation's constitution.

Cambodia says cooperation with Japan will enhance country's defense capacity

English.news.cn   2013-12-17 21:10:28

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- The newly-signed defense cooperation deal between Cambodia and Japan would help Cambodia strengthen capacity in national defense, a senior official said Tuesday.
The two countries inked a memorandum on defense cooperation during the official visit of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to Japan from Dec. 15-17, Kao Kim Hourn, minister attached to Prime Minister Hun Sen, said in a news conference on Tuesday at Phnom Penh International Airport upon the premier's arrival from Japan.
"It was the first-ever defense cooperation between Cambodia and Japan," he said.
Under the deal, Japan would assist Cambodia develop military human resources, particularly in mine clearance, and in other fields.
During the visit, Hun Sen and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe agreed on Sunday to upgrade relationship between the two countries to a "strategic partnership," he added.
Abe also pledged 134 million U.S. dollars in new loans for three infrastructure projects in Cambodia.

Cambodia bans march in celebration of Int'l Human Rights Day

English.news.cn   2013-12-08 19:32:12

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Interior Ministry has allowed the opposition party to hold a rally at the Freedom Park in the capital Phnom Penh to mark the International Human Rights Day on Tuesday, but march was not permitted.
"The Ministry of Interior allows the Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) to gather at the Freedom Park in the morning on Tuesday, Dec. 10 with the participants below 10,000, the maximum capacity of the park," said a letter signed by Interior Minister Sar Kheng on Sunday. "March is banned, but the party can assign 10 representatives to deliver their petition to the National Assembly."
The Ministry of Interior called on all participants to cooperate with the authorities to celebrate the International Human Rights Day peacefully.
The CNRP announced Thursday to stage mass rallies in both Phnom Penh and the tourist city of Siem Reap on Dec. 10.
"We plan to get together 20,000 people in Phnom Penh and at least 10,000 participants in Siem Reap city," CNRP spokesman Yem Ponharith told Xinhua.
He said the upcoming rallies aim to demand greater respect for human rights and greater access to social justice.
CNRP leader Sam Rainsy will join the rally in the capital in the morning and fly to Siem Reap in the afternoon.
The CNRP has launched several mass rallies in Phnom Penh after the July's disputed election. One of the events in September turned violent as protestors hurled stones at police and the police retaliated with tear gas and water cannons. As a result, a protestor was shot dead and several got wounded.
Yem Ponharith said from Dec. 15 onwards, the CNRP will hold mass protests in Phnom Penh every Sunday to demand probe into the allegations of serious fraud and irregularities during the July election that handed victory to Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling party.
"We will continue our protests and boycott of parliament unless investigation was launched into the poll irregularities," he said.

Editor: Shen Qing