Greeting from COMFREL,
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Weekly Democracy and Electoral Digest Cambodia 06th – 10th July, 2020
| Main Situation: The authorities stopped youths and monks from gathering to commemorate, the fourth anniversary 10 July of the killing of prominent political commentator and human rights defender Kem Ley. Following the killing of Kem Ley, the Cambodian authorities have continually monitored, harassed, and ultimately disrupted and prohibited planned anniversary memorials of his death. Moreover, the authorities forced individuals wearing t-shirts with Kem Ley’s quotes or image to either remove them or cover them. Civil society organizations, and US Embassy continue their call for an independent, impartial, effective, and thorough investigation into Kem Ley’s killing until all those responsible are brought to justice. |
| 1. Election/ National Election Committee
N/A |
| 2-International Community
Foreign ministers of Mekong countries and Japan discussed measures to boost co-operation in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and post-pandemic economic recovery. https://bit.ly/3008f4i; https://bit.ly/3fnY0Nv; Australia has committed to grant AUD 7.6 million (about $5.26 million) for demining work in the Kingdom’s three most-affected provinces from this year until 2024 The embassy also applauded Cambodia’s stance on transnational crimes as well as its promulgation of an anti-money laundering law and a law on combating proliferation financing. https://bit.ly/2Wd6tvk; https://bit.ly/3iVfeEc; https://bit.ly/3286Knh; South Korea said it has made further progress in fleshing out details for the planned free trade agreement (FTA) with Cambodia, as Seoul seeks to broaden economic ties with Southeast Asian nations and diversify its export portfolio. https://bit.ly/329ClVJ; https://bit.ly/329I260; https://bit.ly/3fmjWsd; The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a 250-million-U.S. dollar loan to help the government of Cambodia respond to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. |
| 3- Political Party
N/A |
| 4-Legislative and Executive
The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport said it would request a decision from Prime Minister Hun Sen to allow a small number of schools to reopen next month. Prime Minister Hun Sen, in a recent message, said employees will be granted a five-day holiday in lieu of the postponed Khmer New Year holidays in April, although a date is yet to be determined. The decision was confirmed yesterday by a government spokesman. https://bit.ly/301bath; https://bit.ly/38LZIWx; The government has called on poor families to apply to commune authorities for evaluation to receive financial support during the Covid-19 crisis. A $300 million budget has been planned for implementation within a year. The Ministry of Planning announced it found 5,878 cases of irregularities across 13 provinces in relation to the government aid scheme for the poor. The Cambodian government has allocated 1.16 billion U.S. dollars to address the economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Economy and Finance Ministry Secretary of State Vongsey Vissoth said .https://bit.ly/2OfiJHg; https://bit.ly/2WaABI1; https://bit.ly/38MKXCV; https://on.china.cn/30gmSkb; https://bit.ly/2ZiePnl; https://bit.ly/2ZluOkQ; The Office of the Council of Ministers has approved the draft law on Control, Use and Management of the State Assets, which aims to ensure that state assets are preserved for the common interests of the country and the people. |
| 5-Judiciary, Authority and Military
Chamkarmon district authorities stopped 20 youths and 10 monks from gathering to commemorate the fourth anniversary of political activist Kem Ley’s murder at a Caltex petrol station at the Bokor traffic light in the capital’s Tonle Bassac commune. https://bit.ly/2ANcuaC; https://bit.ly/3fnUjHD; https://bit.ly/3emSclY; https://bit.ly/32csoGS; https://bit.ly/3iS7XoB; https://bit.ly/2Zl6orJ; https://bit.ly/3fkiVRy; https://bit.ly/38NZ1Mf; https://bit.ly/2OkKeza; The Phnom Penh Municipal Court has charged Battambang provincial deputy governor Sou Arafat with bribery along with his alleged accomplice Oknha Sorng Thorn, a private landowner. https://bit.ly/2CpGCJO; https://bit.ly/2Ziu3Jd; https://bit.ly/3gPLO8x; https://bit.ly/2ZXa3Lg; Traffic police officers collected over $3 million in fines throughout the Kingdom during the past two months when officers strictly enforced the law in accordance with a May sub-decree, officials said. |
| 6- Media
An online reporter at TNM TV Online asked that his court appearance on assault charges be delayed so he could hire a defence lawyer. |
| 7-Civil Society
Indigenous people in Mondulkiri province called in the police and environment officials to visit a logging site in the Phnum Prech Wildlife Sanctuary after reports to a village leader were not acted upon. A research team from Cambodian NGO Khana Centre for Population Health and Research has been awarded $100,000 to implement a WhatsApp chatline offering 24-hour gender-based violence response and support for female entertainment workers in Cambodia https://bit.ly/300nfPv; https://bit.ly/32b6aoS; The government and members of the civil society organisation met for the sixth and final time to discuss amendments to the Law on Association and Non-governmental Organisations, which still remains unresolved. https://bit.ly/2Zjtkr1; https://bit.ly/2Zluoef; Cambodia Microfinance Association’s (CMA) verification of a human rights organisation video, heavily criticising the Microfinance Industry (MFI) for predatory lending practices, has verified that “the study has many irregularities”. The Cambodian government is using the coronavirus pandemic as a pretext to ramp up a crackdown on human rights defenders and environmental activists, two leading watchdogs charged. The Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) has called on judges to “inform and fully explain” to all defendants both their rights during trial and the charges against them, citing a 16-month review of proceedings at the Phnom Penh Appeal Court. More than 10,000 workers at 18 factories in Svay Rieng province have been suspended because of Covid-19, said provincial deputy governor Ros Pharith. https://bit.ly/38MM8SD; https://bit.ly/3iUBjmf; https://bit.ly/3egrzPK; |
| 8- Other and Political Opinions
As economies and healthcare systems struggle to cope with COVID-19, the pandemic is also affecting and shaping political agendas across the world. But, how about in Cambodia? Khmer Times speaks to Pech Pisey, executive director of Transparency International Cambodia, in an exclusive interview about corruption and the political situation in the Kingdom during the first semester of 2020. Speculation has persisted in recent months that Hun Manet will eventually succeed his father as prime minister of Cambodia. It’s a job the West Point graduate is qualified for, but the way ahead is filled with obstacles should he want to lead. |
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