The Beung Kak 13 – Our Heroines

The Phnom Penh Post

The imprisonment of 13 women after a three-hour trial on May 24 made international headlines and drew condemnation from far and wide. But who are these 13 activists? Rights group Licadho, which recently published an online photo essay about the women, helps the Post find out.

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Faces of the Boeung Kak 13

Although the appeal court upheld the decision of the lower court, the 13 heroines of Beung kak lake had their sentence reduced to 1 month and 3 days! This means they are free as of today! I counted every minute of the day, waiting for the news.

The guilty verdict means nothing- justice has prevailed.

When a justice system does not work, it is , us the people who are moral judges to define justice for those who are guilty of no crimes.

I wish I were home to be part of the celebration and jubilation.

We all know that none of the 15 was ever supposed to be sent to court in the first place.

Let there be peace and real justice so they and other families in Beung Kak Lake and other villagers who have so unjustly lost their land regain hope for a better Cambodia.

Thank you, Sec. Hillary Clinton. You truly walk the talk!

We shall never lose hope!

Monitor Counts Irregularities at Half of Last Month’s Polling Stations- RED CARD for Lack of Impartiality

Scoring Elections in Cambodia

Red card to the government of Cambodia for lack of electoral reforms.

Red card on the following points recommended as essential in the EU Election Observation Mission, Cambodia, 27 July 2008 4 http://www.eueomcambodia.org/English/Final_Report.html

● The government of Cambodia must take credible steps to ensure that the NEC operates as a fully independent institution at all levels in order to enhance its credibility and acceptance among the electorate. Members of the NEC should be approved by a consensus among all political parties represented in the National Assembly. In particular the NEC chairperson should be a person acceptable to all political parties represented in the National Assembly. A limitation of the term in office of the chairperson and members of the NEC should be considered;

● The Ministry of Interior should increase the ID card distribution rate and improve monitoring of the process. In cases where voters do not possess an ID card or other ID document the state authorities should find an alternative solution to enable voters to identify themselves on election-day. Regardless of the solution, records of voters using alternative identification should be kept as a safeguard and as information to support further improvement of the Cambodian electoral framework;

● A free media environment is absolutely essential to ensuring that Cambodia’s efforts to tackle corruption and protect fundamental human rights meet with success. The government must show its commitment towards this end by the establishment of an independent broadcasting regulatory authority, responsible for the distribution of licenses and frequencies to the broadcast media on an open and transparent basis.

A Fight for Land – A Fight for Justice

In the 60’s, the Khmer Rouge movement was born out of the same battle: land and injustice. Protection of human rights is our business. Democracy is our solution. This fight affects us all and our support to victims is a must but better yet, our commitment and action for justice is POWER.

A Battle, Primarily, Over Land in Cambodia

lens.blogs.nytimes.com

John Vink’s new iPad app, “Quest for Land,” documenting the struggles of poor Cambodians facing land-grabs and illegal evictions, is unbound by the finite restrictions of a printed book,

http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/20/a-battle-primarily-over-land-in-cambodia/?ref=world

SCORING OF CONDUCT OF ELECTION IN CAMBODIA

RED CARD should be handed out to CPP on many accounts including vote buying.

RED CARD should be handed out first to the National Election Committee for lack of impartiality.

One of the essential recommendations of the EU Election Observation Mission, Cambodia, 27 July 20084 Final Report on the National Assembly Elections

http://www.eueomcambodia.org/English/Final_Report.html

● The government of Cambodia must take credible steps to ensure that the NEC operates as a fully independent institution at all levels in order to enhance its credibility and acceptance among the electorate. Members of the NEC should be approved by a consensus among all political parties represented in the National Assembly. In particular the NEC chairperson should be a person acceptable to all political parties represented in the National Assembly. A limitation of the term in office of the chairperson and members of the NEC should be considered.