A Change of Guard

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Wednesday 28 January 2015

Rights Group Wants Aid Donors to Call For Cambodian Commander’s Removal

cambodia-military-police-chief-sao-sokha-sept23-2011.jpg
Cambodia's paramilitary commander Sao Sokha (R) shakes hands with Yuthasak Sasiprapa (L), then Thailand's defense minister, at the Ministry of Defense in Phnom Penh in a file photo.
 AFP
A rights group has urged Cambodia’s international aid donors to call for the removal of the country’s paramilitary commander because of comments he made earlier this month in which he said he learned state security-force tactics from those used by former German dictator Adolf Hitler.


New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a statement on Sunday urging Cambodia’s donors to demand the discharge of General Sao Sokha, commander of the 10,000-member Royal Khmer Gendarmerie and long-time supporter of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), for saying he used force against the opposition for political reasons, invoking tactics used by Hitler.


“General Sao Sokha’s open hostility to the political opposition is made all the more disturbing by his ‘lessons learned’ from Adolf Hitler,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, in the statement. “It is people like Sao Sokha, with a long record of human rights abuses, that Prime Minister Hun Sen has relied upon to maintain his abusive rule in Cambodia for the past 30 years.”


During a Jan. 15 speech at the annual conference of the Phnom Penh military police, Sao Sokha indicated that he derived his tactics from Hitler and Vietnamese guerrillas, the statement said.


“Speaking frankly, I learned from Hitler,” he had said during the speech. “Hitler, after Europe, after World War I, the international community—at that time there was not a United Nations—imposed that there be only 100,000 troops. So how were Hitler and the Nazis able to marshal an army to make World War II?”


He also praised the Cambodian paramilitary’s role in forcibly dispersing anti-government demonstrations in January 2014, according to HRW. 


The paramilitary forces killed five people and wounded 40 others when they opened fire on workers and other protesters who resisted dispersal and prevented the peaceful assembly of opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) members, who were protesting the July 2013 national elections, and factory workers striking for higher pay.


Sao Sokha said the demonstrators intended to “push Cambodia into turmoil” and bring about political change, including the fall of the CPP government, according to the statement.


Phnom Penh Governor Pa Socheatevong endorsed Sao Sokha’s remarks about the opposition, indicating at the conference that the paramilitary’s actions restored social and political order and ensured that the CNRP was unable to mobilize larger gatherings, according to HRW.


Sao Sokha and Pa Socheatevong share authority over the Phnom Penh gendarmerie along with paramilitary commander General Rat Sreang—all of whom, despite their CPP party positions, are legally required to be politically neutral state officials, the statement said.


“Sao Sokha’s record and policy pronouncements make clear that he is incapable of political neutrality or leading the gendarmerie as anything other than a force of CPP repression,” Adams said. “Donors wanting to see genuine reform of Cambodia’s security forces should make respect for human rights and non-partisanship a requirement for all police, military, and gendarmerie commanders.”


Misinterpretation


Nevertheless, Sao Sokha told RFA’s Khmer Service on Sunday that his words were misinterpreted.


“I told them [audiences in his earlier Jan speech] to learn from Hitler,” he told RFA’s Khmer Service. “What they should learn is about the fact that [Hitler] built up his soldiers after Germany lost World War I…and led the soldiers to persecute and kill Germany and other nations in World War II. He used his narrow nationalist mindset.” 


Sao Sokha also lashed out against HRW’s statement saying that nongovernmental organizations always see a negative side of him. 


Concerning the group’s call for his removal, he said he would comply with the government’s wishes if it decided to remove him.


Other NGOs and Cambodian opposition politicians joined HRW in criticizing Sao Sokha’s comments.


Vorn Pov, president of the Independent Democracy of Informal Economy Association (IDEA), who was imprisoned after the January 2014 demonstrations, said Sao Sokha’s strategy of cracking down on the workers constituted a serious human rights violation. 


“Military police should protect citizens,” he said. “They can’t just kill people.” 


Kem Sokha, first vice president of the National Assembly, or parliament, and deputy president of the CNRP, last week criticized Sao Sokha’s speech, saying Cambodia could not implement Hitler’s theory and that the 2014 violent crackdown on demonstrators that led to the deaths of five people was unacceptable.


“In the democratic world, the government can’t use [paramilitary] forces to kill people,” he said. 


Reported by Yeang Socheameta for RFA’s Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...


Personal opinion:

THE NECESSARY STEPS THAT THE CNRP, AND KHMER PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY THE YOUTHS MUST BE PREPARED TO SAVE CAMBODIA AFTER THE NEXT ELECTION

1- Khmer people must continue their support for the CNRP.
2- The CNRP must fiercely fight to get a fair NEC.
3- With a fair NEC, the CNRP will be officially the winner of the election/.
4- Hun Sen and Vietnam will not step down and refuse to transfer the power to the winner CNRP.
5- Khmer people have the morale obligation to make the peaceful demonstration firmly demanding Hun Sen to respect the result of the election.
6- THIS TIME THE DEMONSTRATORS MUST NOT RUN WHEN THE HUN SEN’S THIRD HANDS START VIOLENTLY SUPPRESSING THE PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATION.
7- The international community will intervene after seeing Khmer people help themselves first.
8- The evil Vietnam will not be able to withstand the pressure applied by the international community and consequently let Hun Sen to step down.
9- Khmer people and Cambodia will have a lasting peace at last.

After the July 2013 election, the CNRP had mounted many peaceful demonstrations demanding Hun Sen to honor Khmer people’s wills and step down, but this bastard Hun Sen simply ignored it.

Here are the events that are highly likely to happen after this next election:

After the CNRP won the next election, the CNRP will always be facing the same problem: HUN SEN WILL NOT RELINQUISH HIS POWER.

What measure should the CNRP take to make Hun Sen transfer the power?

After the CNRP had officially won the election, but the CPP refused to transfer the power, Khmer people, especially the youths must make the peaceful demonstration again demanding Hun Sen to step down and transfer the power to the newly elected CNRP.

The peaceful demonstration must continue every day until Hun Sen transfers his power. But this time, we must NOT run away. We must stand our ground and ready to sacrifice our lives to save Cambodia when Hun Sen’s third hands disperse the crowds.

We cannot screw up this once in a lifetime opportunity: no sacrifice, no victory.

Only when the killings committed by Hun Sen reached a noticeable number – by the thousands - that the international community would intervene and summon the signatory countries of the 1991 Paris Peace Accord to convene and solve Cambodia problems once and for all.

The CNRP has 2 or 3 years from now to prepare for this eventual event. The CNRP needs to build up at least 100,000 people that are brave enough to stand their ground to face the “third hands” of Hun Sen’s force. WITHOUT OUR PEOPLE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE, HUN SEN AND THIS NEOCOLONIALIST VIETAM WILL NOT GO AWAY after they lost again this next election.

I’ve always supported the CNRP for its peaceful demonstration. But this time the CNRP has to raise their bars up to face the reality.

Finally, to win the election and TO HAVE THE POWER to lead the country, the CNRP must prepare for this inevitable showdown with the merchant of war Vietnam and its slave Hun Sen. We must have a nonstop demonstration with the demonstrators who are willing to die to force the international community, especially the signatory countries of the 1991 Paris Peace Accord, to assertively intervene to help Khmer people and save Cambodia.

Notice that since 1970, we have lost at least 3 millions people, and unfortunately we are still under this evil Vietnam’s control because we failed to stop this evil Vietnam’s maneuverings to destroy Khmer people. This evil Vietnam has killed millions of Khmer people through its brainwashed Khmer Vietminh during the Pol Pot era and during its deployment of the K5 project in the 1980s.

Therefore, losing a few thousands people at this time to keep Cambodia alive forever is an ideal sacrifice.

Bun Thoeun

P.S: Creating more political parties would only benefit Vietnam and its slave Hun sen.
The need for a strong solidarity among Khmer people is absolutely outweighed all the mistakes that the CNRP’s leaders had made.
It is imperative that Khmer people stay united with the CNRP for Cambodia’s survival.

Anonymous said...

We agree
Thanks

Anonymous said...

លោក ប៊ុនធឿន មានគុំនិតល្អ តែដូចជារវើរវាយទេដឹង មិនឃើញទេឬ? ហ៊ុន ប្រើតែតុលាកាតូចមួយ សង្រ្គោះជាតិវិលដូច កន្ទេសឡង់ទៅ ហើយ ទម្រំនាំគ្នាដម្រៀបជួរចង់ដើរជាន់ ហ៊ុន មិនកំឡាចទេ តែដឹងថាវាយ៉ាងដូចម្តេចនោះធ្វើទៅ បែបអាង យូអិន ហើយ មើលទៅ ប្រហែលវិធាវី ស្លាប់ដប់ដងទៀតក៍ប៊ុនធឿនមិនបានគ្នាជាគូរដែរ។

Anonymous said...

ខ្ញំុគ្មានគណបក្ស តែខ្ញំុនឺងគាំទ្រអ្នកស្នេហាជាតិណាម្នាក់ពិតជាស្មោះត្រង់ រកសន្តិភាព សេរីភាព បូរណភាពទឹកដីដើម្បីប្រជាតិខ្មែរយើងពិតប្រាកដ ដើម្បីរំលំពួកក្បត់ជាតិដែលកំពុងកាន់អំណាច ហើយកំពុងធ្វើវិនាសកម្ម លើប្រជាជនខ្មែរសព្វផ្ងៃនេះ តែគួរអនិច្ចារ្យមានខ្មែរមួយចំនួនធ្វើឲ្យច្របូក ច្របល់ក្នុងសង្គមបង្កើតគណបក្សឆ្គួតៗ ភាគខ្លះដើម្បីបោកប្រាស់គេជា ប្រយោជន៏ផ្ទាល់ខ្លួនពួកនេះគឺជាពួកចៃសង្គម ដើម្បីខ្មែរ ប្រទេសជាតិខ្មែរ សូមបោះបង់ចោលនូវអំពើរល្ងង់ខ្លៅ ដើម្បីរួមសាម្គីគ្នាជាធ្លុងមួយ បោះ ឆ្នោតទម្លាក់ពួកគញ្ជះយួនចោល ក្នុងអណត័ន៏នេះឦ

Anonymous said...

If you want to kill a snake cut its head off.
We know the head of the CPP is Hun Sen, so he is the one who should be removed but not his subordinates and cronies.

Anonymous said...

Why most Khmer hate youn.? Let me say it again why most Khmer hate youn?.
???????. The answer is most of our people are cheated by thaithug. The Thai attack and destroy our Angkor empire over,over and over again and again right.? The thai make sure Khmer empire will never rise up again.right.? Aren't they ?. Each time the Thai sacks our country they either capture our intellect people or kill them off.right.? ....to make it short the Thai wagging wars against Khmer all the time and kill all of our intellects people up to Lounge verk and including pol pot regime too because Noun chear aka bun loert he is real Thai secrets agents to finish Khmer. Right.? Make it short the Thai attack us all times and we Khmer hate youn because Thai paid Khmer like Dap choun Sam sary.....etc. To divide our alliance Vietnam from intervention during the,Thai invade Khmer. Now you clearly understand the Thai are Behind the root cause of Khmer genocide.right? Aren't they.?Mike