Disir
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- Sep 30, 2011
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Prime Minister Hun Sen has instructed the Interior Ministry to investigate the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) and potentially close it “because they follow foreigners”, appearing to link the rights group to the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party's purported “revolution”.
The CNRP - the country's largest opposition party - was dissolved by the Supreme Court in a widely condemned decision earlier this month over accusations it was engaging in a foreign-backed “lotus revolution”. The party's former president, Kem Sokha, is currently jailed awaiting trial on “treason” charges after telling supporters he received advice from the US.
Sokha founded CCHR in 2002, and Hun Sen this morning suggested that he had attempted to conceal foreign influence in the NGO, telling a gathering of garment workers that CCHR “must close because they follow foreigners”.
“The Ministry of Interior should check, because they were created by foreigners, not Khmers,” he said.
“If it’s an international NGO, and they come to create it and ask our permission, it’s not an issue,” he continued. “But this one is [registered as] Khmer and was created by foreigners to do this and do that.”
Breaking: PM says prominent human rights NGO ‘must close’
Is anyone surprised any more?
The CNRP - the country's largest opposition party - was dissolved by the Supreme Court in a widely condemned decision earlier this month over accusations it was engaging in a foreign-backed “lotus revolution”. The party's former president, Kem Sokha, is currently jailed awaiting trial on “treason” charges after telling supporters he received advice from the US.
Sokha founded CCHR in 2002, and Hun Sen this morning suggested that he had attempted to conceal foreign influence in the NGO, telling a gathering of garment workers that CCHR “must close because they follow foreigners”.
“The Ministry of Interior should check, because they were created by foreigners, not Khmers,” he said.
“If it’s an international NGO, and they come to create it and ask our permission, it’s not an issue,” he continued. “But this one is [registered as] Khmer and was created by foreigners to do this and do that.”
Breaking: PM says prominent human rights NGO ‘must close’
Is anyone surprised any more?
