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International Movement of Parliamentarians for Democracy

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-Alerts - Opposition Figures Killed in Cambodia

In the past seven months, several supporters of two opposition parties have been killed in Cambodia. Beginning with the August 6, 2003 shooting of the daughter of a Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) activists, nine supporters of both the Sam Rainsy and National United Front for Neutral, Peaceful, Cooperative, and Independent Cambodia (Funcinpec) parties have been killed.

Included in this string of political attacks was the killing of union leader Chea Vinchea who was shot in Phnom Pehn on January 22. Chea Vinchea, associated with the SRP, organized several unions in garment factories. Although two men, Born Samsang and Sok Sam Oeun, have since been arrested for Chea Vinchea's shooting, questions still remain. Born Samsang has admitted to the shooting, saying he and Sok Sam Oeun were offered $5,000 to carry out the murder. However, Sok Sam Oeun says he never met Born Samsang and is innocent.

The political violence has occurred in a tense period in Cambodian politics. The three main parties, the SRP, the royalist Funcinpec and the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP), are in a governmental deadlock. In the July 2003 parliamentary elections, the CPP garnered 40 percent pf the total votes, but failed to win enough seats to form a government. The Cambodian constitution requires a party to secure a two-thirds majority to rule alone. With only 73 seats in the 123-member National Assembly, the CPP must form a coalition with the opposition; however, neither opposition party will enter into a coalition arguing the poll was unfair. The three parties have met several times over the possible creation of a three-party government, but no agreement has been reached.

The International Movement of Parliamentarians for Democracy strongly condemns the killing of peaceful political activists in Cambodia. The Movement further calls on the political leaders of Cambodia to recognize the need for a free and open political environment to move the country and parliament forward.

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