Will NGOs, Foreigners and Extremist “human rights” Advocates, and Loud-Mouth “Champions for Democracy” Leave all the Women in the Cold?

Tuesday, 19 Jun 2012 10:24

A small number of NGOs, foreigners and extremist “human rights” advocates, and loud-mouth “champions for democracy” have the habit of accusing the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) and the Capital Hall of Phnom Penh (MPP) for human rights violations without making any effort to investigate and find the truth. They shoot first and ask question later, and very often they shoot and never ask question. They think they have silver bullets. They think that when magic words, such as “violations of human rights,” “flagrant injustice,” and “abusing democracy and democratic values” are used, no government of a small country and small economy is willing to take risks of being under siege and hounded by them.
Certain foreigners mentioned the name of their attorneys, as if the name itself brings fear and makes the whole town or country tremble.
Certain foreigners even threatened the government and the authorities that they would enlist the support of certain famous professional groups, like “international artists,” for example to denounce “the case of Boeung Kak Lake, as if those “international artists” are just a bunch of mules.
Worst, they show their contempt of the Cambodian system of separation of powers and keep demanding the Prime Minister, Samdech Techo Hun Sen to release all fifteen women jailed after being convicted by the Municipal Court of Phnom Penh. Being the product of the brain of those foreigners and extremist “human rights” advocates this demand is not a manifestation of ignorance. It is rather an expression of foreign chauvinism and contempt directed at the most respected leader of the Cambodian people, democratically elected by the people under the parliamentary system to be Prime Minister. Using such a cheap trap, again and again, is ridiculous. But they have no way to stop their actions. They are paid to keep setting the trap, meaning that the electronic letters posted by those foreigners and extremist “human rights” advocates carry the same demand, which is asking the government and authorities to release those women. They have gone beyond logic and common sense.
The truth is far too much troublesome for those women who have become ‘’professional protesters’’ placing under the wings of a number of NGOs and foreigners for training, planning protest, funding, getting help from “paid” volunteers, acquiring materials and equipments. Their children missed them since their first day of protest, about two years ago. They abandoned and provide minimal love and care for their children to serve those foreigners and NGOs. Sadly, their children missed them more since they are in jail, because they were listening to and following the orders of those foreigners and NGOs. Actually, nine women, among those in jail, received their plot of land and land title in Boeung Kak Lake community. But, because they were being misled for so long by those foreigners and NGOs, they continued to defy the government and the Capital Hall. Many hundreds families, former residents of Boeung Kak Lake give voluntary testimony that those foreigners and NGOs should come to their new village and seek for the truth themselves. They have more than decent place to live and to make a living, near the market place, near the schools for their children, near health centers. Many other families that received the plot of land and land title found that the government and the municipality policy is fair and compassionate.
On the day of their arrest, those fifteen women came with pieces of wood, nails, hammers, axes and proceeded to erect building structures, plunged wooden spikes in the ground to set what they claimed to be property limits on privately owned public land. They resisted the invitation to leave by the law enforcement officers. They used foul language directed against law enforcement officers and the Capital Hall officials .
Allowing the women professional protesters to occupy the privately owned public land and erect building structure, even rudimentary one would invite more and bigger troubles for the authority. If they can do, hundreds and even thousands other people from nowhere would have rushed into Boeung Kak Lake area and do the same thing as those women were doing.
Actions were taken by the Capital Hall. The women professional protesters were arrested, and under the circumstances and the books of law, and legal procedure that only the judiciary is being expert in this matter to explain, they were sentenced as it has been known to the public.
It is out of the hands of the government and the municipal authorities, now. It had been suggested before, that NGOs, foreigners and extremist “human rights” advocates, and “champions of democracy” of all colors should come together to the rescue of those poor women professional protesters, first as the sign of care for and solidarity with, and second by pooling legal and financial resources to mount an intelligent and effective defense for the women at the higher court, meaning at the Appeal Court and then at the Supreme Court if it is necessary. Doing otherwise would be using and then leaving these women in the cold: That is totally inhumane and irresponsible. They should come together and take proper legal action. Words of incitement are destructive especially they destroy the lives of those women and their children.