PHNOM PENH (FN), Feb. 20 — Talking to his supporters in Kampong Speu province, 45km southwest of Phnom Penh, through a video conference on Feb.20, Sam Rainsy, leader of the Cambodian National Rescue Party who is in self-imposed exile to avoid prison sentence, called on “all Khmer people to stop fighting each other and instead join hands in developing the country altogether.”
Replying to his statement, spokesperson of the Ruling Cambodian People’s Party said in the Cambodia at present, there was no internal fighting.
Sam Rainsy, in his speech to party’s supporters in Samraong Torng district, reiterated a message he had often said that the fact that Khmers are fighting each other would only benefit foreigners. However, by saying foreigners, he did not mention name of any country they belong to, and emphasized that patriotic Khmers would not allow a split within the Khmer community to happen.
“On behalf of all patriotic Khmers, may I call for a stop to the split of Khmers and to disputes among Khmers and instead get together to work on national construction,” said Rainsy who also added that “those who are for united Khmers are those who love the Khmer nation, because they know clearly what are in the national interests and for which we have to stop the disputes that we have.”
Meanwhile, Sok Eysan, spokesperson of the ruling CPP, said he took Rainsy’s remarks as simply a personal statement. Cambodia at present does not have any internal dispute and the case of Sam Rainsy was just a court case handled by the judiciary based on the wrongdoings that he has made, said the spokesperson.
“We are not disputing nor fighting and we are just applying the law and building democracy out of the principle of rules of law. As long as we have democracy but without rules of law, we are then not a democracy but anarchy,” said Sok Eysan.
Sam Rainsy is currently facing three legal cases, one of which is a court conviction for defaming Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong and the others were the alleged defamation case filed by National Assembly President Heng Samrin, and his alleged involvement in a case of document forgery with Sam Rainsy Party’s senator Hong Sok Hour.
At the graduation ceremony in a university in Phnom Penh on Dec. 28, 2015 Prime Minister Hun Sen announced that he would not sign off on any more pardon for Sam Rainsy and that if he did it, he would cut his hand off.
=FRESH NEWS
