Vital Voices Global Leadership Award honoree and Member of Parliament Mu Sochua of Cambodia works closely with DEVI, a coalition of women’s organizations working for social change, economic justice, and the elimination of gender-based violence. The women of DEVI recently welcomed representatives from Vital Voices in Phnom Penh, proudly showcasing products such as hand-woven silk scarves made by the women with the support of a microcredit program. DEVI recently launched a blog to inform all of the organization’s work and progress.

Read the DEVI Blog.

Today, October 20, 2009, IPS caught up with Mu Sochua, Cambodian opposition lawmaker, as she traveled to Bangkok to discuss the freedom of expression in Southeast Asia.

Recently, the Cambodian National Assembly approved a new set of penal codes, which Sochua feels may not sufficiently protect free speech. She explained to IPS, “The goal of some of the articles is to restrict people making critical comment about civil servants, the police, politicians failing in their duty. It will make it more difficult even for me, for example, as a parliamentarian, to say that a minister is corrupt, because the minister can sue me since my exposure would be an offence under the penal code.”

Sochua was also asked about the possibility that she would one day run for prime minster of Cambodia. She replied, “It will be feasible within my party because we are promoting democratic ideas. I could be one of the candidates, but there are other women who are good to qualify.”

Read the full interview

Presenting testimony before members of Congress during the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission hearing ‘Human Rights and the Rule of Law in Cambodia’ on September 10, Parliamentarian and advocate for the Cambodian people Mu Sochua called attention to rights abuses and corruption in her native nation. A Vital Voices Global Leadership Award Honoree for her work on sex trafficking, Sochua was recognized for her courage and activism by Commission Co-Chairmen and U.S. Representatives James McGovern (D-MA) and Frank Wolf (R-VA). Representative Jim Moran (D-VA), who requested that the hearing be held, was in attendance alongside Representatives Ed Royce (R-CA), Joseph Cao (R-LA), and Niki Tsongas (D-MA).

Representative Moran described Sochua as “a woman whom I learned to admire for her honesty, fearlessness, and her pursuit of justice.” The Congressman further related the purpose of the hearing to future efforts and possibility within Cambodia:

“This hearing is not about American interest, it is about human interest, human rights…Cambodia can still become what most of its people wish it to be –free from abuse of human rights, mistreatment of justice and restriction on speech.”

In the Rayburn House Office Building, before a room crowded with human rights activists, NGO representatives and concerned Cambodian-American citizens, Sochua spoke of the struggle she faces as a lawmaker in Cambodia:

“Here in this room, I am testifying as an elected representative of the people, as a woman exercising her full right of speech and expression, but in Cambodia this is not possible.”

Sochua went on to describe a political environment of impunity that represents a critical threat to democracy and the open practice of social, economic and political freedoms. Noting corruption and the illegal mismanagement of international aid and domestic resources, the parliamentarian implored members of Congress to intervene and promote development and reform that may benefit all. The retribution faced by journalists, trade unionists and political opposition activists undermines democratic principle and the rule of law, effectively leading to a condition where “democracy in Cambodia is experiencing an alarming freefall,” she said.

Calling for the U.S. Congress to send a high level delegation to Cambodia, Sochua asked that this body would serve to negotiate dialogue among parliament leaders and promote democratic rules within the government. Further, the lawmaker specifically requested an increase in funding for the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and the International Republican Institute (IRI), asking that these agencies be granted increased capacity to coordinate with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in “democratizing the electoral process for the upcoming local elections in 2012 and the parliamentary elections in 2013.”

Included among a list of specific requests for action on the part of the U.S. Congress was a request by Sochua for intervention regarding the restoration of parliamentary immunity of opposition Members of Parliament. In August, Sochua was found guilty of defamation in a case that has been widely condemned and cited as an example of bias within the Cambodian judiciary. Asserting that she refuses to accept guilt for a crime that she has not committed, Sochua has filed an appeal and continues in her pursuit of justice though she may face persecution upon returning to Cambodia.

Fellow witnesses testifying in the hearing were Pung Kek, founder of the Cambodian human rights NGO LICADHO, Moeun Tola, head of the labor program at the Cambodian organization Community Legal Education Center, and Sophie Richardson, Asia advocacy director of Human Rights Watch.

Before concluding the hearing, Representative McGovern emphasized that he and his colleagues are concerned for the safety of the Cambodian witnesses, going on to offer them the security afforded by U.S. Embassy officials on the ground, and offering assurances that he and members of Congress will be closely monitoring their situation once they return to Cambodia. The two Co-Chairmen resolved that letters would be sent to relevant government officials, including U.S. Secretary of Defense Gates, informing them of current conditions in Cambodia and recommending further actions to by the U.S.

Following the hearing, Sochua met with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues Melanne Verveer, discussing the situation in Cambodia with them.

Mu Sochua Testimony

Mu Sochua Video Testimony

September 10 – U.S. House of Representatives, Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, Rayburn Building Room 2200 1-3 PM - Mu Sochua, Cambodian Parliamentarian, human rights advocate and Vital Voices Global Leadership Award Honoree appears before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission as a witness in a hearing entitled, ‘Human Rights and the Rule of Law in Cambodia’.

As international governments, news agencies, and UN rights experts including the Special Rapporteur on the independence of lawyers and judges have recently reported, there is concern in Cambodia regarding attempts to curtail the rights and freedoms of lawyers, journalists, and members of the political opposition.

A 2008 U.S. State Department Human Rights Report indicates that Cambodian government enforcement of certain laws has been selective, and The Washington Post reported on July 29 that “a heightened crackdown on journalists and opposition activists… has provoked new concern that the government is engaging in widespread abuse of the nation’s legal system to muzzle its detractors.” In addition, the June 2009 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report released by the U.S. Department of State, ranks Cambodia as a Tier 2 Watch List nation, marking a regression from the previous year’s ranking that indicates efforts to combat human trafficking have not been adequate or proven effective. Cambodia is a source, transit and destination country for victims of human trafficking for the purpose of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation.

Parliamentarian and opposition party member Mu Sochua will present testimony on the condition of human rights and the rule of law in her native Cambodia from the perspective of a lawmaker and internationally recognized advocate for equal rights and democracy.

The hearing will take place in Room 2200 in the Rayburn House Office Building from 1-3 pm on September 10.

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Cambodian Parliamentarian Mu Sochua

Vital Voices Global Leadership Award honoree and Cambodian Parliamentarian Mu Sochua will appear as a witness before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission on September 10 for a hearing on ‘Human Rights and the Rule of Law in Cambodia’. A human rights advocate and former cabinet member, Sochua has been an outspoken voice for democracy and justice within her native Cambodia. The hearing comes at a time of reported crackdowns on journalists and opposition politicians. Cambodian NGO advocates and U.S. Department of State representatives will attend as witnesses alongside Mu Sochua.

The Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Hearing, ‘Human Rights and the Rule of Law in Cambodia’, will be held on September 10 from 1-3 PM in Room 2200 in the Rayburn Building.

September 15 marks the United Nation’s International Day of Democracy. In celebration of this date in Sweden, the Riksteatern theatre group and the University of Stockholm will present a performance of “SEVEN” on September 14.

The play celebrates women’s rights, democracy and global progress. The seven women portrayed in the play include Nigerian human rights advocate, Hafsat Abiola, Afghani peace builder, Farida Azizi, Guatemalan congresswoman, Annabella De Leon, Russian domestic violence fighter, Marina Pisklakova-Parker, Pakistani women’s rights leader, Mukhtar Mai, Irish social justice leader, Inez McCormack, and Cambodian member of parliament and human trafficking combatant, Mu Sochua.

The distinguished playwrights include Anna Deavere Smith, Ruth Margraff, Gail Kriegel, Paula Cizmar, Susan Yankowitz, Carol K. Mack, and Catherine Filloux.

In early August, Cambodian Parliamentarian and human rights advocate Mu Sochua was convicted of defaming Prime Minister Hun Sen in the culmination of a case that began in April. Prompting an international outcry over the closed proceedings and unfavorable verdict, the sentence currently leveled against Sochua orders the lawmaker to pay approximately $2,000 (US) in fines, along with $1,900 in compensation to the Prime Minister.

Following the reading of the verdict, Sochua commented on the verdict of the court:

“As a national and international principle, all classes of people must be judged by an independent court that is unbiased and not related to any political power.”

Sara Colm, a researcher for the human rights organization Human Rights Watch, described the court decision as a “big step backwards” and “one of the more serious reversals” in a pattern of decisions that represent “the shrinking of the democratic space in Cambodia.”

A former Minister for Women’s Affairs, Sochua has the support of an international community of advocates and government officials, as well as broad public support in Cambodia.

Sochua guilty of defamation-The Phnom Penh Post

Cambodian PM Wins Defamation Case Against Activist-VOA News

Women Linked Arms Around Cambodia’s Mu Sochua-Women’s eNews

Cambodian Parliamentarian Mu Sochua

July 24- Radio Australia News reports that the case of Cambodian parliamentarian and advocate for human rights Mu Sochua has been delayed, and a verdict is now expected on August 4. The opposition MP is awaiting a decision on a defamation case she has filed to defend herself from remarks made by the Cambodian Prime Minister.

A representative from the International Parliamentary Union (IPU) attended the trial to observe and monitor the proceedings, as the Phnom Penh Post reports. Sochua appeared alone, representing herself, “given that hey lawyer, Kong Sam Onn, had resigned” earlier in the month as a result of intimidation from government officials.

Sources:

Delay in Cambodia defamation case-Radio Australia News

Intl union to monitor Mu Sochua court case-The Phnom Penh Post

Mu Sochua prepares to face Hun Sen lawsuit-The Phnom Penh Post

Related:

Cambodia Court Cases Mount Against Opposition-The New York Times

Opposition Leaders Speak Out Against the Cambodian People’s Party

A UN human rights expert voiced concern on July 1 regarding “attempts to curtail lawyers’ freedom to effectively represent their clients in Cambodia,” as the UN news center reports. Lawyers in the nation are frequently subject to intimidation, harassment, threat of prosecution and disciplinary action “merely for having acted in the interests of their clients,” as Special Rapporteur on the independence of lawyers and judges Leandro Despouy expressed in a press release.

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Vital Voices President Alyse Nelson, Mu Sochua, Chair of the Board Susan Davis, Diane von Furstenburg, Pamela Hayes and Tina Brown at the launch of the Vital Voices New York Council

June 25 marked the launch of Vital Voices’ New York Council at an event hosted by media icon Tina Brown. Seventy women leaders representing the fields of media, government, business, fashion and the arts were in attendance to celebrate the launch of the council, established to support Vital Voices and its critical work advocating for women’s rights and fostering women’s leadership globally.

Addressing the gathering was Cambodian Parliamentarian and women’s rights activist Mu Sochua, who has served as a fearless advocate for the disadvantaged and forgotten of her native Cambodia. In the 2005 Global Leadership Awards, Vital Voices honored Sochua for her work to end child trafficking. Sochua visited the United States to meet with members of government and civil society to urge that foreign policy related to Cambodia be re-evaluated in an effort to advance human rights, especially those of the most vulnerable.

New York Council Chair and Board Member Jill Iscol, Vital Voices President and Co-Founder Alyse Nelson, and Board Members Diane von Furstenburg and Alice Kandell were among others in attendance to celebrate the exciting launch.