On the ride home from work
this evening, my mom and I sat silent as we listened to the judgment over the
radio. Even though, it wasn’t a complete surprise to me, I secretly hope that
justice would have prevailed somehow and not just because Mam Somando, is my
grand uncle, but because he has been the epitome of the Cambodian Human Rights
movement for the last 20 years or so. He is more than just the less then the humble
Beehive Radio Station owner and the director of the Democrats Association, he is a leader and symbolizes salvation and hope for
thousands of victims, for an entire nation, for me.
On Monday, October 1, 2012
Mam Sonando, a broadcaster, human rights defender and
land-rights campaigner was sentence to
20 years in prison by Phnom Penh Municipal Court for his alleged part in leading
an attempted secession in Kratie province after finding him guilty of leading an
anti-state rebellion, a verdict condemned by activists as the latest crackdown
on human rights.
Three
court judges convicted Sonando even though several
of the prosecution’s witnesses said that their testimony was based entirely on
hearsay, and none had any evidence to offer about the men actually on trial, . Sanado, who has joint Cambodian-French citizenship, and 13 others
of inciting villagers in eastern Kratie province to rebel against the
government. The verdict was handed down after two hours as hundreds of protesters gathered at Neang Kong Hing intersection to demand the release of
the broadcaster.
He had been apprehended
and incarcerated his return to the country back on July to face charges when
the arrest warrant was issued which only came three days later which was only
24 hours after foreign ministers and diplomats from around the world departed
the city, including United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the
High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, Catherine Ashton
who were here to attend the ASEAN Summit.
Sonando, a long-time rights campaigner and critic of the goverment, stood accused of inciting villagers to take up arms and of aiming to
recruit up to a million people to topple the government.
Sonando had pleaded not guilty.
The increasing number of human rights violations during the land-rights disputes arising in Cambodia has exploded in recent years as the economy grows rapidly
and companies move to exploit natural resources such as rubber, sugar, and
minerals.
Today's verdict only serves to demonstrate, yet
again, the courts in Cambodia are not independent and that justice system is a
tool of oppression rather than a platform for serving justice to the nation and
its people.
It’s truly a sad day for the people of Cambodia, but rest
assured true justice will be served, because "they'" can't expect everyone to roll over and play dead and they can try to wrongfully imprisoned '"us'" all, but honestly who are '"they'" kidding, there are poorly outnumbered.The powers that be have not a clue that they
have started. This is precedence for the Cambodian Human Rights movement and defunct justice system has inadvertently elevated Mam Sanado into a self-made martyr status. He
is but the candle that lights the way for the Human Rights movement here in
Cambodia. I fear for what’s yet to unfold for the country and its people will
not sit idly by and let injustice occur without recourse, Mam Sanado may very
well become the catalyst for radical changes yet to unfold in Cambodia. God Save us all.
Lost's Final thoughts: There is no transparency in a dual justice system. Someone is not guilty till proven innocent and in the eyes of the law, guilt isn't proven just because a defunct legal system says you are. Something is a midst in a system that was set up to uphold the law, but instead has been used as a tool for oppression. True justice must be prevail. Advocating for human rights for victims and the rights for the oppressed isn't a crime.! It is high time we played our hand as it stands, time to call a spade a spade, shall we!
1 comment:
I am trully appalled by what I am reading girl. No matter how many times I went over it, I end up with the same thought: it's how history is made. Hawa Abdi, Eva Abu Halweh,Fathi Terbil, Emilia Castro de Barish, Lan Zhixue, Jaran Ditapichai, Brian J. Dooley, Leymah Gbowee, Mark Steyn... just a few of many names, fighting for human rights all over the world. Different countries, different purpose but one thing they have in common, they are not giving up. Fighting despite the odds they are given, despite being beaten, sent to jail or worse. We lost a lot of great people in our history ... those who have fought for us in the past and it's sad to see that we are (now in 21. century) still witnessing that. I wish I could give your article and with that your great uncle the respect it deservs ... But no matter what I say here and now I can't change things. One thing is obvious tho, they are making him an example! To show to other human right fighters that they are not afraid to fight back to protect their interests, to show people that despite the fact they gave them a vote and a right or two, they hold the wheel.. they started something much much bigger. they started a revolution without even knowing it ... because as i said: it's how history is made.
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