Cambodia: Released opposition activist ordered to resign as Commune Choief
Event- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Jan 14, 2011
- Event Description
Opposition Sam Rainsy Party activist Tuot Saron has been ordered to give up his post as chief of Pongro commune in Kampong Thom province's Baray district, after being freed from jail on royal amnesty last month. Baray District Governor Hak Mov Seng said yesterday that he will refuse to let Tuot Saron resume his duties unless the Ministry of Interior issues an official letter reinstating him. He said he has demanded that Tuot Saron return his rubber stamp, a means of ratifying official documents. "Tuot Saron cannot hold a rubber stamp any more. I will not allow him to do anything at all and if he stamps documents, we will refuse them," Hak Mov Seng said. During the run up to national elections in 2008, Tuot Saron was imprisoned for abducting and illegally holding an SRP election candidate against his will. Rights group Amnesty International declared him a prisoner of conscience and he received a pardon from King Norodom Sihamoni in December. Hak Mov Seng said that under Article 16 of the law on commune management, council members must give up their posts in case of imprisonment for either a crime or misdemeanor, making Tuot Saron ineligible to be commune chief. However, Pongro commune Deputy Chief Dam Mon refused the order from Hak Mov Seng, saying it is illegal unless ordered by the Ministry of Interior. Tuot Saron said on Wednesday that he has the right to serve his people as commune chief, and that the Ministry of Interior did not restrict any of his rights following his release from prison. "I am no longer a prisoner. The government and the Ministry of Interior have not issued any letter removing me from my post. The word of pardon means that everything must be restored," he said. Sok Sam Oeun, executive director of the Cambodian Defenders Project, confirmed that unless banned by the ministry, Tuot Saron should be allowed to remain. If the district governor wishes to remove Tout Saron, he must contact the ministry, Sok Sam Oeun added.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Right to work
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Not active
- Event Location
Latitude: 11.5588
Longitude: 104.9174
- Event Location
- Summary for Publications
On 13 January 2011, Baray District Governor Hak Mov Seng said that he will refuse to let Tuot Saron resume his duties as chief of Pongro commune in Kampong Thom province's Baray district, unless the Ministry of Interior issues an official letter reinstating him. He said he has demanded that Tuot Saron return his rubber stamp, a means of ratifying official documents. Tuot Saron is a Cambodian activist for the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP). He was imprisoned from 2008 to 2010 on a politically motivated charge of "being an accomplice to unlawful confinement". He has been dubbed a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International. He was granted a royal pardon in December 2010. Governor Hak Mov Seng said that under Article 16 of the law on commune management, council members must give up their posts in case of imprisonment for either a crime or misdemeanor, making Tuot Saron ineligible to be commune chief. However, Pongro commune Deputy Chief Dam Mon refused the order from Hak Mov Seng, saying it is illegal unless ordered by the Ministry of Interior. Tuot Saron said that he has the right to serve his people as commune chief, and that the Ministry of Interior did not restrict any of his rights following his release from prison. Sok Sam Oeun, executive director of the Cambodian Defenders Project, confirmed that unless banned by the ministry, Tuot Saron should be allowed to remain.