One of Sam Rainsy's bodyguards who survived the 1997 bombing is living as a refugee in Thailand. To escape the persecution of the Hun Sen government. Human rights officials say the political stance of Sam Rainsy's bodyguards is a political right protected by law.
A chattering sound comes from a small room in the center of Bangkok, Thailand. Here, a group of Cambodian political refugees, CNRP activists, are talking about their struggles in the political battlefield and their experiences. Of their previous incarceration in Cambodia.
Of those refugees, one is the oldest. So Dara, a 53-year-old tiger-haired man, has been the bodyguard of opposition leader Sam Rainsy for nearly 30 years. In addition to providing security for Sam Rainsy, he is also an opposition activist who does not betray the will of the people. Although he is not a well-known political activist, he is also a Democrat who struggles to do politics with his boss. Opposition leader So Dara, who was almost killed, was arrested by the police and sentenced to life in prison.
Mr. So Dara: " I was sleeping in Chak Angre headquarters and behind Mr. Sam Rainsy's house when we slept wearing shorts and undressing. They came to my house and we did not say anything. I came up and told them not to come in. They also told me that the dog bit me, I came to arrest and put him in jail .
So Dara served as Sam Rainsy's bodyguard in 1995 and has been involved in political activities with the opposition leader since the Khmer National Party, the Sam Rainsy Party and the CNRP. Cheat, and most recently, he was also a supporter of the Candlelight Party, a political legacy of Sam Rainsy.
He escaped persecution by Hun Sen government authorities, who arrested him in November 2019, but detained him. He was soon released.
Mr. So Dara recalled that during his detention, some detainees, who were CNRP activists, persuaded opposition party detainees to attend. Do politics with the ruling party and make an apology to Hun Sen. He said that at that time, he chased and beat the lobbyists and ran all over the prison, and from that day on, no one dared to come and ask. Prisoners are no longer allowed to join politics with the ruling party.
Mr. So Dara: " Sign with the prince, the prince will favor, there will be eight or nine surrenders, if there are 10, I will send To me, the biggest reaction is the feeling that I live in Sam Rainsy's house, I defended Sam Rainsy from 1995 until I was imprisoned, broke up with my wife "Son, there are people talking like that, so I shouted, 'Where is that one ? '
When the Hun Sen government thwarted Sam Rainsy's return plan on November 9, 2019, the Hun Sen government decided to release party activists. Some national rescues, including Mr. So Dara. However, the authorities are still monitoring his activities and local authorities have always warned him not to join the activists with Mr. Sam. It was Rainsy who made him worry about his safety and decided to flee to Thailand in late 2019.
Life as a refugee in Thailand So Dara has been working in construction for more than two years to support his daily life and sometimes helps to hold the feet of monks. To get merit and to get some food to eat.
Living alone, away from his wife, away from his children is not comfortable for this political activist, sometimes making him Stress or stress.
Mr. So Dara: " Smoking, we used to smoke a little before, but because of stress, because we are complicated in life, breaking up family, wife, children in the district Khmer, so there is nothing to solve, just smoke cigarettes, look at the sky, look at the stars .
Although So Dara's life seems a bit sad, he still maintains his will to fight the opposition. Mr. Sam Rainsy's bodyguard still considers Mr. Sam Rainsy to be his good leader because he understands that Mr. Sam Rainsy dares to sacrifice his life, wealth and personal happiness For the nation and the people.
Mr. So Dara: " I see a high national conscience and will for the nation, for the people, for the people of Cambodia, for democracy, I still Respect and love him ( Mr. Sam Rainsy ) Yes, he does not care about family life, does not care about merit, he does not care about how to live Loy Chhay, he only knows about helping the country and the Cambodian people, especially to save the nation to survive .
Regarding Mr. So Dara's position, the leader of the National Rescue Party and Mr. Sam Rainsy's aide, Mr. Long Ry, told RFA that he So Dara sacrificed his wife and children to work as a defender of Sam Rainsy and a political activist to promote human rights and democracy in Cambodia. Mr. Long Ry also noted that Mr. So Dara is a disciplined person, honest and serious, and most importantly, he knows how to suffer from social injustice. Make this opposition activist can live with Mr. Sam Rainsy and the opposition until now.
Long Ri: " A personality that we can talk about on the outside and I can know from his heart he left the family, not He ran away to have a new girlfriend, but gave up on duty, took the goal of duty as a big duty to fulfill the mission for the nation, and he ( Mr. So Dara ) he Far away from my wife, I know both his wife and his children. Reflecting the star as a person who respects goals, obeys orders and is honest, no matter what the circumstances, he does not change his position. " _
So Dara was one of more than 100 victims injured on March 30, 1997. In the bombing almost 30 years ago, on March 30, 1997. In that incident, the criminals threw four bombs, killing 16 innocent people and more than 100 others. The assailants attempted to kill Sam Rainsy, his wife, Chulong Somura, Chea Vichea, but the murder only caused serious injuries to Sam Rainsy. Most of the dead were factory workers, intellectuals, students and bodyguards of Sam Rainsy.
Mr. So Dara recalled that during the incident, he was injured by shrapnel on his back, arms and legs, but he was able to control himself and he will Some of Sam Rainsy's bodyguards raised the time for Sam Rainsy to come to the rescue. Mr. So Dara believes that the incident was an attempt to kill Mr. Sam Rainsy because at the scene before the bombing and after the bombing. There is surveillance from the competence of the government. He still remembers that when Mr. Sam Rainsy was injured, there was a voice on the radio informing him that Mr. Sam Rainsy was seriously injured.
Mr. So Dara: " People who live as bodyguards, some of them hit the buttocks, some hit the head, some hit the face, so they jumped Covering him ( Mr. Sam Rainsy ) is making him bleed, now decided to hear on Icom ( radio communication ) that Aventa ( Mr. Sam Rainsy ) must be heavy, so that's why when we know that Avanta is heavy, they stopped cheating ( bombing ) we listen "Icom, Icom, they are all around . "
Regarding Mr. So Dara's remarks, RFA could not obtain an explanation from the spokesman of the National Police General Commission, Mr. Chhay Kim Khoeun and the Chairman. Government spokesman Phay Siphan was released on April 30.
However, an investigation report by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) found that Huy Piseth and Hing Bun Heang, then group chairman and vice chairman Hun Sen's bodyguards were the organizers and direct commanders of the bombing of the peaceful protesters.
A French court in Paris on December 30, 2021 issued an arrest warrant for Huy Piseth and Hing Bun Heang in connection with the bombing. Of Mr. Sam Rainsy.
Licadho 's director general's Am Sam Ath believes the government should open further investigations into the bombing to clear it up. Allegations that the government was involved. The human rights official also observed that in recent years, some opposition activists have been subjected to violence and allegations of violence. The judiciary and the persecution that led some to flee to Thailand. Mr. Am Sam Ath believes that the will of Mr. So Dara and other opposition party activists who continue to support the opposition is the right to support the right political party. Protected by national and international law.
Mr. Am Sam Ath: " Yes, will and ideal or love and loyalty is the right of every citizen that he can choose a political party "Or any party leader you like . "
So Dara is currently recognized by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Thailand as a political refugee and has been resettled. Let him live in a third country. Despite some grief at this time, he remains loyal to the opposition and with Sam Rainsy, and he expects That one day he will protect the safety of Mr. Sam Rainsy again.
The reform of the State Electricity Company of Laos has not yet come
The Department of State Enterprise Reform and Insurance of the Ministry of Finance together with the World Bank in Laos organized a conference on March 13, titled "State Enterprise Reform: The Current State of the Lao PDR and Lessons from China" while the Lao Enterprise State has serious problems that have not yet been resolved .
Regarding the "reform of the Lao Enterprise State" which has a total of 7 companies, one of them is the Lao Electric Enterprise State whose debt accounts for 30% of the total debt value and 88% of the total value of his domestic product and the reform has been delayed and there are many difficulties.
As an official of the Lao Electricity Company told Radio Asia Free on May 1:
"Currently, we are still in the process of reforming the sector in many ways. It has to do with personnel planning, strategic planning, management of the organization, inflation, trading, exchange rate fluctuations of the dollar, etc. "
He added that since the beginning of the reform from the end of 2021 until now, it is still seen that the reform plan of the Lao government has not been implemented as well as it should be, because the reform guidelines are not clear, lack of a plan; Even though many positions have been removed and changed, the work system and employee mindset have not changed for the better. In addition, the internal budget administration is faced with economic depression, weak Kip currency and severe inflation, causing the expenditure of the Lao Electric Power Company to increase the most.
Due to the fact that the Lao Electricity Company is heavily in debt and there is no way to reduce it, the Lao government must help to solve the problem by arranging for a new board of directors to come to the company, arrange for a consulting company and help a certain amount of budget to pay off the debt.
Regarding the reform of the State Electricity Company of Laos, a number of Lao people see that the people who will come to reform to bring about change in a better direction, especially in the matter of corporate governance and the concept of employees, must be sincere, understand the problem and must not take advantage of the opportunity to benefit themselves and their friends as in the past.
"If you only think about the personal benefits of this party, it is not right. If you want to change, you have to really change. It is not only people who can change their thinking. You have to do what you say. You have to act, not just change the form of deception. You see."
Another Lao people in Champasak province said that if they really want to reform, the Lao government and the Lao Electricity Company must disclose information about the company's budget so that the society can monitor it.
As you said on the 1st of May:
"How many billions of dollars did it go to? How did it go? How was it used? And it is wrong. Only the top level took it. The people didn't realize anything. But it was full of debt."
In regard to this issue, the official of Patna Asia Bank or ADB in Laos said that the reform of the state of the 7 companies must be transparent, auditable and all relevant parties must have the same idea to solve the problem of debt and corruption. However, the actual reform is still seen as not as good as it should be, especially the State Electricity Company of Laos, which has created the most debts, and until now, there is no way to stop creating more debts because there are still loans from banks and partner countries to invest in new energy production sources, which are not necessary at this time. In addition, the budget management service within the Lao Electricity Company is still weak, causing the budget to leak and not be able to monitor, check and recover, which is a chronic problem that is difficult to solve.
As he said to Radio Asia Free on the same day:
"Right now, our capacity is about 11 thousand megawatts, almost 3,000 million dollars. Exporting electricity has not brought in money yet. It is still going to use debt. Investment is important to join the state. It has difficult information (debt) that leads to unnecessary debt. "
Regarding this issue, Free Asia Radio tried to contact the World Bank official in Laos to ask for the way to reform the State Enterprises of the 7 companies in order to make those State Enterprises conduct business efficiently and effectively and generate income for the country, but could not be contacted.
At the seminar last mid-March, Dr. Sonphet Inthawong, Head of the Department of State Enterprise and Insurance Reform, Ministry of Finance, reported that this meeting is part of the third phase of the World Bank's government sector financial management reform plan, which is currently focusing on the reform of the Lao Electric Power Company, the Lao Aviation Company, the Lao Fuel Company, and the Pharmaceutical Factory No. 2 and No. 3. The progress of the reform Some of those enterprises have already closed and some others are in the process of reform in 2023, but he did not disclose detailed information to the public. The reason why the government of Laos has to accelerate the reform of the state enterprises is because the activities of the state enterprises are still weak, there is a continuous lack of capital and some state enterprises create more debt regardless of their ability to pay and it is a burden for the government to bear.
There are more than 500,000 war refugees in KNU-controlled areas
Since the coup d'état, the number of war refugees has increased to more than 500,000 as of March this year due to the military offensive in the seven brigades in the area controlled by the KNU Karen National Union.
As of December 2022, the number of war refugees has increased from 360,000 to 500,000.
Among the seven KNU brigades, the 5th Brigade in Muttaw District and Dupalaya District has been fighting every day, and the number of war refugees has increased, said Phado Sawtonei, who is in charge of the KNU Foreign Affairs Department.
"Last April 5, we from the KNU, especially the three departments, the KNU Human Rights Committee, the KNU Foreign Affairs Department, and the news agency under the KNU Organization Department, together, we held a press conference. What that press conference shows is that from 2021 after the military coup to the end of December 2022, the number of war refugees, especially IDPs, increased to 360,000 during that year.
“That was until last December. But if we count again until this time this year, January When I looked at it from February to March, two months. Within three months, the number of IDPs increased rapidly. From 360,000 then to 500,000 now, the number of IDPs has reached this level."
He also said that he will try to connect with social organizations to deal with the increasing number of war refugees on the Thai-Myanmar border.
“That's our information in our KNU controlled area. Therefore, there is no change in how we provide relief to these people, the way we have been doing it in the past. There is no change in the CBO, CSO social organizations in that area, especially these IDPs who need food urgently. They are working with their skills.
"I can say that I have come a long way, but what I must say again is that the problem is that when the number of IDPs increases to such an unprecedented level, it is a real situation. This is the real situation. That is why we are not only crossing the border in the way we currently are, but we are still looking for ways to make it more effective. We are also trying to find ways to make it more effective. As long as we are able, we can say that we are trying our best. There are still many needs, and we are trying hard."
On the 29th and 30th of last April, the KNU/KNLA joint forces in Mekanal village, seven miles away from Myawati town. The military council and the BGF fought on the other side. For this reason, about 100 families from the Mekanel village group came to the Plaut Port refugee camp near the Thai-Myanmar border town. Adding to the previous list, there are about 1,000 families of war-affected refugees who need food and accommodation, said a camp official working as a volunteer at the war-affected refugee camp.
"At night, the fighting started, and I heard a sound around 8:30 p.m. On this side, I heard it again around 10:30 p.m. Yes, the fighting has been going on since the night until the morning. I have heard that the military council has a lot of money. I heard that the PDF groups on this side are also affected a bit. The BGF increased by 100 at night. I heard that 100 more increased in the morning. Now in our military evacuation camp, people from the Mekanal side have also moved back to this side, nearly 100 people. Now there are about 1,000. I have to give them what they need again, and now the number of people who will donate is few and far between, so I have to live with what I have."
KNU Brigade 6 area in Karen State, east of Donaung, Thai-Myanmar border, Myawati, Laykeko, Tu Ba Boe called Wally little boy There are still more than 15,000 war refugees in about 30 villages in the Hồ Siệp Bắng region, according to the volunteers who are helping the war refugees on the border.
Regarding the people fleeing the war, U Thet Lwin, Chief of the Military Council of Myawati, and Colonel Myo Min Naung, Minister of Security and Border Affairs of the Karen State Military Council, have been contacted, but there has been no response.
During the fighting that took place between April and March, the Military Council troops fired heavy weapons and bombarded Kyauktaung, Kyaukmai, and Kyaukmai in the Mekan region. block bridge Shwe Mya Sandi New Plot and Kukana Khanai Village, About 3,000 residents of Kyaukgu One Thousand Pagoda are fleeing the war.
These people are from the monasteries of Myavati. A volunteer providing assistance to war refugees said that they are still temporarily sheltering in the monasteries on the side of Pha Chaou, Yivayukone.
The 2023 report of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom has been released
The American Commission on International Religious Freedom recently released its 2023 report on the state of religious freedom in the world.
In this year's report, China is still listed as a "Country of Special Concern" by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, which is a country with severe religious persecution.
In this report, China is considered to be a country where the situation of religious freedom has worsened, and it is particularly emphasized that the Chinese government continues to criticize and ban major world religions such as Islam and Christianity as "foreign ideological systems" and tries to adapt them to the system and ideology of the Chinese Communist Party.
Nuri Turkel, president of the American Commission on International Religious Freedom, interviewed us and pointed out that an important feature of this year's report is that China is trying to Chineseize Islam and Christianity, destroy the religious morals and values of the heavenly religions, and instead try to inculcate the ideology of Communist China.
Mr. Nuri Turkel said that China's attempt to marginalize international religions and adapt them to China is nothing more than China's opposition to the Western world and its attempt to position itself as a leader.
In addition to the Chineseization of Islam in the Uyghur region, the report shows that the Chinese government is implementing a policy of forced assimilation of local Muslims, that Uighurs are imprisoned in concentration camps, forced into labor, brainwashed through political education, and that Uyghur women are forced to touch non-believing Chinese men. As an example, facts such as the "Xinjiang Police Documents" revealed in May 2022.
Based on the report released by the United Nations at the end of August last year, this report reiterates that the Chinese government's arbitrary arrest, discrimination, imprisonment and forced labor of Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic groups may constitute international crimes, especially crimes against humanity.
In his response to the 2023 report, Abraham Cooper, vice president of the American Commission on International Religious Freedom, said: "In a world where authoritarianism is on the rise, the American Commission on International Religious Freedom is concerned that the Chinese government continues to suppress religious freedom at home and abroad. According to the report, the Chinese government continues to commit genocide against Uighur Muslims, detaining them, using them as slaves, brainwashing them, monitoring them day and night, keeping them in their homes, impregnating their women, aborting their children, and committing heinous crimes. The report also included that China has targeted ethnic minorities and people of faith, human rights activists, and those living abroad.
According to Abraham Cooper, the report proposes to the US government to limit the influence of China in the United States, freeze the assets of Chinese officials and businesses that have seriously harmed religious freedom, and deny them visas.
Mr. Nuri Turkel said that the American Commission on International Religious Freedom, together with the United Nations High Council on Human Rights, advocated the investigation and accountability of the Chinese government's ongoing genocide in the Uyghur region, including the crime of religious persecution.
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