By Ek Tha
Phnom Penh, Jan. 22, 2013 (PRU)
–Australia welcomes the ongoing land title process, while Cambodia said its
court acts independently and both sides on Monday voiced concern over the
shortfall budget for the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia
(ECCC).
The Australian Ambassador Penny Richards
said that she is pleased with the ongoing process of land registration
initiated by Samdech Prime Minister Hun Sen. The Royal Government of Cambodia
is strongly committed to issue more than 1 million land titles for the local
people nationwide, which would motivate farmers to produce more crops and in
turn contribute towards poverty reduction.
His Excellency Deputy Prime Minister Dr.
Sok An reassured Her Excellency Ambassador that Cambodia’s courts act fully
independently according due process of law.
The court is obliged to take legal
action against those who accuse or defame others on the basis of false
information and that is a normal process of law, said the Deputy Prime
Minister, adding that the government has recently decriminalized defamation in
contrast with many other countries that still have this crime on their books.
The Deputy Prime Minister said that even
some advanced countries still use defamation laws to give serious punishment
against critics. “In that respect, we can say that we are proud of our laws,”
His Excellency Dr. Sok An, who is also Minister in Charge of the Office of the
Council of Ministers, said.
“We always try to maintain the rule of
law, as part of our commitment to the process of judicial and legal reform,”
said the Deputy Prime Minister who is also Chairman of the Council for Legal
and Judicial Reform.
He also said that Cambodia respects human
rights and freedom of expression, as evidenced by the strong and constant
criticisms voiced on various radio stations. “They even insult the government’s
leaders and act as though the election campaign period has already begun,” His
Excellency Dr. Sok An explained. According to Cambodia’s election law,
electoral campaigning is allowed only during a period of one month ahead of
polling day.
Both sides also raised concern over the
acute shortfall of funds to support the ECCC work. His Excellency Sok An said
the ECCC national staff and judges, have not received their salaries for nearly
two months and saying that the current trend could force consultation on how to
proceed based on the article 46 of ECCC Law.
His Excellency Sok An expressed thanks
for Australia’s continuing support as the second largest donor, having injected
$17.3 million (of which $14.1 has been allocated to the U.N. side and the
remaining to the Cambodian side of ECCC budget).
The Royal Government has contributed an
equivalent of $16.9 million, making it the third largest donor to the ECCC. Its
cash contribution for 2013 amounts to $1.8 million, having increased three
times over the initial commitment of $0.5 million in 2006.
Cambodia has to face the reality that it
cannot further increase this already significant contribution without
jeopardizing the country’s judicial reform program, as funds for the ECCC
already exceed the commitment from the national budget to the country’s Supreme
Court by 300% and to the Appeals Court by 257%.