VOA慢速英语：柬埔寨执政党出台新法律助其2018选举

Two years ago, the ruling party in Cambodia suffered aloss in support during the country’s last election. Criticssay Cambodian lawmakers are now trying to pushthrough laws to prevent that from happening again.

In the past year, parliament has passed laws for judgesand the courts, elections and non-governmentalorganizations. More measures targeting labor unionsand the Internet are to be debated soon.

Clashes between protestors and the riots police in front of the Senate of Cambodia on July 24, 2015. (Neou Vannarin/VOA Khmer)

Observers fear that the ruling party will misuse threelaws approved by parliament in recent weeks. Theythink the government will use these laws -- and othersbeing considered -- to silence opponents andstrengthen its power before the next elections, in 2018.

The new laws are the ruling party’s reaction to theresults of the 2013 elections. The opposition cameclose to winning that vote.

On Friday, Cambodia’s Senate approved a disputedlaw affecting non-governmental organizations, orNGOs. The law gives the government powers to closeany non-profit organization or group that fails to meetregistration and reporting requirements. The law alsogives Cambodian officials the power to close any groupthat endangers peace, national unity or culture. Thegovernment claims the law will prevent terrorism andfinancial wrongdoing.

The European Union, the United Nations and the United States have opposedthe law. And hundreds of aid groups called for its cancellation. Hundreds ofdemonstrators gathered outside the Senate to protest the law. Oppositionlawmakers boycotted the vote. Now the law will be sent to Cambodia’s king forfinal approval.

Ou Virak is a political expert. He created a research group called The FutureForum. He says many new bills are being approved because Prime MinisterHun Sen wants to guarantee his party will win the 2018 elections.

“The government has made it clear that they are upset with the NGOs, andparticularly NGOs who have been political, who have been talking about theelection results, who have been complaining about the lack of free and fairelections in the past, particularly the protests that ensued (after) the 2013disputed election.”

Ou Virak says Cambodia’s ruling party believes manynon-governmental organizations support the opposition.Many of these groups receive money from foreigngovernments. Mr. Ou Virak says the prime ministerfears they will support a rebellion against hisgovernment. Mr. Hun Sen has ruled the country formore than 25 years.

Another law would restrict the activities of Cambodiantrade unions. Many unions support the opposition.

The government also wants to establish limits on theInternet. Observers are not surprised that it wants to do so, because socialmedia helped the opposition in the 2013 elections. The government says a lawlimiting use of the Internet would help in the fight against computer crimes.

Mr. Ou Virak says young people in Cambodia use social media sites, such asFacebook and YouTube, to show their anger with the government. He saysthat is why the government will seek to restrict them.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if, if internet freedom, or cybercrime, will be used as ascapegoat to, to try to reel in another medium that could undermine thegrip of the ruling party -- and that is the internet.”

The government says people should not worry about the new laws. Lastweek, Deputy Prime Minister Sar Kheng said Cambodians should not beafraid that the government will use the laws to suppress opposition. But thegovernment controls judges in the country. And it has often used laws toabuse opponents.

For example, this month the city court in the capital Phnom Penh sentenced11 opposition supporters to up to 20 years in prison just because they were at a protest in the capital last year that became violent. Rights groups stronglycriticized the court’s decision.

I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.

Neou Vannarin and Robert Carmichael reported this story from Phnom Penh.Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritterwas the editor.

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Words in The News

upset with – v. (phrasal) to be displeased with; to be troubled by

ensue– v. to take place as a result of; to take place later than something else

scapegoat– n. someone who takes the blame for something but is notresponsible for it

reel in – v. to bring in; to attract

medium – n. a means of communication; plural: media

undermine – v. to make something less effective