Being so used to be hand-fed by the CPP for free, Kampuchea Thmei couldn’t fathom why someone would pay to buy their own food to listen to Mu Sochua

$20 fee to meet with Mrs. Mu Sochua
Kampuchea Thmei (Pro-CPP) newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

[KI-Media note: It is customary in democratic countries where a large number of Cambodians are currently living, that participants who attend meetings with Cambodia politicians help pay for their own food and other miscellaneous cost to organize these meetings. This is quite contrary to Cambodia where, corrupt politicians usually pay for the public to come to listen to them. Generally, due to poverty, Cambodians are enticed to come and listen to propaganda speeches organized by CPP candidates in exchange for one or two kilos of rice, one krama (towel) and one sarong. In return, these poor Cambodian constituents are also forced to pledge their vote to these vote-buying CPP candidates.]

SRP MP Mu Sochua (Photo: The Phnom Penh Post)

An announcement indicates that each participant must pay $20 to participate in a meeting and a session to demand freedom organized in Philadelphia, USA.

Kampuchea Thmei received unbelievable news that Mrs. Mu Sochua plan to meet with member in the US, and members who plan to attend the meeting with Mrs. Mu Sochua are frankly told that they must each pay $20. According to an announcement posted on the SRP website, SRP members in the US plan to organize a meeting session on 05 September 2009 at the Grand King Buffet, Philadelphia, USA, from 6PM to 9PM.

According to this announcement, participants to this even must each pay a contribution of $20. The event, labeled: a ceremony to demand freedom and justice, will include the participation of SRP MP Mu Sochua.

The announcement indicates also that Mrs. Mu Sochua, the SRP MP for Kampot province, is a courageous Cambodia woman who stood up against injustice to defend women’s rights in Cambodia – rights that were looked down and violated under the threat of the Cambodian government.

The announcement also indicated that participants to the event must prepare their questions to ask them directly to Mrs. Mu Sochua according to their personal views.

SRP MP Mu Sochua left Cambodia after the Phnom Penh municipal court decided that she lost her case against Hun Xen’s defamation lawsuit. The court ordered her to pay a fine of 16.5 million ($4,125). Her departure overseas took place at the same time as the Appeal court summoned her in for clarification. However, Mrs. Mu Sochua asked for a delay in this summon until after 20 September 2009, and she claimed that she was busy with taking care of her health overseas.

Following her departure, several local news media reported that SRP MP Yim Sovann, SRP spokesman, claimed that Mrs. Mu Sochua is seeking to set up a fund in Canada, the USA, etc… to help the victims of the judicial system in Cambodia.

The announcement indicates that the meeting with Mrs. Mu Sochua will take place on 05 September 2009 in Philadelphia, USA.

Regarding this announcement, a number of analysts claimed that it a merely a meeting to collect funds to conduct politics in Cambodia, and involvement in politics through these minor fundraisings, these analysts do not believe that it will lead to success.