Hun Sen hits back at judicial reform criticism
Prime Minister Hun Sen used a graduation ceremony in Phnom Penh Monday to denounce criticism from civil society groups who say that his government is rushing judicial reforms into law without appropriate public consultation. Speaking at the ceremony for about 1,800 students from the Asia Euro University, the prime minister said he had kept abreast of the criticism during his recent trip to Azerbaijan and Belarus by reading the news on his phone. “They said that the law was not sent to civil society to discuss with the people. I just send a message back that, firstly, we have listened a lot already,” Mr. Hun Sen said. “Secondly, the provisions of the Constitution do not allow us to give [the draft law] to someone besides the Council of Ministers and says that the Council of Ministers should send it to the National Assembly,” he continued. “It does not say to send it to non-government organizations.” NGOs including the Cambodian Center for Human Rights criticized the lack of public consultation on the government’s three judicial reform laws since they were approved on April 18 by the Council of Ministers for introduction to the National Assembly. …
Khy Sovuthy
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/hun-sen-hits-back-at-judicial-reform-criticism-57613/
