VZCZCXRO2593
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHPF #0586/01 0861130
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 271130Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6359
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM  PRIORITY
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 1365

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PHNOM PENH 000586 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS; GENEVA FOR RMA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/24/2016 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM PHUM CB
SUBJECT: TENSIONS AMONG PRO-DEMOCRACY ADVOCATES ON THE RISE 
 
 
Classified By: Pol/Econ Chief Margaret McKean; Reason:  1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
 ¶1.  (C)  Summary.  Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) 
leader Kem Sokha and opposition party leader Sam Rainsy are 
undergoing a period of tension that has the potential to 
undermine Cambodian democratic consolidation.  Kem Sokha 
claims that Sam Rainsy is unnecessarily worried over Kem 
Sokha's political aspirations and is seeking to damage CCHR's 
work.  Rainsy's party has withdrawn from future participation 
in CCHR's public fora and has reportedly urged SRP followers 
throughout the country to end support for Kem Sokha.  The 
bickering between potential rivals must be music to PM Hun 
Sen's ears.  End Summary. 
 
Kem Sokha-Sam Rainsy Falling Out 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  On March 23, CCHR leader Kem Sokha visited the 
Embassy to discuss continued speculation regarding his 
political aspirations, as well as the Sam Rainsy Party's 
(SRP) decision to withdraw participation from CCHR public 
fora.  Kem Sokha said that senior SRP official Son Chhay had 
contacted him regarding a letter that party leader Sam Rainsy 
had asked him to send to the CCHR leader.  The letter 
contained two points; first, SRP claimed that CCHR was not 
behaving as a real NGO but was criticizing all the political 
parties, including the SRP; and second, that the public fora 
do not provide adequate time to SRP representatives.   Kem 
Sokha asked that Son Chhay not send the letter, and that he 
(Kem Sokha) and Sam Rainsy should meet and discuss these 
issues before a formal letter of complaint is sent. 
Unfortunately, the CCHR continued, Son Chhay said that Rainsy 
wanted the letter to go out, which was copied to IRI and 
USAID.  SRP members in the provinces reportedly were also 
receiving it, added Kem Sokha.  The CCHR leader noted that in 
the past, this was the sort of criticism they would receive 
from the CPP -- but not the SRP. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  Kem Sokha defended his public fora and said he 
treated all parties fairly.  The ten-minute limit for 
speakers is to ensure that everyone gets a chance; otherwise, 
people use their time to campaign on their party's behalf. 
He noted that even he is subject to the ten-minute rule.  On 
the issue of establishing a political party, Kem Sokha said 
that he had no intention of returning to politics before 
2008, but did not rule out the possibility following the 2008 
elections.  He suspects that Rainsy is unhappy with him 
because CCHR refused to participate in the Rainsy-proposed 
Land Authority to resolve land disputes, in which Rainsy 
wanted NGO representation.  Kem Sokha said that the NGOs 
should be independent of the body and have agreed to form a 
working group and make recommendations.  DCM advised Kem 
Sokha not to engage in tit-for-tat struggles with the 
opposition leader who has his own reasons for wanting to make 
the Land Authority a success. 
 
¶4.  (U)  The press on March 27 announced the differences 
between the two pro-democracy leaders and the SRP's decision 
to withdraw from the public fora.  One paper quoted acting 
SRP Secretary General Meng Rita accusing Kem Sokha of 
hoarding funds in order to launch a political party, and of 
using the organization's public forums to create a 
personality cult.  CCHR spokesperson Ou Virak considered the 
accusations as groundless, noting that everyone is subject to 
the ten minute limit at the public fora. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶5.  (C)  Kem Sokha used the first 40 minutes of the meeting 
to try and convince us that he did not want to start of 
political party, and the second 40 minutes explaining how he 
was the best person to lead Cambodia in the future, 
criticizing Rainsy as too confrontational and controversial a 
figure.  But it is unlikely Kem Sokha will try to form a 
political party before 2008.  There is inadequate time to 
develop a party structure and the CCHR leader recognizes that 
he would splinter the democratic vote, rather than act as a 
unifying factor.  But it's also clear that he and Rainsy are 
seeing one another as competitors and are not eager to help 
one another.  Kem Sokha appears to be banking on Rainsy 
failing to deliver on the issues (land grabbing, corruption, 
institution-building) most germane to the pro-democracy 
reform agenda, which could open the door to Kem Sokha's 
re-entry into politics post-2008.  Either way, the bickering 
between the two prominent former critics of the government 
must be music to PM Hun Sen's ears.  We will continue to urge 
Kem Sokha and Sam Rainsy to avoid undermining one another and 
focus instead on supporting the democratic process.  End 
 
PHNOM PENH 00000586  002 OF 002 
 
 
Comment. 
Mussomeli