Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-02-12-Speech-4-137"
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"en.20040212.9.4-137"2
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"Mr President, political murder is a heinous crime in darkness: it is even more chilling in daylight.
Mr Chea Vichea, trade unionist and member of the Cambodian opposition, was shot and killed on January 22, beside the road in Phnom Penh, in the middle of the day. So brazen was his killer, that passers-by mistook the bullets for firecrackers. Mr Vichea is the fifth member of the opposition Alliance of Democrats to have been murdered in 2004, and the latest victim of a year of violence. His funeral brought into the streets a crowd estimated at 30 000 strong. I know why, having met Mr Vichea last April and been deeply impressed by his commitment to democracy and good government and improving the lives of his fellow citizens.
Mr Vichea was a founding member of the Sam Rainsy Party. He was a committed advocate of the rights of Cambodia's 200 000 garment workers. His killing, along with that of activists from the Funcinpec party, adds to a temper of political intimidation in Cambodia that is worsened by the failure of the caretaker government to respond to these murders. Whether the Cambodian People's Party is responsible for these killings or not, its persistent failure to apprehend and punish the killers leaves it accountable for the rising tide of fear in Cambodian politics.
Hun Sen's government continues to rule Cambodia without full legal and constitutional authority. It is imperative that a negotiated settlement be reached to enable legitimate government, yet negotiations cannot take place in the shadow of political murder, which sours attempts to construct a viable coalition and threatens to provoke retaliatory violence.
The European Parliament must condemn not only this killing, but also the climate of intimidation and impunity that Cambodian authorities allow to persist. Our resolution calls for the suspension of all non-humanitarian aid to Cambodia and for the European Commission to refuse to deal with Hun Sen's government. The EU should not do business with a government that fails to safeguard the lives of democratic leaders.
In conclusion, we call on the Council to issue strong words of condemnation."@en1
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