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Cambodia tells foreign countries not to interfere in affairs over NGO, Trade Union draft bills

Xinhua, June 28, 2015 Adjust font size:

Ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) President and Prime Minister Hun Sen on Sunday appealed to foreign countries not to interfere in his country's internal affairs over the establishment of the draft laws on Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Associations and on Trade Unions.

Speaking during the 64th anniversary of the CPP founding, Hun Sen said the party supported the creation of the two laws, noting that they would protect the rights, freedom and interests of those organizations as well as public interests while guaranteeing effective functioning of those organizations in conformity with rule of law and good governance.

"The party resolutely opposes actions of interference from foreign circles into the process, which is a violation on independence and sovereignty of Cambodia, and calls for respect of the Kingdom of Cambodia as a sovereign state and a member of the United Nations," he said at the event.

Prime Minister Hun Sen's cabinet passed the draft law on NGOs and Associations earlier this month and is awaiting approval from the parliament, while the draft law on Trade Unions is still being drafted by the Ministry of Labor.

The appeal came after some foreign diplomats, including from the United States, and United Nations agency representatives have criticized the draft law on NGOs and Associations. They expressed their concerns that the law would impose restrictions on the freedoms of NGOs.

The government said currently, there are some 5,000 NGOs and associations in Cambodia, including 411 international organizations.

Under the draft law, NGOs and associations will be required to register their nationalities with the Cambodian government in order to have legal standing and are required to file reports on their activities and finances each year to the government. Endi