After the release of a video showing a prominent Cambodian businessman, Sok Bun, beating former TV personality Ek Socheata, known as Sasa, we talked to two of Cambodia’s leading advocates for women’s rights about violence and the rule of law
Mu Sochua is a member of parliament for Battambang city and a prominent politician for Cambodia’s leading opposition party, the Cambodia National Rescue Party.
Why has there been so little outrage from senior officials within the Cambodian government following this incident?
The [Phnom Penh Municipal Court] has put out a summons for his [Sok Bun’s] arrest and the MP, Hun Many, the son of the prime minister, has written on his Facebook page condemning the attack.
But the summons should have gone further by putting all border police posts on alert by putting the face of the oknha [an honorific title bestowed on individuals who have contributed financially to the Kingdom] on computer systems – he must be considered as ‘highly wanted’ by the police.
The same goes for Sok Bun’s accomplice, his bodyguard. However, the focus should be on him to ensure that he will be arrested, not just his bodyguard.
What do you think this event shows about Cambodian society and its attitudes towards women?
Violence against women is a global problem but for Cambodia, as for any country where the rule of law is weak, impunity becomes part of the culture, and the powerful get away [with their actions].
It needs to go all the way through to prosecution, to provide justice for the victims, and for rehabilitation and reintegration into society.
More than a decade after you led the Ministry for Women’s Affairs, do you think the treatment of women in society has changed?
I do think so. The campaign launched by the Ministry for Women’s Affairs at the time, under the slogan Women Are Precious Gems (Neary Rattanak), is now is in its fourth year. As is the five-year plan, from 2014 to 2018, named Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women in Cambodia, which covers violence against women. I myself led the campaign nationwide.
I also authored the draft law Prevent Domestic Violence and Protection for Victims, which was adopted in 2009.
I do believe the public is now more informed about the serious impact of violence on women and support from the public also comes from men. But the problem lies in the implementation of the law and in the judiciary system that protects the perpetrator while making it difficult for the victim to access protection and justice.
Do you think Cambodia’s laws are adequate in dealing with violence against women?
Women can rely on three laws: the Law on the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Protection of Victims; Section 2 of the 2009 Criminal Code; and the 2008 Law on Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation
But there are still very many challenges facing victims. The burden of proof, how police report crimes, the lack of females in the police force all make it difficult to punish gender-based violence. There is also the role of the prosecutor, who has the sole right to initiate the prosecution of an offender, and the lack of independence in the court system.
One commentator has said that such an attack should not come as a surprise as this kind of thing happens all the time to women in the service industry, who they said are treated like ‘slaves’ by men. What do you make of this comment?
I agree. This is where the justice system has failed women and society by blaming women who are not worthy because of their employment.
What do you think would be an appropriate response by the government to this incident?
Start by putting all police on alert. Then ask for cooperation with Singaporean authorities to extradite the offender, if he is found to be in Singapore as reported. The authorities should also alert all neighbouring countries and countries where the [alleged] offender is likely to travel to.
***
Thida Khus is the executive director of NGO Silaka, an organisation that promotes democracy, sustainable development and social justice
Why has there been so little outrage from senior officials within the Cambodian government following this incident?
As far as I noticed there was outrage on Facebook. The reasons you do not see it elsewhere are because there are other competing issues on the public agenda, such as the NGO law and the border issues. For women, this is not a new phenomenon. It is common knowledge what powerful and wealthy Cambodian men do when they want a woman working in the service industry, it is just that this time it was caught on tape and went viral. Also, discrimination against women runs deep in society. They look at women as sex objects and as being inferior to men, like they are less than a human being. As well as this, application of the law is weak. Perpetrators often get away without punishment.
In the time you have been at Silaka, do you think the treatment of women in society has changed
More young men are speaking up against violence against women and more women are speaking up against this kind of inhumane act against women.
Do you think Cambodia’s laws are adequate in dealing with violence against women?
The laws may be adequate, but the implementation of the law is another matter. Without money and power and pressure, nothing will happen, from the police right up to the courts and prosecution.
One commentator has said that such an attack should not come as a surprise, as this kind of thing happens all the time to women in the service industry, who they said are treated like ‘slaves’ by men. What do you make of this comment?
I agree with this comment. The shock for the public is because it was caught on tape. Many women in the service industry are victims of violence by powerful men.
What do you think would be an appropriate response by the government to this incident?
He [Sok Bun] should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Additional laws [should be enacted to say] that people who witness such an act and do not report it to authorities [should be seen] as accomplices to the crime.
Keep reading:
“Woman of the people” – Mu Sochua has spent the best part of two decades on the frontlines of Cambodian politics campaigning for women’s rights and justice for ordinary people. Southeast Asia Globe spent three days with the MP as she toured her constituency
