Kem Sokha
| Kem Sokha MP | |
|---|---|
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| Vice President of the Cambodia National Rescue Party | |
|
Assumed office 17 July 2012 | |
| President | Sam Rainsy |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Minority Leader of the National Assembly Acting | |
|
Assumed office 16 November 2015 | |
| Prime Minister | Hun Sen |
| Preceded by | Sam Rainsy |
| First Vice President of the National Assembly | |
|
In office 26 August 2014 – 30 October 2015 | |
| President | Heng Samrin |
| Preceded by | Nguon Nhel |
| Succeeded by | Vacant |
| Member of Parliament for Kampong Cham | |
|
Assumed office 27 July 2008 | |
| Majority | 81,637 (9.11%) |
| Member of Parliament for Kandal | |
|
In office 28 May 1993 – 26 July 1998 | |
| President of the Human Rights Party | |
|
In office 22 July 2007 – 17 July 2012 | |
| Vice President |
Son Soubert Pen Sovan |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Son Soubert |
| Member of the Senate | |
|
In office 1999–2001 | |
| Preceded by | Seat established |
| Succeeded by | Chhim Siek Leng |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
27 June 1953 Tram Kak, Takéo, Cambodia |
| Political party | Cambodia National Rescue Party |
| Other political affiliations |
Human Rights Party (2007–12) Independent (2002–07) FUNCINPEC (1999–2002) Buddhist Liberal Democratic Party (1993–99) |
| Spouse(s) | Te Chanmono (m. 1980) |
| Children |
Kem Monovithya Kem Samathida |
| Alma mater |
University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague (M.S.) Royal University of Law and Economics (LL.M) |
| Profession |
Activist Politician |
| Religion | Theravada Buddhism |
| Signature |
 |
| Website | Kem Sokha |
Kem Sokha (Khmer: កឹម សុខា; born 27 June 1953) is a Cambodian politician and activist who currently serves as the Vice President of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP). In this capacity, he also serves as the acting Minority Leader of the National Assembly following Sam Rainsy's impeachment. He served as the First Vice President of the National Assembly of Cambodia from August 2014 to October 2015.[1][2] He represents Kampong Cham as its Member of Parliament (MP). From 2007 to 2012, Sokha was the leader of the Human Rights Party, which he founded.
Education
Kem Sokha has a Master of Science in Biochemistry from the Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague, Czech Republic and a law degree from the Royal University of Law and Economics, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Political career
His political career began in 1993, when he was elected a representative for Kandal; at that time he was a member of Son Sann's Buddhist Liberal Democratic Party. In 1999, he joined the royalist FUNCINPEC and subsequently elected a senator. He resigned from his Senate seat in 2001. In the 2008 elections, the Human Rights Party gained three seats in the National Assembly.
Kem Sokha is well known for his weekly town hall meetings at local level throughout the country. He was the first to introduce a free and open forum discussing issues concerning civic and political rights, as well as social and economic development, at village level in Cambodia. Kem Sokha is known for his non-violent, political tolerant policy standing on democratic and unity principles. His words are often quoted and repeated by ordinary Cambodians. His phrase "Do Min Do" (literal translation to English: "Change or no change") became the anthem for the Cambodia National Rescue Party's election Campaign in July 2013, which drew an unprecedented amount of youth participation.
On 26 August 2014, Sokha was elected by the National Assembly as its First Vice President with 116 votes,[1] the first opposition MP to hold the office. On 30 October 2015, he was ousted from the vice presidency by a vote of 68–0 following disagreements with the ruling party.[2] On 9 September 2016, after months under house arrest, Sokha was sentenced to five months in prison after refusing to appear in court for questioning in a prostitution case against him.[3] He was later granted a royal pardon by King Norodom Sihamoni.[4]
See also
References
- 1 2 "លោក កឹម សុខា ត្រូវបានបោះឆ្នោតជ្រើសរើសជាអនុប្រធានទី១សភា" [Kem Sokha elected as first vice president of National Assembly]. Radio Free Asia (in Khmer). 26 August 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
- 1 2 "Sokha stripped of National Assembly vice presidency". The Phnom Penh Post. 30 October 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
- ↑ "Court rules Kem Sokha guilty". The Phnom Penh Post. 9 September 2016. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
- ↑ "ព្រះមហាក្សត្រប្រទានលើកលែងទោសប្រធានស្តីទីបក្សប្រឆាំង លោក កឹម សុខា" (in Khmer). Radio Free Asia. 2 December 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
External links
- Kem Sokha
- Kem Sokha on Facebook
- Human Rights Party
- Cambodia National Rescue Party
- CCHR - Cambodian Center for Human Rights website
- Newsweek article
- Cambodia arrests rights activist, Guy De Launey, BBC, Phnom Penh
- Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism
- Institute of Chemical Technology
- Cambodian Leader Cracks Down in Bid to Solidify Power--New York Times
- BBC: While in U.S., Cambodians Get a Lesson on Rights From Home
- Cambodian Center for Human Rights
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Nguon Nhel |
Vice President of the National Assembly of Cambodia 2014–2015 |
Succeeded by TBD |
| New office | Member of the Senate 1999–2001 |
Succeeded by Chhim Siek Leng |
| Party political offices | ||
| New office | Vice President of the Cambodia National Rescue Party 2012–present |
Incumbent |
| New office | President of the Human Rights Party 2007–2012 |
Succeeded by Son Soubert |