Today, October 20, 2009, IPS caught up with Mu Sochua, Cambodian opposition lawmaker, as she traveled to Bangkok to discuss the freedom of expression in Southeast Asia.
Recently, the Cambodian National Assembly approved a new set of penal codes, which Sochua feels may not sufficiently protect free speech. She explained to IPS, “The goal of some of the articles is to restrict people making critical comment about civil servants, the police, politicians failing in their duty. It will make it more difficult even for me, for example, as a parliamentarian, to say that a minister is corrupt, because the minister can sue me since my exposure would be an offence under the penal code.”
Sochua was also asked about the possibility that she would one day run for prime minster of Cambodia. She replied, “It will be feasible within my party because we are promoting democratic ideas. I could be one of the candidates, but there are other women who are good to qualify.”