Lango critics not legally registered
MI NIST ER of I nter ior Sa r Kheng has denounced the group of 100 N G O s a n d associations t hat ca lled for the Law on Associations and Non-Governmental Organisations
(Lango) to be repealed as between 70 and 80 per cent of them are not n ot e v e n l e g a l l y registered.
Speaking at the ministry’s 2019 annual meeting to review last year’s work and set goals for action plan 2020 on Thursday, he said: “They claimed that the number of protesting NGOs and associations reached 100.
“But some of the associations were not even aware they were added, although their names were included to give the impression of a larger opposition to Lango.
“In rea lit y, some of t he communities consisted of only a few people and were not registered NGOs or associations. Around 70 to 80 per cent are not on the Minist r y of Interior’s of ficia l list ings,” he said.
Sar Kheng said those that were registered were granted financial assistance from other countri tries. That financial assistance was then di distributed to small communities in retu turn for joining the objection to Lango.
“In some cases, the issues of those comm munities were irrelevant to Lango, so I do no not understand why they were added to a co complaint that opposes the law,” he said.
Sar Kheng also responded to the civil socie ciety organisations (CSOs) that demanded th the government apply the civil code law in instead of the Lango. He said: “The civil co code law stipulates only one paragraph wh which does not address anything.”
Stressing that Cambodia is a haven of CS CSOs, he urged them and inter-ministeria rial groups responsible for amending the La Lango to be patient.
R Rights group Licadho’s vice-president Am Sam Ath claimed on Wednesday that NG NGOs and associations were finding it di difficult to register because the Lango un undermines and restricts many associatio tions’ and local communities’ rights.
“Local communities, especially rega garding land rights, have really suffered fro from Lango. When they tried to protect th their land, authorities pressured them us using Lango and suspended or banned th them from operating. That is why NGOs ar are protesting against it,” he claimed.