Safety and Security: A System that can be Trusted by the People of Cambodia

Statement

Safety and Security: A System that can be Trusted by the People of Cambodia

The loss of life at the Koh Pich Bridge on November 22 shocked and saddened us all. What is always a joyous day of national celebration will now be remembered by family and friends with searing pain.

From our perspective, the pain is doubled because it is the result of human error. Large public gatherings like our Water Festival happen across the world every day without devolving into tragedy. Proper systems established by authorities ensure the safety of participants. It is precisely the weakness of our systems particularly the unreliable National Institutions that allowed this terrible event to transpire.

It is the responsibility of the elected leaders of the country to determine the exact mistakes that allowed November 22 to turn into a tragedy. These mistakes may be due to mismanagement at the event itself, as well as structural flaws in our broader approach to security. Now is the time to investigate these questions and determine the best ways to ensure that we do not allow such events to happen again.

Over the upcoming weeks and months, the Sam Rainsy Party will lead a broad effort under the heading:

"Safety and Security: A System that can be Trusted by the People of Cambodia"

We will call for national unity in order to achieve proper safety and security for all of our people.

There are two main tracks that we will pursue:

(1) Immediate relief for the families of the victims of the bridge collapse:

A Committee should be established, consisting of representatives of the victims' families and other concerned members of the community. The first task of the committee will be to establish a trust fund for the families of all victims. The fund will be administered by the committee and funded by the government and the owners of the Koh Pich island and bridge, or their insurers. The committee will also serve as a voice for the families for consultation with the government in future matters related to security.

(2) Comprehensive review of security on November 22, and recommendations for improvement:

A Special Commission of the National Assembly should be established as the primary national investigation of the November 22 stampede. This Koh Pich Special Commission should begin with a thorough investigation of the events before, during the night of tragedy and days after the tragedy. A report should be presented to the public on what happened, what security measures were in place, and how these measures were or were not implemented. Because errors in public safety allowed these events to transpire, this Commission should also conduct a full review existing legislation concerning public safety and security. After consulting with industry experts, the Commission will recommend improvements for our public security system, to be considered by the full Parliament.

The tragedy of November 22 is an unacceptable event in the public life of our nation. By taking the two steps outlined here, the SRP proposes to support the families of the victims as well as possible, and to take every measure possible to prevent such tragedies from happening again.

Phnom Penh December 2, 2010