Female politicians heaved a sigh of relief and a male Funcinpec lawmaker grumbled when the long-awaited and much-debated domestic violence law was approved by the votes of 88 lawmakers in the National Assembly on Friday.
Minister of Women’s Affairs Ing Kantha Phavy thanked lawmakers and said the law would prevent violence and help victims. She added that the law must now be effectively enforced.
CPP lawmaker Ho Naun, who is also chairwoman of the Assembly’s health, social affairs, labor and women’s affairs committee, appealed for a nationwide awareness campaign before the law is enforced, and said that the law is not a major threat to Khmer family tradition.
“The domestic violence prevention and victim law is not going to make too much revolution in the way of Khmer family living,” she said.
Funcinpec lawmaker Monh Saphann said that despite his vote for the law to be passed, he was unsatisfied with the particulars of the law and feared it could worsen rifts in Cambodian families.
“It’s our common goal to prevent violence, but I was just not happy with some points,” he said, adding that the law would make it impossible for a husband and wife to reach a compromise outside the court.
