Surya Subedi (L) speaks to the media in Phnom Penh, May 9, 2012. (AFP) |
Om Yentieng (Photo: Sok Serey, RFA) |
Cambodia’s government rejects a UN report seeking electoral reforms and respect for human rights.
2012-08-29
AFP
Cambodian government officials have rejected a report by a
United Nations expert pushing for electoral reforms and accusing the
authorities of rights violations over economic land concessions.
They said that the report by Surya Subedi, the U.N. Special
Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, does not paint
an accurate picture of the current status of human rights in the
country.
Subedi warned in the report that Cambodia may plunge into
violence if it does not reform the current electoral system to allow
for fair and free elections.
He also said that the human costs of economic land concessions in the
country has been high, adding that the absence of proper consultation
and negotiation with the people affected when granting such concessions
has been a major concern.
Om Yin Tieng, head of the government’s Human Rights Committee said
Subedi was taking a biased approach to the situation in Cambodia,
accusing him of siding with the country’s political opposition and civil
society.
“Subedi should work as an advisor to the opposition instead of as the U.N. Rapporteur,” he said.
“The situation of human rights in Cambodia is not as bad as what he wrote in his report.”
Phay Siphan, spokesperson for the Council of Ministers, also
dismissed Subedi’s findings, calling the information “outdated” and
saying it did not reflect the “positive developments of human rights in
Cambodia.”
“The government has been promoting democracy, human rights, and land reforms with great success,” he said.
Report praised
But Subedi’s report received praise from Cambodia’s political
opposition and nongovernmental organization (NGO) communities, which
said that the government should stop denying the problems it has caused
and work together to solve them.
Rong Chhun, head of the Cambodian Independent Teacher’s Association, hailed Subedi’s report as highlighting “much-needed truth.”
“The rights to assembly and expression, and the rights to housing and
agricultural land, have been threatened by the government’s economic
land concessions,” he said.
Yim Sovan, Member of Parliament for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, also expressed support for Subedi’s report.
“The government has forced villagers from their homes and land for development without proper compensation,” he said.
“The government has to be responsible for the violation of human
rights in this country and should not try to make any pretext or excuse
to cover up the situation.”
Tools of repression
Opposition Human Rights Party MP Ou Channrith said that the
government has used the very institutions meant to protect the rights of
the people as tools to stifle them.
“The government has used the armed forces and judicial system to
threaten and suppress the opposition party, civil society, workers, and
citizens,” he said.
Subedi’s report is to be presented to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva at its upcoming September meeting.
In the report, the Special Rapporteur detailed “major flaws” in the
administration of elections in Cambodia and called for “urgent and
longer-term reforms” to give Cambodians confidence in the electoral
process and in the National Election Committee, which organizes and
manages polls.
Reported by Touch Yuthea for RFA’s Khmer service. Translated by Yanny Hin. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
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