In his anger towards the "just" criticisms leveled against his regime by the UN Special Envoy for human rights in Cambodia, Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge soldier, is showing his old self by lashing out at the UN. Earlier this year, he backed down from the international community by releasing all those he jailed in order to receive international aid.By SOPHENG CHEANG
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) - The United Nations is in no position to lecture anyone about human rights after its failure to act when the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime was killing more than a million Cambodians in the 1970s, Prime Minister Hun Sen said Thursday.
Earlier this week, the U.N. secretary-general's special representative for human rights in Cambodia, Yash Ghai, told reporters that the country's power is concentrated around "one individual" - a thinly veiled reference to Hun Sen - and that his government is not very committed to human rights.
Though democratically elected, Hun Sen is widely seen as an authoritarian ruler who exercises near total control over all aspects of Cambodia's administration.
Hun Sen on Wednesday described Ghai as "totally deranged" and demanded that U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan sack him.
On Thursday, Hun Sen castigated the U.N. for its failure to act in 1975-1979 when the Khmer Rouge were committing atrocities that led to the death of some 1.7 million people.
"When (Khmer Rouge leader) Pol Pot killed the Cambodian people, where were you? Isn't the right to live the primary essence of human rights?" he said at a graduation ceremony. "So, why did you not shout about human rights when they killed people?"
Hun Sen said he disliked "this man Ghai" as well as his predecessors, whom he singled out by name. Ghai is not based in Cambodia but has an office managed by other U.N. staff. He voiced his criticisms at the end of a 10-day Cambodia trip Tuesday.
"I hate it so much when certain foreigners give such a lecture," Hun Sen said.
Recently, Hun Sen has partnered with the United Nations to help set up a special court to prosecute the remaining Khmer Rouge leaders for their atrocities.
Hun Sen was once a Khmer Rouge soldier but he defected to lead a Vietnam-backed resistance to overthrow the ultra-communist movement. Researchers say there is no evidence linking him to the Khmer Rouge crimes.
Cambodia's human rights situation suffered a severe setback last year when Hun Sen launched lawsuits against more than half a dozen critics, including an opposition leader, a journalist and several prominent human rights activists. The Cambodian leader dropped his actions earlier this year following strong condemnation at home and abroad.
Earlier this week, the U.N. secretary-general's special representative for human rights in Cambodia, Yash Ghai, told reporters that the country's power is concentrated around "one individual" - a thinly veiled reference to Hun Sen - and that his government is not very committed to human rights.
Though democratically elected, Hun Sen is widely seen as an authoritarian ruler who exercises near total control over all aspects of Cambodia's administration.
Hun Sen on Wednesday described Ghai as "totally deranged" and demanded that U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan sack him.
On Thursday, Hun Sen castigated the U.N. for its failure to act in 1975-1979 when the Khmer Rouge were committing atrocities that led to the death of some 1.7 million people.
"When (Khmer Rouge leader) Pol Pot killed the Cambodian people, where were you? Isn't the right to live the primary essence of human rights?" he said at a graduation ceremony. "So, why did you not shout about human rights when they killed people?"
Hun Sen said he disliked "this man Ghai" as well as his predecessors, whom he singled out by name. Ghai is not based in Cambodia but has an office managed by other U.N. staff. He voiced his criticisms at the end of a 10-day Cambodia trip Tuesday.
"I hate it so much when certain foreigners give such a lecture," Hun Sen said.
Recently, Hun Sen has partnered with the United Nations to help set up a special court to prosecute the remaining Khmer Rouge leaders for their atrocities.
Hun Sen was once a Khmer Rouge soldier but he defected to lead a Vietnam-backed resistance to overthrow the ultra-communist movement. Researchers say there is no evidence linking him to the Khmer Rouge crimes.
Cambodia's human rights situation suffered a severe setback last year when Hun Sen launched lawsuits against more than half a dozen critics, including an opposition leader, a journalist and several prominent human rights activists. The Cambodian leader dropped his actions earlier this year following strong condemnation at home and abroad.
1 comment:
The prime minister Hun Sen should help push to bring those khmer rouge to trial instead of criticize the UN.More importantly he should look at him self what have he been doing about human right in CAMBODIA?.
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