02 October 2006
AFP
PHNOM PENH - The UN rights envoy to Cambodia was making "unsubstantiated" claims about democracy in the kingdom, the country's top election body said Monday, lashing out at criticism from the official.
Yash Ghai last week told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva that Cambodia's ruling party was stifling democracy in order to stay in power.
"One does not need expertise in human rights to recognise that many policies of the government have subverted the essential principles of democracy," he said, according to a copy of his speech.
Ghai's comments came as Cambodia heads into two key polls: a vote for local administrators this year and 2008 general elections likely to see Prime Minister Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party cement control of parliament.
In Cambodia's first official response to Ghai's latest criticism, the National Election Committee said in a statement that the envoy's comments "made on the independence and the neutrality of the NEC are unsubstantiated".
"By using such assertions presented as undeniable facts, Mr. Ghai is passing judgment over the NEC without giving it the opportunity to make its case," the body said, adding that Ghai has never offered to meet with any election officials.
Ghai's report last week also included a scathing assessment of Cambodia's rights situation, citing rampant land-grabbing, corruption and influence peddling in the courts.
Cambodian officials have reacted angrily, saying Ghai hates the government.
Hours before Ghai addressed the United Nations body, Hun Sen reportedly said the UN rights office should re-locate to Baghdad, according to the English-language newspaper the Cambodia Daily.
Hun Sen earlier this year demanded Ghai be sacked and blasted UN officials in Cambodia as "gods without virtue" and "long-term tourists" after a similarly critical report from the envoy.
Yash Ghai last week told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva that Cambodia's ruling party was stifling democracy in order to stay in power.
"One does not need expertise in human rights to recognise that many policies of the government have subverted the essential principles of democracy," he said, according to a copy of his speech.
Ghai's comments came as Cambodia heads into two key polls: a vote for local administrators this year and 2008 general elections likely to see Prime Minister Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party cement control of parliament.
In Cambodia's first official response to Ghai's latest criticism, the National Election Committee said in a statement that the envoy's comments "made on the independence and the neutrality of the NEC are unsubstantiated".
"By using such assertions presented as undeniable facts, Mr. Ghai is passing judgment over the NEC without giving it the opportunity to make its case," the body said, adding that Ghai has never offered to meet with any election officials.
Ghai's report last week also included a scathing assessment of Cambodia's rights situation, citing rampant land-grabbing, corruption and influence peddling in the courts.
Cambodian officials have reacted angrily, saying Ghai hates the government.
Hours before Ghai addressed the United Nations body, Hun Sen reportedly said the UN rights office should re-locate to Baghdad, according to the English-language newspaper the Cambodia Daily.
Hun Sen earlier this year demanded Ghai be sacked and blasted UN officials in Cambodia as "gods without virtue" and "long-term tourists" after a similarly critical report from the envoy.
5 comments:
They say the truth hurts, and Hun Sen and his henchmen have just proved that point. If Mr. Ghai had asked the government officials or the NEC officials for their inputs they would have painted a rosy picture of life in Cambodia. They would say there were no land grabbing, no forced eviction, no land swapping, no ballot rigging, no vote buying, no torture of suspects, no forced registration of CPP membership, no corruption in high places, no illegal logging, no human rights abuse, no political murder, no politically-biased judiciary, and the list goes on.
It is sad to see these high-ranking officials making such stupid comments in response to Mr. Ghai's report in the international media. Moving the UNCHR to Baghdad? Long-term tourist? Mr. Ghai hates the government? Come on, can anyone in the CPP come up with a more intelligent response to this critical report? It just goes on to show to the international community the kind of official idiocies the Cambodian people have to put up with everyday. Keep up the good work, Mr. Ghai!
Mr. Ghai, your comments are 100% correct. Don't be afraind the Mafia government.
God bless you!
Guilty group are always deffensive and nasty!!! they can not reason any thing!
Here is the story of Cambodia that would prove it:
" TWO WOMEN AND ONE BABY "
At the court room, a judge asked the two women to fight or pull her baby hard, if she is the real mother.
THE NOT REAL MOTHER PULLED THE BABY AS HARD AS SHE COULD AND THE REAL MOTHER AFRAID THAT HER BABY WOULD BE HURT AND SHE WOULD NOT PULL, BUT LET IT GO....
You tell me which one would the judge reward the baby to?
THE WISE JUDGE REWARDED THE BABY TO THE REAL MOTHER " THE GENTLE LADY".
and i'm with Mr. Ghai. You are the saint Sir!!!!!!!!MAY GOD BLESS YOU!
The louder the barks, the most guility it will get. NEC stand for Not Eqaul to Common people.
Halaluya!
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