Thousands Celebrate Int'l Human Rights Day
By Yun Samean
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
More than 10,000 people gathered at Phnom Penh's Olympic Stadium on Sunday to mark International Human Rights Day.
Cambodian Center for Human Rights President Kem Sokha, who was jailed following last year's human rights day over a banner critical of the government was particularly outspoken at this year's event which focused on those defending human rights.
"Human rights defenders are being threatened, intimidated and arrested," Kem Sokha told the crowd. "Union activists' demands are being struck down and [activists] prosecuted at the whim of the government," he said.
Kem Sokha also blasted the authorities over land disputes.
"The government doesn't solve the issues or talk with the people," he said. "On the contrary, the authorities are trying to find the ringleaders [of demonstrations against land grabs] like Pol Pot’s regime."
US Ambassador Joseph Mussomeli told the crowd that he believed Cambodia had made important progress, particularly regarding stability and economic growth.
He added, however, that there are "tremendous human rights challenges that remain."
"Human rights abuses persist and come in a wide variety of forms, most especially corruption, a crippled judiciary and the lack of political will to make the hard choices needed to eradicate corruption and strengthen the judiciary," Mussomeli said.
So far this year, he said, as many as 71 community or labor activists have been illegally detained or lately charged.
Mussomeli concluded that the government's repression of dissenting voices was the expected outcome of years of conflict and instability, but that it was no longer justified.
"These very critics can help further stabilize Cambodia and bring true peace and prosperity to this country," he said.
Om Yentieng, an adviser to Prime Minister Hun Sen and head of the Cambodian Human Rights Committee, said rights in Cambodia have greatly improved. He added that Mussomeli's comments are not always correct.
"[Foreigners] love Cambodia, but we Cambodians love Cambodia more than them," he said.
He also said that speakers at the rally were not so much interested in promoting human rights as in using the opportunity as a political platform to attack the government.
"Politics has no involvement with human rights," Om Yentieng said.
Prince Norodom Ranariddh also released a statement through his fledgling Norodom Ranariddh Party that roundly condemned the government.
The prince claimed that freedoms of expression and assembly have been severely limited, that corruption taints every state institution and that a lack of confidence in the judiciary has led to mob killings.
The Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee, a coalition of 23 rights organizations, issued a statement attacking the government for its handling of land issues, corruption, freedom of expression, protection of rights workers and pre-election violence.
Discussing April's commune elections, CHRAC said that "killing, intimidation, threats and political harassment… have seriously affected the security environment and the freedom of people's participation in the election."
Cambodian Center for Human Rights President Kem Sokha, who was jailed following last year's human rights day over a banner critical of the government was particularly outspoken at this year's event which focused on those defending human rights.
"Human rights defenders are being threatened, intimidated and arrested," Kem Sokha told the crowd. "Union activists' demands are being struck down and [activists] prosecuted at the whim of the government," he said.
Kem Sokha also blasted the authorities over land disputes.
"The government doesn't solve the issues or talk with the people," he said. "On the contrary, the authorities are trying to find the ringleaders [of demonstrations against land grabs] like Pol Pot’s regime."
US Ambassador Joseph Mussomeli told the crowd that he believed Cambodia had made important progress, particularly regarding stability and economic growth.
He added, however, that there are "tremendous human rights challenges that remain."
"Human rights abuses persist and come in a wide variety of forms, most especially corruption, a crippled judiciary and the lack of political will to make the hard choices needed to eradicate corruption and strengthen the judiciary," Mussomeli said.
So far this year, he said, as many as 71 community or labor activists have been illegally detained or lately charged.
Mussomeli concluded that the government's repression of dissenting voices was the expected outcome of years of conflict and instability, but that it was no longer justified.
"These very critics can help further stabilize Cambodia and bring true peace and prosperity to this country," he said.
Om Yentieng, an adviser to Prime Minister Hun Sen and head of the Cambodian Human Rights Committee, said rights in Cambodia have greatly improved. He added that Mussomeli's comments are not always correct.
"[Foreigners] love Cambodia, but we Cambodians love Cambodia more than them," he said.
He also said that speakers at the rally were not so much interested in promoting human rights as in using the opportunity as a political platform to attack the government.
"Politics has no involvement with human rights," Om Yentieng said.
Prince Norodom Ranariddh also released a statement through his fledgling Norodom Ranariddh Party that roundly condemned the government.
The prince claimed that freedoms of expression and assembly have been severely limited, that corruption taints every state institution and that a lack of confidence in the judiciary has led to mob killings.
The Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee, a coalition of 23 rights organizations, issued a statement attacking the government for its handling of land issues, corruption, freedom of expression, protection of rights workers and pre-election violence.
Discussing April's commune elections, CHRAC said that "killing, intimidation, threats and political harassment… have seriously affected the security environment and the freedom of people's participation in the election."
No comments:
Post a Comment