NGOs meeting (Photo: Sralanh Khmer)Nongovernmental organizations Meet To Ask Donors To Put Pressure on Cambodian Government
09 Jun 07
by Veha
Sralanh Khmer
Translated from Khmer and posted online
Before donor countries meet with the Cambodian Government on 18-19 June, "some 200 officials from more than 10 important nongovernmental organizations [NGOs] in provinces and cities have held a meeting to look for key recommendations on major problems which will be reported to the donors' representatives so they will put pressure on the Hun Sen government."
The report quoted Sok Sam-oeun, executive director of the Cambodian Defender's Project and representative of the NGOs who would take part in the consultative meeting with the donors, as stating that the NGOs "had presented many important points to persuade the donor representatives to put pressure on the government." Sok Sam-oeun made the statement at a meeting to disseminate the document about the NGOs' position on the development of Cambodia in 2006 and their statement about the forum on cooperation to develop Cambodia in 2007 held at the [Phnom Penh] World Vision office [date not published].
Sok Sam-oeun added the NGOs viewed that the "present judicial system has not yet been independent, and we request that the government enforce two important basic laws: 1) the law on the structure and functions of the Supreme Council of Magistracy and 2) the judges' statute. They have already been prepared, but have been blocked. They have not yet been passed. Therefore, the government is requested to state in that law that judges are independent. The judges and prosecutors should not be forced to join any political parties at all."
The report said Chhit Sam-at, executive director of the NGO Forum, had compiled key documents about the NGOs' statement on the forum on cooperation to develop Cambodia in 2007. He said there were three priority problems that should be presented to the government: "1) farmlands and natural resources management; 2) good governance, and 3) human resource development. "
Chhit Sam-at added that what was "more important was the need of the weak and poor people who were victims of speedy economic development and who had been evicted from their homes, affecting their livelihood." The NGOs, he further said, were "concerned about the rights of the people, who have lost their land, houses and who have not been provided with health services, clean water, various public services, and so forth."
Chhit Sam-at also said that the NGOs requested the government to "put off granting temporary land concessions to businessmen or private companies until after state land was delimited and registered in accordance with the subdecree on state land management and after the granting of collective land titles to ethnic minority groups had been complete."
Chhit Sam-at further said the "eviction of people was possible only if other options were enforced but still unproductive. " Anyway, a policy should be established to support the reselection of "distributed land" in development regions. Moreover, compensations to victims should be "reasonable and fair" and offered, before the implementation of projects, according to market prices evaluated by independent observers and monitors.
As for Sin Somuni, executive director of MEDICAM, the report said, he stated that those problems "are not just raised by the NGOs this year. We have defended our views for many years already. The government must look at major problems." He added "scorching problems" that should be dealt with were "corruption, the reform of public services, including raising salaries for the public servant, and so forth." Additionally, pressure should be brought to bear on the government to ensure that "natural resources" were also used to "serve the people's need."
To conclude, the report said Sin Somuni also demanded that donor countries "achieve results" at the consultative meeting to take place on 18-19 June, with a view to "developing Cambodia, making it better."
The report quoted Sok Sam-oeun, executive director of the Cambodian Defender's Project and representative of the NGOs who would take part in the consultative meeting with the donors, as stating that the NGOs "had presented many important points to persuade the donor representatives to put pressure on the government." Sok Sam-oeun made the statement at a meeting to disseminate the document about the NGOs' position on the development of Cambodia in 2006 and their statement about the forum on cooperation to develop Cambodia in 2007 held at the [Phnom Penh] World Vision office [date not published].
Sok Sam-oeun added the NGOs viewed that the "present judicial system has not yet been independent, and we request that the government enforce two important basic laws: 1) the law on the structure and functions of the Supreme Council of Magistracy and 2) the judges' statute. They have already been prepared, but have been blocked. They have not yet been passed. Therefore, the government is requested to state in that law that judges are independent. The judges and prosecutors should not be forced to join any political parties at all."
The report said Chhit Sam-at, executive director of the NGO Forum, had compiled key documents about the NGOs' statement on the forum on cooperation to develop Cambodia in 2007. He said there were three priority problems that should be presented to the government: "1) farmlands and natural resources management; 2) good governance, and 3) human resource development. "
Chhit Sam-at added that what was "more important was the need of the weak and poor people who were victims of speedy economic development and who had been evicted from their homes, affecting their livelihood." The NGOs, he further said, were "concerned about the rights of the people, who have lost their land, houses and who have not been provided with health services, clean water, various public services, and so forth."
Chhit Sam-at also said that the NGOs requested the government to "put off granting temporary land concessions to businessmen or private companies until after state land was delimited and registered in accordance with the subdecree on state land management and after the granting of collective land titles to ethnic minority groups had been complete."
Chhit Sam-at further said the "eviction of people was possible only if other options were enforced but still unproductive. " Anyway, a policy should be established to support the reselection of "distributed land" in development regions. Moreover, compensations to victims should be "reasonable and fair" and offered, before the implementation of projects, according to market prices evaluated by independent observers and monitors.
As for Sin Somuni, executive director of MEDICAM, the report said, he stated that those problems "are not just raised by the NGOs this year. We have defended our views for many years already. The government must look at major problems." He added "scorching problems" that should be dealt with were "corruption, the reform of public services, including raising salaries for the public servant, and so forth." Additionally, pressure should be brought to bear on the government to ensure that "natural resources" were also used to "serve the people's need."
To conclude, the report said Sin Somuni also demanded that donor countries "achieve results" at the consultative meeting to take place on 18-19 June, with a view to "developing Cambodia, making it better."
No comments:
Post a Comment