Friday, June 1, 2007
The Associated Press
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: Cambodia has lashed out at a senior U.N. envoy for alleging the government is committing systematic human rights abuses against its own citizens.
Yash Ghai, the U.N. secretary-general's special representative for human rights in Cambodia, made the allegations in a report he presented to the government, the Ministry of Interior said in a statement received Friday.
The allegations are "far from reflecting the reality" and "unacceptable," said the statement, which was dated Thursday.
"More serious is that, in the report, Yash Ghai has regarded human rights violations in Cambodia as intentional and systematic acts of the government in maintaining power," it said.
However, the statement did not appear to dispute that human rights abuses exist, as it said Ghai's report noted only "negative aspects of the human rights situation in Cambodia."
The statement said Interior Minister Sar Kheng raised his objections during his meeting with Ghai on Thursday.
Sar Kheng was the only senior government official who agreed to see Ghai, whose three-day visit ended Thursday.
Ghai was in Cambodia to try to elicit official comments on a report he will be submitting to the Human Rights Commission next month. He had also asked for a meeting with Prime Minister Hun Sen, but did not get one.
Last year, Hun Sen angrily described Ghai as "totally deranged" after the U.N. envoy criticized the prime minister for concentrating too much power in his own hands, and the government for its poor human rights record.
The ministry statement said Ghai's negative assessment overlooked and underestimated government efforts to promote human rights and freedom.
Ghai will express deep concerns about land-grabbing by the powerful, and the government's land concessions that have been given to business interests and have negatively affected many Cambodians, including ethnic minority groups, his office said in a statement Thursday.
"While welcoming Cambodia's economic growth, he warns that human rights and equity must not be sacrificed in the pursuit of growth," the statement said.
"Economic land concessions, as presently granted, have compromised and destroyed the livelihoods of rural communities in favor of the enrichment of a few connected to the political establishment," it said.
Yash Ghai, the U.N. secretary-general's special representative for human rights in Cambodia, made the allegations in a report he presented to the government, the Ministry of Interior said in a statement received Friday.
The allegations are "far from reflecting the reality" and "unacceptable," said the statement, which was dated Thursday.
"More serious is that, in the report, Yash Ghai has regarded human rights violations in Cambodia as intentional and systematic acts of the government in maintaining power," it said.
However, the statement did not appear to dispute that human rights abuses exist, as it said Ghai's report noted only "negative aspects of the human rights situation in Cambodia."
The statement said Interior Minister Sar Kheng raised his objections during his meeting with Ghai on Thursday.
Sar Kheng was the only senior government official who agreed to see Ghai, whose three-day visit ended Thursday.
Ghai was in Cambodia to try to elicit official comments on a report he will be submitting to the Human Rights Commission next month. He had also asked for a meeting with Prime Minister Hun Sen, but did not get one.
Last year, Hun Sen angrily described Ghai as "totally deranged" after the U.N. envoy criticized the prime minister for concentrating too much power in his own hands, and the government for its poor human rights record.
The ministry statement said Ghai's negative assessment overlooked and underestimated government efforts to promote human rights and freedom.
Ghai will express deep concerns about land-grabbing by the powerful, and the government's land concessions that have been given to business interests and have negatively affected many Cambodians, including ethnic minority groups, his office said in a statement Thursday.
"While welcoming Cambodia's economic growth, he warns that human rights and equity must not be sacrificed in the pursuit of growth," the statement said.
"Economic land concessions, as presently granted, have compromised and destroyed the livelihoods of rural communities in favor of the enrichment of a few connected to the political establishment," it said.
5 comments:
I wont worry a bit about Ah loud
mouth and corrupted (Ghai). He
will soon to be history. He has
no track record outside the
University. Therefore, I am certain
that we will be back in the
University soon to write more
stupid textbooks.
I think whoever wrote before me is brainless or brainless commons. He/She's not helping cambodian people...got to be brain washed like ah pot or by ah hunsen. You need to get a life.
6:04 PM, you can't accept the truth, can you? You're as corrupted as Hun San. The difference is he makes millions while you're sweeping the floor making pennies.
Sto pest the site 6:48PM, you act just like the pro HS.
6:06, GW Bush makes million also,
and many people sweep the floor.
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