SARADA TAING
Posted on UPI Asia Online
Guest Commentary
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday called on the Burmese junta to end its crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators and monks, following violence that has left hundreds of protesters dead. Hun Sen urged the junta to have maximum patience, not to use force to crack down on the demonstrators and to continue its efforts toward national reconciliation by solving these issues through respect of human rights, democratization and peace.
It seems that Hun Sen has a short memory. On Sept. 10, 1998, thousands of Cambodian Buddhist monks, nuns, students and civilians went out to participate in a massive peaceful demonstration organized by the opposition party in the capital, Phnom Penh. The aim of the demonstration was to oppose the results of the national election, which the ruling party unfairly won through ballot fraud and other offenses.
After four or five days of demonstrations, the Cambodian government sent thousands of heavily armed soldiers and police and fire trucks with strong water hoses to break up the protests. In the clash between government forces and innocent people, hundreds of people were killed and injured. Hundreds of monks and nuns were beaten bloody. Several students and activists were kidnapped. Many are still missing today.
The situation in Cambodia in 1998 was similar to the situation in Burma today, and to the protests that took place there in 1988. In Burma today, government soldiers and police have opened fire on hundreds of demonstrators -- including monks, nuns and students. Many of the protesters have been wounded from the government forces' cruel crackdown. At least 100 people were killed and thousands of people, including monks, were arrested.
The Cambodian and Burmese governments have a history of violating their citizens' freedom of expression and human rights, which are guaranteed by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Cambodia and Burma are signatories.
Hun Sen called on the Burma junta to refrain from using violence against the monks, but Hun Sen himself has repeatedly used violence against Kampuchea Krom monks, both recently and in the past.
The international community must strongly condemn both the Burmese military government and the Cambodian government for using violence against innocent people -- monks, nuns and students -- instead of seeking peaceful negotiations. I urge the international community and ASEAN to sanction these governments for violating their citizens' basic human rights and for killing peaceful demonstrators. I urge the two governments of Cambodia and Burma to be responsible for the dead and wounded among the protesters of 1998 in Cambodia and 1988 and 2007 in Burma.
I strongly urge the Buddhist monks around the world, the United Nations and the ASEAN community to support the peaceful movement of Burma's Buddhist monks and other pro-democracy supporters. I strongly urge the United Nations and the ASEAN community to immediately intervene to prevent further bloodshed in Burma.
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(Sarada Taing is a program assistant for the Cambodia project at the Asian Human Rights Commission in Hong Kong. He was previously a human rights investigator and radio reporter for the Cambodian Center for Human Rights in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.)
It seems that Hun Sen has a short memory. On Sept. 10, 1998, thousands of Cambodian Buddhist monks, nuns, students and civilians went out to participate in a massive peaceful demonstration organized by the opposition party in the capital, Phnom Penh. The aim of the demonstration was to oppose the results of the national election, which the ruling party unfairly won through ballot fraud and other offenses.
After four or five days of demonstrations, the Cambodian government sent thousands of heavily armed soldiers and police and fire trucks with strong water hoses to break up the protests. In the clash between government forces and innocent people, hundreds of people were killed and injured. Hundreds of monks and nuns were beaten bloody. Several students and activists were kidnapped. Many are still missing today.
The situation in Cambodia in 1998 was similar to the situation in Burma today, and to the protests that took place there in 1988. In Burma today, government soldiers and police have opened fire on hundreds of demonstrators -- including monks, nuns and students. Many of the protesters have been wounded from the government forces' cruel crackdown. At least 100 people were killed and thousands of people, including monks, were arrested.
The Cambodian and Burmese governments have a history of violating their citizens' freedom of expression and human rights, which are guaranteed by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Cambodia and Burma are signatories.
Hun Sen called on the Burma junta to refrain from using violence against the monks, but Hun Sen himself has repeatedly used violence against Kampuchea Krom monks, both recently and in the past.
The international community must strongly condemn both the Burmese military government and the Cambodian government for using violence against innocent people -- monks, nuns and students -- instead of seeking peaceful negotiations. I urge the international community and ASEAN to sanction these governments for violating their citizens' basic human rights and for killing peaceful demonstrators. I urge the two governments of Cambodia and Burma to be responsible for the dead and wounded among the protesters of 1998 in Cambodia and 1988 and 2007 in Burma.
I strongly urge the Buddhist monks around the world, the United Nations and the ASEAN community to support the peaceful movement of Burma's Buddhist monks and other pro-democracy supporters. I strongly urge the United Nations and the ASEAN community to immediately intervene to prevent further bloodshed in Burma.
--
(Sarada Taing is a program assistant for the Cambodia project at the Asian Human Rights Commission in Hong Kong. He was previously a human rights investigator and radio reporter for the Cambodian Center for Human Rights in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.)
9 comments:
just let test this hub sen commitment. tell 100,000 people to go out to the street to call hok lundy to be resigned .
Brutal Communist Hun Sen tries to clean his friend, Communist Burma's arsholes. A Khmer old saying: Clean your ass first before you try to clean other's ass.
He will be voted in as PM next election in 2008, If he can live up to 200 years,who will be voted in again and again, again and again.
Khmer sralanh Khmer!
It's not Hun Sen's short memory. It's a typical hypocrisy of a Maffiosi Dictator.
A good PM must often have to walk a fine line between a dispute, and that is what PM Hun Sen was doing.
Hun Sen has a short memory= illiterate.
Jealous because he got PhD and you don't.
I am no jealous with Hun Sen for an "an-Easy-to-get Diploma". I feel like vomoting everytime I heard om TV "His Excellency, The General 4 Golden Star... Bandit(Doctor)...". It's a so disgusting title.
Easy-to-get Diploma? Well then, get me some.
hun sen my man!
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