Original reports from Phnom Penh & Siem Reap
10 December 2007
Cambodians live in fear—of the state, swindlers, police and the courts—a UN special envoy said Monday, in the midst of a ten-day visit on International Human Rights Day.
Yash Ghai, the UN secretary-general's special human rights envoy to Cambodia, said tours of numerous communities across Cambodia demonstrated that the rights situation was getting worse.
To mark Rights Day, groups appealed to the government to halt land theft of the dispossessed and the arrests of protesters. A mass rally was held, and included the participation of Ghai and US Ambassador Joseph Mussomeli.
Ghai called on people to celebrate "our common humanity and our common commitment to human rights and human dignity."
"I think it's very good sign that this march was allowed after all these years," Mussomeli said. "Things are getting a little better."
But the rights to property, freedom of expression and other basic rights have suffered in recent months, groups said.
"There is still a lack of necessary basic human rights, such as land rights, and freedom of expression," said Thun Saray, head of the rights group Adhoc.
Government officials told the Associated Press they refused to meet with Ghai, who has emerged as a sharp critique of Prime Minister Hun Sen and his policies.
Government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said development projects were not evicting people.
"They prepared another place for the people," he said. "Now the problem is there are many people who know what places are to be developed."
Squatters who anticipate the rising value of land move in and take over, he said.
"When the authorities went, it was the people that used weapons—guns—against the authorities, who wear the king's seal," he said. "It is like this everywhere."
Meanwhile on Rights Day, labor leaders in Siem Reap say they were threatened for joining in marches on Monday.
Ken Chheng Lang, vice president of the Cambodian Construction Federation, said an anonymous caller claiming to be the provincial governor insinuated that the Federation's plans to submit a petition to the provincial governor could lead them to harm.
"I asked him who he was, where he was coming from. I asked him that," Ken Cheng Lang said. "He said, 'I am the provincial governor. You are strong? Come to my place right away. I am at the provincial hall, waiting to meet you. If you have any grief, come to meet with me, you don't have to do that. Your letter of information is big? How big is it, that letter of information.'"
Then the caller hung up.
Provincial Governor Sou Phirin said he had not called, and he would look into the allegations.
Yash Ghai, the UN secretary-general's special human rights envoy to Cambodia, said tours of numerous communities across Cambodia demonstrated that the rights situation was getting worse.
To mark Rights Day, groups appealed to the government to halt land theft of the dispossessed and the arrests of protesters. A mass rally was held, and included the participation of Ghai and US Ambassador Joseph Mussomeli.
Ghai called on people to celebrate "our common humanity and our common commitment to human rights and human dignity."
"I think it's very good sign that this march was allowed after all these years," Mussomeli said. "Things are getting a little better."
But the rights to property, freedom of expression and other basic rights have suffered in recent months, groups said.
"There is still a lack of necessary basic human rights, such as land rights, and freedom of expression," said Thun Saray, head of the rights group Adhoc.
Government officials told the Associated Press they refused to meet with Ghai, who has emerged as a sharp critique of Prime Minister Hun Sen and his policies.
Government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said development projects were not evicting people.
"They prepared another place for the people," he said. "Now the problem is there are many people who know what places are to be developed."
Squatters who anticipate the rising value of land move in and take over, he said.
"When the authorities went, it was the people that used weapons—guns—against the authorities, who wear the king's seal," he said. "It is like this everywhere."
Meanwhile on Rights Day, labor leaders in Siem Reap say they were threatened for joining in marches on Monday.
Ken Chheng Lang, vice president of the Cambodian Construction Federation, said an anonymous caller claiming to be the provincial governor insinuated that the Federation's plans to submit a petition to the provincial governor could lead them to harm.
"I asked him who he was, where he was coming from. I asked him that," Ken Cheng Lang said. "He said, 'I am the provincial governor. You are strong? Come to my place right away. I am at the provincial hall, waiting to meet you. If you have any grief, come to meet with me, you don't have to do that. Your letter of information is big? How big is it, that letter of information.'"
Then the caller hung up.
Provincial Governor Sou Phirin said he had not called, and he would look into the allegations.
6 comments:
I say let those dogs bark until they run out of air. There will not be any free land for any Ah Khmer-Yuon illegal immigrants, period. If they want land, they're going to have to work for it, just like everywhere else on this planet.
Gentleman
Human rights abuse of the powerful creates insecurity and safety of ordinary cambodians. Time and time again this issue continues to happen, indicates that current government is the resource of the abuse. Goverenment fails to recorgnise its duty of care for own people. It is rather strange nowaday.
And the government or PM refuses to acknowledge and sort the matter out. I hope UN envoy, professor Ghai will take this matter to attention of the king and praise to god that our king will revisit national constitution, particularly in article 8 and 9 for the sake of cambodia kingdom and her citizen's rights and safety.
I do believe that the cooperation of our king and UN envoy and national/ international human rights, will find a resolution to relieve people's fear and uphold the right for better life of poor cambodians.
Neang SA
Nope, that will keep us in poverty forever. We can't allowed Ah Khmer-Yuon illegal immigrants to steal lands that is needed to develop the country.
I say let this imbecile Viet troller bitch that pretends to be Khmer speaking for Khmer @5:19 AM and @7:20AM runs out of air and drops dead miserably because no Khmer in the right mind would never ever derogatorily calls Khmer names "Ah Khmer-Yuon" and no Khmer in the right mind would never ever be swayed or influenced by this Viet troller bitch
nonsensical, trash talking and writing.
[khmer unicode]មីសំផឹង យួនឯងនឹង ពូជអាយួន ឈ្លានពាន នឹងត្រូវខ្មែរ ស្នេហាជាតិ សំឡាប់អោយផុតពូជមិនខាន៕
Let's sell Cambodia to Thailand. We no longer needed the country.
Well, with so many Ah Khmer-Yuon landless slaves here, it will be smart of us to do that. At least we'll have some moneys to spend before we lost everything and not having a single riel in our pocket.
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