WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Sen drew criticism from human rights activists Monday for his dismissal of a U.N. official as a "human rights tourist."
Sen made the comment about United Nations special representative Yash Ghai, a Kenyan law professor, Dec. 12, vowing never to meet with him. Sen lashed out two days after Ghai voiced concerns that the Cambodian government has engaged in land grabbing and illegal forced evictions of its poor citizens under the guise of development needs. Ghai spent 10 days in the country.
Human Rights Watch, the Asian Human Rights Commission, the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development, the International Federation for Human Rights and the World Organization against Torture all expressed concern about Sen's unwillingness to talk to Ghai.
"Yash Ghai is not an isolated maverick," said Sara Colm of Human Rights Watch. "All of his findings have been repeatedly raised in the past by local and international rights groups, U.N. agencies, and bilateral and multilateral donors."
Basil Fernando of Asian Human Rights Commission said Ghai drew attention to problems shared by the international human rights community.
He said land-grabbing is "reaching a disastrous level, the courts are politicized and corrupt, and impunity for human rights violators remains the norm."
Sen made the comment about United Nations special representative Yash Ghai, a Kenyan law professor, Dec. 12, vowing never to meet with him. Sen lashed out two days after Ghai voiced concerns that the Cambodian government has engaged in land grabbing and illegal forced evictions of its poor citizens under the guise of development needs. Ghai spent 10 days in the country.
Human Rights Watch, the Asian Human Rights Commission, the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development, the International Federation for Human Rights and the World Organization against Torture all expressed concern about Sen's unwillingness to talk to Ghai.
"Yash Ghai is not an isolated maverick," said Sara Colm of Human Rights Watch. "All of his findings have been repeatedly raised in the past by local and international rights groups, U.N. agencies, and bilateral and multilateral donors."
Basil Fernando of Asian Human Rights Commission said Ghai drew attention to problems shared by the international human rights community.
He said land-grabbing is "reaching a disastrous level, the courts are politicized and corrupt, and impunity for human rights violators remains the norm."
1 comment:
The only two ways to change a country's regime are to first change its leaders and second change its leaders. Inefective, incapable, corrupted leaders must be changed so the whole system of government can have a chance to improve. And the only democratic way to make it happen is through turning uneducated masses into educated voters. Hence, education is a must for Cambodia's rural poor that maks up about 85% of teh country's population. Priority shall be given to women as they are the ones who oftens fall vulnerable to social abuses but yet remain effective, prodective tools for children/family upbringing and education. Invest in education and make a change for the better. It's never too late as the time is always right to do what is right!
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