Cambodia dismisses UN human rights envoy's report as sensational, exaggerated Thursday, March 20, 2008
The Associated Press
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: Cambodia dismissed a U.N. envoy's report criticizing its government for human rights abuses and corruption as sensational and exaggerated, saying the country is on the right track for democracy.
Om Yentieng, head of the government's human rights committee, said the report ignored the progress his government has made in improving rights and the rule of law.
He said the government is disappointed with Yash Ghai, the U.N. secretary-general's special envoy on human rights in Cambodia, who submitted the report to a U.N. Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva.
Many issues described in Ghai's report "are selectively made for sensational purposes and/or overly exaggerated," Om Yentieng said in a statement received Thursday.
His response is the latest shot in the Cambodian government's long-running war of words with Ghai, a Kenya-born professor, whom Prime Minister Hun Sen has called "deranged" for accusing his administration of poor governance.
Om Yentieng, who is also a senior adviser to Hun Sen, described as "unacceptable" Ghai's assertion that the country's justice system has failed to function independently from the executive branch.
"Legal guarantees and security associated with the rule of law are largely missing in Cambodia," Ghai said in a statement on the release of his report.
Ghai said the government's control of the judiciary has bred a "high level of corruption" resulting in victimization of the poor across Cambodia and "legal impunity for ministers, officials and friends of the government."
Cambodia's judicial system is widely regarded as corrupt and susceptible to political manipulation.
The U.N. envoy also slammed the government on the issue of land and property rights.
Thousands of urban and rural dwellers have been "illegally and inhumanely" evicted from land that has been appropriated by corporations and influential individuals, he charged.
He warned that, in the long run, the inability of courts to settle disputes in a fair manner will "aggravate tensions, conflicts and the risk of violence that will be hard to manage."
Om Yentieng responded that Ghai's evaluation "does not fairly reflect the reality in the country" which "is moving on the right track" of democratic and economic progress.
Om Yentieng, head of the government's human rights committee, said the report ignored the progress his government has made in improving rights and the rule of law.
He said the government is disappointed with Yash Ghai, the U.N. secretary-general's special envoy on human rights in Cambodia, who submitted the report to a U.N. Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva.
Many issues described in Ghai's report "are selectively made for sensational purposes and/or overly exaggerated," Om Yentieng said in a statement received Thursday.
His response is the latest shot in the Cambodian government's long-running war of words with Ghai, a Kenya-born professor, whom Prime Minister Hun Sen has called "deranged" for accusing his administration of poor governance.
Om Yentieng, who is also a senior adviser to Hun Sen, described as "unacceptable" Ghai's assertion that the country's justice system has failed to function independently from the executive branch.
"Legal guarantees and security associated with the rule of law are largely missing in Cambodia," Ghai said in a statement on the release of his report.
Ghai said the government's control of the judiciary has bred a "high level of corruption" resulting in victimization of the poor across Cambodia and "legal impunity for ministers, officials and friends of the government."
Cambodia's judicial system is widely regarded as corrupt and susceptible to political manipulation.
The U.N. envoy also slammed the government on the issue of land and property rights.
Thousands of urban and rural dwellers have been "illegally and inhumanely" evicted from land that has been appropriated by corporations and influential individuals, he charged.
He warned that, in the long run, the inability of courts to settle disputes in a fair manner will "aggravate tensions, conflicts and the risk of violence that will be hard to manage."
Om Yentieng responded that Ghai's evaluation "does not fairly reflect the reality in the country" which "is moving on the right track" of democratic and economic progress.
8 comments:
Cambodian peoples are not racist towards any other races especially Vietnamese. But repeatedly, the Cambodian violence and social turbulence including atrocity are just the by-products of foreigners who have attempted to control and influence Cambodia.
Currently, Cambodia is not yet a nation-state. The very weak structure of Hun Sen's administration is compared like tribalism or feudalism or merchantilism in the 18th century.
Under Hun Sen's leadership, Cambodia as a nation-state is easily fragile and easily manipulated by evil leaders especially the interference of foreigners.
If you are younger Cambodians, and want to see Cambodia has bright and advanced future, you have to help whatever: change leader, laws reform, or working tirelessly inside Hun Sen's current fragile government to restructure the strong Cambodian nation-state for the future. Those restructuring efforts mainly focus on the strengthening the rule of laws, independence of court, parliament, executive, contribution of fair access to national mass media, alleviate poverty through anti-corruption, cronyism, favoritism, nepotism or patronage etc.
Many other countries have fast developed to other modern style of government system such as neoliberal globalism and egalitarian capitalistic state etc to facilitate well being for their citizens. But Cambodia is still a tribalism leadership led by few so-called elites with the political behavior as a mafia community.
KY
OM Yentieng himself is sensational to reject what's going on. This guy should look at himself in the mirrow have say such a thing...
Uneducated Hun Sen's Dog.
Vote, (C)Shit.P.P.!
Om Yentieng is 100% correct in stating that the Dog Ghai's report is "sensational and exaggerated".
I am very sad to see the comments with vulgar words toward other people. The UN envoy has done his job to help reflex the situation in Cambodia. And the government has right to defend its actions.
I think the report of Prof. Ghai is absolutely correct. Cambodia really has serious corruption problem in all level of administration. The problem with land grabbing really exist. And the high position officials are rarely punished by their misconduct actions. Except a few case like Heng Pov or a few Fucinpec members.
Impossible, the dog Ghai can't even see any issue in Kenya, How can't he possibly see any issue in Cambodia. He's fucking fabricated most of the report.
It is not Prof. Ghai's job to evaluate problem in Kenya even if he is from Kenya. His job is to report on human right violation in Cambodia. If you can not see the different, you must be more stupid than I thought 10:43 AM.
WTF? 12:23, Educated people supposed to know all problems around the globe, not just Cambodia and his stupid textbook. We don't have time for idiot here, get it?
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