Left: Prof. Yash Ghai, UN Special Envoy on Human Rights in Cambodia, Right: Hun Sen, Strongman and Violator of Human Rights in CambodiaBy Taing Sarada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
12 September 2008
[Editor's note: Kek Galabru, founder of the rights group Licadho, recently traveled to Geneva, where the ninth annual meeting of the UN's Human Rights Council is considering whether to continue the mandate of a UN rights envoy to Cambodia. She spoke to VOA Khmer by phone from Geneva.]
Q. What is the aim of your trip?
A. I have come to Geneva with Adhoc president Thun Saray and four other Khmers, who live in the foreign countries and have helped facilitate our participation in the Human Rights Council annual meeting in Geneva. The Human Rights Council is opening a meeting from Sept. 8 until Sept. 23. In the meeting they will also bring the Cambodia issue to discussion, regarding the mandate of the UN representative on human rights in Cambodia. We civil society want to see the term of the UN representative to be continued in Cambodia. We don't want to see them cut this term out of Cambodia.
Q. Alongside the discussion about the term of the UN representative on human rights, what are the specific things that the meeting is focusing on?
A. In that meeting they are not only focusing on the Cambodian issue, but they are also talking about children and women's issues, as well as some other issues. But in that meeting, they have raised our Cambodian issue. We really want the term of the UN representative on human rights in Cambodia to be continued, as we know that the Cambodian government doesn't want this mandate to be continued. So our civil society strives hard to talk about it with the Human Rights Council members in order to lobby and negotiate with our Cambodian government so that the Cambodian government can allow the mandate to continue. Whether the UN representative on human rights can continue its mandate depends on the Cambodian government's permission.
Q. The Cambodian government plans to close the Office of the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights in Cambodia. Is the Human Rights Council in Geneva reacting to this plan?
A. The permanent Office of the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights in Cambodia won't be discussed in this Geneva meeting. It could be discussed between our government and the United Nations, and should not be discussed at the Human Rights Council. The Human Rights Council is talking about the mandate of the UN Special Representative on Human Rights. We have received unofficial information that perhaps our government won't oppose this suggestion. But the UN secretary-general, he doesn’t want the UN Special Representative appointed by him anymore. So he wants to see the UN Special Rapporteur instead of a UN special representative. For the mandate, we really want to see that the position of the UN Rapporteur remains the same as the position of the UN Special Representative’s position, in coming into Cambodia to monitor the human rights situation and then reporting to the Cambodian government on how to change those institutions in order to respect human rights.
Q. If the Office of the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights in Cambodia closes, what will be the affect to the civil society and the political situation?
A. We hope that the Office of the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights in Cambodia won't close its door. If the government does not allow this office to continue its work, it will affect a lot to the Cambodia people because we still have a lot of human rights issue that so far haven't been solved completely. So we need more cooperation with the UN, we need more technical support and human resources support. So I think we still need more support from them.
Q. What is the aim of your trip?
A. I have come to Geneva with Adhoc president Thun Saray and four other Khmers, who live in the foreign countries and have helped facilitate our participation in the Human Rights Council annual meeting in Geneva. The Human Rights Council is opening a meeting from Sept. 8 until Sept. 23. In the meeting they will also bring the Cambodia issue to discussion, regarding the mandate of the UN representative on human rights in Cambodia. We civil society want to see the term of the UN representative to be continued in Cambodia. We don't want to see them cut this term out of Cambodia.
Q. Alongside the discussion about the term of the UN representative on human rights, what are the specific things that the meeting is focusing on?
A. In that meeting they are not only focusing on the Cambodian issue, but they are also talking about children and women's issues, as well as some other issues. But in that meeting, they have raised our Cambodian issue. We really want the term of the UN representative on human rights in Cambodia to be continued, as we know that the Cambodian government doesn't want this mandate to be continued. So our civil society strives hard to talk about it with the Human Rights Council members in order to lobby and negotiate with our Cambodian government so that the Cambodian government can allow the mandate to continue. Whether the UN representative on human rights can continue its mandate depends on the Cambodian government's permission.
Q. The Cambodian government plans to close the Office of the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights in Cambodia. Is the Human Rights Council in Geneva reacting to this plan?
A. The permanent Office of the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights in Cambodia won't be discussed in this Geneva meeting. It could be discussed between our government and the United Nations, and should not be discussed at the Human Rights Council. The Human Rights Council is talking about the mandate of the UN Special Representative on Human Rights. We have received unofficial information that perhaps our government won't oppose this suggestion. But the UN secretary-general, he doesn’t want the UN Special Representative appointed by him anymore. So he wants to see the UN Special Rapporteur instead of a UN special representative. For the mandate, we really want to see that the position of the UN Rapporteur remains the same as the position of the UN Special Representative’s position, in coming into Cambodia to monitor the human rights situation and then reporting to the Cambodian government on how to change those institutions in order to respect human rights.
Q. If the Office of the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights in Cambodia closes, what will be the affect to the civil society and the political situation?
A. We hope that the Office of the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights in Cambodia won't close its door. If the government does not allow this office to continue its work, it will affect a lot to the Cambodia people because we still have a lot of human rights issue that so far haven't been solved completely. So we need more cooperation with the UN, we need more technical support and human resources support. So I think we still need more support from them.
12 comments:
Ah Hun Sen doesn't like the UN human right council because, Hun is not a human being he's a dog.
The real dog is Ah Kenyan (Ghai) who pretended to be an Authority of Human Rights but doesn't know shit about it.
It's good to know that Cambodia don't just followed any fake who claimed to be this and that from oversea. We should and must stick with all of our neighbors at all cost.
It's the old story of the "oppressed" who now has become the "oppressor", i.e. Mugabe=Hunxen.
You khmer leaders are pathetic, how many more killing fields you and your descendents are planning to create before you finally learn what HUMAN or INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS is?
So, is it bother us when someone told that we should not beat our children?
Cambodian leaders must learn more how to accept Human Rights on their own people. Does Hun Sen still remember that he fought against Pol Pot because Pol Pot abused him?
I hope one day Cambodia understand the word of Conflict of Interest.
Maybe ten more years or until PM reach 90 years old.
many influential tycoons (okhna) becomes Senators, advisers...Excellency. Don't you think this is a conflict of interest?
Every new big company must give some percentage of share to the high ranking officials or PM family.
Look at Star Cell 098 or CADCOMM 013. Clicknet of Sok An,... many and many.
Too many thousand cases of conflict of interest
It is immoral not to discipline your kid and allow them to become gangs and drug dealers like in Long Beach. They have no right. We should do our utmost to prevent them from become a useless and troublemaker citizens.
11:15 AM
You are absolutely right, Hun Sen and his supporters is the living example of scums of the society.
7:46 AM is another living example.
The yuon democracy is the real democracy.
7:46 AM
You must keep the yuon democracy on the other side of the border (at vietcongland) at all cost.
Here we don't need your authentic democracy.
Yuon's democracy is Indochina's democracy, and it is Cambodia's democracy, and it is Laos' democracy. We're all Indochineses, and there is no border between us.
Yuon's democracy is Indochina's democracy, and it is Cambodia's democracy, and it is Laos' democracy. We're all Indochineses, and there is no border between us.
1:02 PM
That mean your mom...no border too..anyone can use her and no cost and anytime they want
Vietnamization emerges clearly seen than ever!!!!!!Cheyo Maha Ah YOUN KINGDOM.. Brovo Decho... I am sure you'll realize when you are in YOUR GRAVE ALONG WITH EXTINCTION OF CAMBODIA.....
Cemetery caretaker
No such thing as Vietnamezation. It has been over 500 years, and nothing happens.
What really happens is Indochinesation, and we are way overdue for it.
Thank You PM Hun Sen for not listening to Kenyan Dog.
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