US Congressmen Jim Moran (Left, D-Va) and James P. McGovern (Right, D-MA) during the TLHRC hearingBy Poch Reasey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
14 September 2009
Two leading US lawmakers say as the United States moves towards improving relations with Cambodia, the administration must be firm on human rights issues and urge Cambodia’s government to improve its records. The congressmen want to send the message to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who plans to meet with Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong later this month.
Speaking after a hearing of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Thursday in Washington, Jim Moran, a Democrat from Virginia, who initiated the hearing, told VOA Khmer that if Clinton meets with Cambodian Hor Namhong, she must be firm on one important issue.
“Human rights,” he said. “If we are going to provide assistance, if we are going to raise the status of Prime Minister Hun Sen as one of the world’s leaders, then he needs to clean up the mess of his own country in terms of the judicial system.”
The tentative meeting is a result of the current administration’s desire to intensively engage in Southeast Asia, according to Scot Marciel, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Asia and Pacific Affairs and US Ambassador to Asean.
“We are still working on when and where exactly, but certainly we want to keep that dialogue going,” he said.
Moran said he initiated the hearing because the United States has a responsibility towards the Cambodian people.
“If we don’t do anything and allow the opposition party to be repressed, if we allow the media to be silenced, if we allow the Cambodian people to lose their homes and be put out in the fields without any belongings, then we are complacent,” he said. “We bear responsibility if we allow that to happen and don’t speak up.”
James McGovern, a Democrat from Massachusetts, is the co-chairman of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission.
“My message is to stress that the United States wants a good relationship with Cambodia,” he said. “We want a strong alliance with Cambodia, but human rights is an important issue, and there are some serious concerns about the human rights situation in Cambodia. And we will urge the Cambodian government to try to address them.”
Cambodia has proven dangerous for critics of powerful officials. Last year a journalist and his son were gunned down in broad daylight after he published an article critical of a high-ranking Cambodian police official.
To ensure that the witnesses will be safe upon returning to Cambodia, Frank Wolf, the Republican co-chair of the Human Rights Commission, said he would write a letter to the US Embassy in Cambodia asking officials to keep a watchful eye on the returning witnesses.
Moran praised Cambodia’s past achievements in moving towards a democratic society. However, he said it was unfortunate Cambodia has moved backwards in human rights over the last few years.
“The relationship [between the US and Cambodia] is not going to warm up until [Hun Sen] cleans this up, because as far as Congress is concerned, this is unacceptable,” Moran said. “Cambodia has made tremendous progress, but now it’s going back. It’s moving towards Burma instead of towards Indonesia. That’s unacceptable.”
A day before the hearing, the Cambodian Embassy in Washington released a statement outlining the government’s accomplishments in the areas of human rights and freedom of speech since 1993.
Relations between the United States and Cambodia have thawed during the last few years. In June, the US removed Cambodia from a trade blacklist allowing US loans to companies doing business in Cambodia.
Speaking after a hearing of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Thursday in Washington, Jim Moran, a Democrat from Virginia, who initiated the hearing, told VOA Khmer that if Clinton meets with Cambodian Hor Namhong, she must be firm on one important issue.
“Human rights,” he said. “If we are going to provide assistance, if we are going to raise the status of Prime Minister Hun Sen as one of the world’s leaders, then he needs to clean up the mess of his own country in terms of the judicial system.”
The tentative meeting is a result of the current administration’s desire to intensively engage in Southeast Asia, according to Scot Marciel, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Asia and Pacific Affairs and US Ambassador to Asean.
“We are still working on when and where exactly, but certainly we want to keep that dialogue going,” he said.
Moran said he initiated the hearing because the United States has a responsibility towards the Cambodian people.
“If we don’t do anything and allow the opposition party to be repressed, if we allow the media to be silenced, if we allow the Cambodian people to lose their homes and be put out in the fields without any belongings, then we are complacent,” he said. “We bear responsibility if we allow that to happen and don’t speak up.”
James McGovern, a Democrat from Massachusetts, is the co-chairman of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission.
“My message is to stress that the United States wants a good relationship with Cambodia,” he said. “We want a strong alliance with Cambodia, but human rights is an important issue, and there are some serious concerns about the human rights situation in Cambodia. And we will urge the Cambodian government to try to address them.”
Cambodia has proven dangerous for critics of powerful officials. Last year a journalist and his son were gunned down in broad daylight after he published an article critical of a high-ranking Cambodian police official.
To ensure that the witnesses will be safe upon returning to Cambodia, Frank Wolf, the Republican co-chair of the Human Rights Commission, said he would write a letter to the US Embassy in Cambodia asking officials to keep a watchful eye on the returning witnesses.
Moran praised Cambodia’s past achievements in moving towards a democratic society. However, he said it was unfortunate Cambodia has moved backwards in human rights over the last few years.
“The relationship [between the US and Cambodia] is not going to warm up until [Hun Sen] cleans this up, because as far as Congress is concerned, this is unacceptable,” Moran said. “Cambodia has made tremendous progress, but now it’s going back. It’s moving towards Burma instead of towards Indonesia. That’s unacceptable.”
A day before the hearing, the Cambodian Embassy in Washington released a statement outlining the government’s accomplishments in the areas of human rights and freedom of speech since 1993.
Relations between the United States and Cambodia have thawed during the last few years. In June, the US removed Cambodia from a trade blacklist allowing US loans to companies doing business in Cambodia.
4 comments:
The US spent millions of dollars on Cambodia so they want to see Cambodia keep its promise on human rights.
ខ្ញុំមិននិយាយភាគច្រើនទេគឺមានប្រជនខ្មែរមួយ
ចំនួនបើរាជរដ្ធាភិបាលខ្មែរដួចគ្នានិយាយប្រាប់
មិនដែលយកចិត្តទុកដាក់ទេក៏ប៉ុន្តែបើមានសាស្ត្រ
ដទៃនិយាយស្តាប់បង្គាប់គេភ្លាមទោះជាអ្នកនោះ
និយាយខុសក៏ថាគេនិយាយត្រូវដែរនឹងនិយាយអំ
ពីប្រជនខ្មែរមួយចំនួន។បើនិយាយអំពីអ្នកមើលការ
ខុសត្រូវក្រោមប្រមុខរាជរដ្ធាភិបាលវិញគឺមួយចំ
នួនតួចមិនដែលយកចិត្តទុកដាក់ដល់ប្រជាជនទេគឺ
រាប់ទាំងបក្សប្រឆាំងផងដែរពួកគេខំរកមធ្យោបាយ
យ៉ាងណាឲ្យប្រទេសចរលាចល់ពាស់ពេញប្រទេស
ហើយមានលេសថាប្រមុខរាជរដ្ធាភិបាលនៅក្នុង
បច្ចុប្បន្នគ្មាននិតិវិធីធ្វើឲ្យប្រទេសជាតិមានប្រជា
ប្បតេយ្យទេនឹងអាចគេងប្រវាញ់នៅនយោបាយ។
រឿងទាំងនេះមិនខុសអំពីរបបលន់នលទេគឺបក្សម្ខាងដែលមិនត្រូវជាមួយរដ្ធាភិបាលច្រើនតែធ្វើឲ្យខុស
សភ្ភាពដើមហើយតែងតែឲ្យប្រជាជនយល់ច្រឡំ
ថារាជរដ្ធាភិបាលលោកបានធ្វើទៅវិញ។ប៉ុន្តែនោះគឺ
ជាសម័យពីដើមនៅសម័យនេះបច្ចុបន្បន្ននេះមិនដួចសម័យពីដើមទេ។រាជរដ្ធាភិបាលមិនបន្តោយឲ្យ
ជនណាមួយបំផ្លាញប្រទេសជាតិម្តងទៀតទេ។លុះ
ដល់ប្រមុខរាជរដ្ធាភិបាលលោកនិយាយបក្សប្រឆាំងថាប្រទេសកម្ពុជាគ្មានប្រជាធិប្បតេយ្យសេរីនិយម
។បើអ្នកទាំងអស់នោះចង់សាកលមើលធ្វើការនៅ
សហរដ្ធអាមេរិកាំងមើលបើគ្មាននរណាមួយធ្វើការ
មិនគោរពច្បាប់របស់រោងចក្រទេអ្នកនោះនឹងជួបប្រ
ទះនៅការបន្តេញចេញពីរោងចក្រដោយគ្មានតវ៉ាទេ។
Cambodia Town
Long Beach, Ca
You know 8:10 AM, in U.S Congress, there were 500-580 people in there, the rules were very stricted, they weren't not allow much time to speech. As the results the two congress above, don't have time for investigation which were easy to be manipulated by Mu Suchua and her clan. Biased speech, served nothing.
New Phally
Abraham Lincoln, US President said:
The Government of the People, by the People, for the People.
Hun Sen's cliques' proverb: The Government of Hun Sen's CPP, by Hun Sen's cronies, for Hun Sen's nepotism.
CPP is like the Hell of Party, which all vampires are afraid of lights. In other words, they are afraid of the truths. That's why Murderous Hun Sen doesn't want more KR leaders including Hun Sen himself to be tried by ECCC.
Wherever Hun Sen goes, he talks arrogantly, aggressively, rudely and brutally, who doesn't want anyone to ask him a question. In his heart is full of anger,crook, flame, fire and so on...
All Khmer must rise to oust Hun Sen's CPP before Cambodia is being wiped out by illegal 10 000 000 Yuon migrants.
Khmer must rise......!
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