Surya Subedi (Photo: Reuters)Basic freedoms restricted in Cambodia, UN rights expert reports
Source: UN News Centre
1 October 2009 – An independent United Nations expert today voiced concern about the human rights situation in Cambodia, noting in particular that the judiciary is not as independent as it should be and the basic freedoms of expression and assembly are being restricted.
Reporting to the UN Human Rights Council, Surya Subedi called for improvements to the overall human rights situation in the South-East Asian nation.
“The rule of law is weak in the country. The judiciary is not as independent as it should be. Some of the core political rights such as the freedom of expression and peaceful assembly have been undermined,” said the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia.
Mr. Subedi noted that the country’s defamation laws have gone beyond what is a permissible level of restriction on freedom of expression under the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Cambodia is a party.
He added that the spirit of the provisions guaranteeing freedom of speech in international human rights treaties is to treat any matters relating to restrictions on such freedom, including defamation issues, under civil law rather than criminal law unless such matters are of a grave nature and pose a threat to national security or public order.
Also of concern is the issue of impunity and land evictions, which he said have not been addressed as thoroughly as they should be.
Nevertheless, he said he is encouraged by the fact that the Government is willing to constructively engage with him and other UN human rights entities, calling it “a major step in the right direction.”
He added that the Council should encourage the Government to take concrete action to implement its obligations under various human rights treaties under a strict timeframe.
Mr. Subedi, like all Special Rapporteurs, carries out his mandate in an independent and unpaid capacity, and reports to the Geneva-based Human Rights Council.
Reporting to the UN Human Rights Council, Surya Subedi called for improvements to the overall human rights situation in the South-East Asian nation.
“The rule of law is weak in the country. The judiciary is not as independent as it should be. Some of the core political rights such as the freedom of expression and peaceful assembly have been undermined,” said the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia.
Mr. Subedi noted that the country’s defamation laws have gone beyond what is a permissible level of restriction on freedom of expression under the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Cambodia is a party.
He added that the spirit of the provisions guaranteeing freedom of speech in international human rights treaties is to treat any matters relating to restrictions on such freedom, including defamation issues, under civil law rather than criminal law unless such matters are of a grave nature and pose a threat to national security or public order.
Also of concern is the issue of impunity and land evictions, which he said have not been addressed as thoroughly as they should be.
Nevertheless, he said he is encouraged by the fact that the Government is willing to constructively engage with him and other UN human rights entities, calling it “a major step in the right direction.”
He added that the Council should encourage the Government to take concrete action to implement its obligations under various human rights treaties under a strict timeframe.
Mr. Subedi, like all Special Rapporteurs, carries out his mandate in an independent and unpaid capacity, and reports to the Geneva-based Human Rights Council.
8 comments:
Surya,
Never compare Cambodia to the US, because your comment will make you look not dumber and dumber. I don't know where you are living, but if your are living on this planet earth as most us are, you must have known what the US has gone through for all these years and how effective the US laws are. Of course the US has owed China alot, but the US will be able to pay back its debt, while Cambodia will sink deeper and deeper in the black hole of corruption because those human leeches never get enough.
For 30 years since Cambodia has got out of the Pol Pot's regime by the Yuons' invasion, and aid has been poured into Cambodia, but Cambodia seems to need more and more. Why? Because 2/3 of the aid ahs flown into the pockets of the corrupted governing body by all kinds of dirty tricks. Hun Sen, his families, and and all of his criminal cliques care nothing about the welfare of the Cambodian people. What they care the most is about their power. The power that is not won by a free and fair election, but by stealing or robbing. An administration that consists of a whole bunch of the corrupted governing body will never get enough. They are the human leeches that hurt and harm the nation without end. Adn the biggest waste is the extrvagant spending of the national budget to feed Hun Sen's 4,000 personal bodyguards.
As long as Cambodia continue to be ruled by such despicable group who have been blinded by ignorance, greed, power, and uncontrollable pride, Khmer people will never get better off and happy.
944, in your comment and in the first paragraph puzzled me. I have no idea where you extrapolate the representative's intention of comparing Cambodia to the U.S.? With that being said, though, the U.S. constitution is perhaps the most followed and emulated piece of writing beside the religious writings (bible, koran, etc.). And please dont make a mistake as far as the U.S. debts vs her desire to help the world. Imagine what happens if the U.S. raise taxes on all import from China, Japan, India...what will happens to those countries' economies? Contrary to your comments, the U.S. state of human rights is exactly the model you want Cambodia to emulate, not China, Vietnam, or those countries from the middle east.
correction for 9:44PM,
look not dumb but dumber
Still doesnt make any sense!
That's good when it doesn't any sense to you.
One more UN representative saying the same as the previous. They are all wrong, except Hun Sen.
Cambodian governments need to be more open to our society by allowing the freedom of speech for individuals. Governments need to learn to step into a world of having a sense of humour. Like Aust, people can joke around about their political leaders without getting into trouble. The freedom of speech is not always that serious and Political leaders no need to make a big deal out of it, like a resting workers or editors and imprisonment them, in doing so to shut them up and so on. This is wrong, good governments don't need to use and abuse their power. Prime Minister Hun Sen needs to allow all political leaders the right to debate to reach a common goal and common interest to improve the quality of life of its citizen e.g. create a welfare system like all for one and one for all; putting new infrastructures such as roads, housing, hospital and schools etc . All political leaders need to learn to move away from personal conflicts but more focusing on what else needs to done, like maybe the improvement between one country to the next like Asian nations come together as one like, Asian nation money e.g. would be called “Asiano or Asian Mono” which is similar to European nation money called “Euro”. We need to think about what is more productive? E.g. everyone is equally important (one death is too many), creating an international safety net and so on.
Cambodia's human record will never look beter if the baseline compares with western standard. However, if the baseline compare with Pol Pot's regime as Hun Sen always announce, yes, Cambodian nowaday is a great country on earth. Hail a ONE EYE man ruler!!
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