Original report from Phnom Penh
12 March 2010
Cambodia accused the UN’s country team of “flagrantly” interfering in its internal affairs Friday, after the team issued a rebuke of the rapid debate this week of a graft law.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the country team appeared to be “lecturing” the government on the law, passed by the National Assembly on Thursday with little public or parliamentary debate.
The government “cannot accept lessons given by a few individuals comprising this Team,” the Foreign Ministry said.
The UN team “should not act out of its mandate, in flagrantly interfering in the internal affairs of a UN member State,” the ministry said. “Furthermore, it should refrain from acting as if it were the spokesperson of the opposition parties.”
UN representatives were not immediately available for comment Friday.
The Anticorruption Law took only two days to debate and pass, without any significant changes from the original draft of the Council of Ministers, which took more than a decade to create.
Civic groups and both opposition parties quickly decried the law, saying it had not created a sufficiently independent anti-corruption body and was unlikely to curb the practice.
A statement from the UN country team on Wednesday expressed “concern” that the law was passed within days of being announced to the public. The team encouraged delay on debate of the law, to allow public consideration.
The Embassy of Japan on Friday called the law “a step forward for good governance,” but declined to comment further because it had not obtained a copy of the draft until March 9.
John Johnson, a spokesman for the US Embassy, said, “We trust that the implementing regulations will clarify and enhance the law’s aim to detect and punish corruption according to international standards.”
The US estimates that Cambodia loses $500 million a year to graft.
“We are very disappointed and very sorry that we had no ability to push the National Assembly to change its decision,” the Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee, a consortium of more than 20 agencies, said Friday. “We are very worried for some negative articles in the law.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the country team appeared to be “lecturing” the government on the law, passed by the National Assembly on Thursday with little public or parliamentary debate.
The government “cannot accept lessons given by a few individuals comprising this Team,” the Foreign Ministry said.
The UN team “should not act out of its mandate, in flagrantly interfering in the internal affairs of a UN member State,” the ministry said. “Furthermore, it should refrain from acting as if it were the spokesperson of the opposition parties.”
UN representatives were not immediately available for comment Friday.
The Anticorruption Law took only two days to debate and pass, without any significant changes from the original draft of the Council of Ministers, which took more than a decade to create.
Civic groups and both opposition parties quickly decried the law, saying it had not created a sufficiently independent anti-corruption body and was unlikely to curb the practice.
A statement from the UN country team on Wednesday expressed “concern” that the law was passed within days of being announced to the public. The team encouraged delay on debate of the law, to allow public consideration.
The Embassy of Japan on Friday called the law “a step forward for good governance,” but declined to comment further because it had not obtained a copy of the draft until March 9.
John Johnson, a spokesman for the US Embassy, said, “We trust that the implementing regulations will clarify and enhance the law’s aim to detect and punish corruption according to international standards.”
The US estimates that Cambodia loses $500 million a year to graft.
“We are very disappointed and very sorry that we had no ability to push the National Assembly to change its decision,” the Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee, a consortium of more than 20 agencies, said Friday. “We are very worried for some negative articles in the law.”
6 comments:
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) asnwered to the wrong questions and concern. UN and other agencies talk about process of passing law, but MFA instead talked about few individuals who represented their institution rather than talking about their concerns.
Will the government threaten UN again to shutdown its office in Cambodia while the UN dares talk about anti-corruption law? Whatever government does is alway correct and good, non-governemnt people are always wrong and incorrect. I am afraid this government will practice the policy like the Khmer Rouge regime and lead to more disaster and more death than KR regime.
Democratic Kampuchea Pol Pot Khmer Rouge Regime
Members:
Pol Pot
Nuon Chea
Ieng Sary
Ta Mok
Khieu Samphan
Son Sen
Ieng Thearith
Kaing Kek Iev
Hun Sen
Chea Sim
Heng Samrin
Hor Namhong
Keat Chhon
Ouk Bunchhoeun
Sim Ka...
Committed:
Tortures
Brutality
Executions
Massacres
Mass Murder
Genocide
Atrocities
Crimes Against Humanity
Starvations
Slavery
Force Labour
Overwork to Death
Human Abuses
Persecution
Unlawful Detention
Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime
Members:
Hun Sen
Chea Sim
Heng Samrin
Hor Namhong
Keat Chhon
Ouk Bunchhoeun
Sim Ka...
Committed:
Attempted Murders
Attempted Murder on Chea Vichea
Attempted Assassinations
Attempted Assassination on Sam Rainsy
Assassinations
Assassinated Journalists
Assassinated Political Opponents
Assassinated Leaders of the Free Trade Union
Assassinated over 80 members of Sam Rainsy Party.
"But as of today, over eighty members of my party have been assassinated. Countless others have been injured, arrested, jailed, or forced to go into hiding or into exile."
Sam Rainsy LIC 31 October 2009 - Cairo, Egypt
Executions
Executed over 100 members of FUNCINPEC Party
Murders
Murdered 3 Leaders of the Free Trade Union
Murdered Chea Vichea
Murdered Ros Sovannareth
Murdered Hy Vuthy
Murdered Journalists
Murdered Khim Sambo
Murdered Khim Sambo's son
Murdered members of Sam Rainsy Party.
Murdered activists of Sam Rainsy Party
Murdered Innocent Men
Murdered Innocent Women
Murdered Innocent Children
Killed Innocent Khmer Peoples.
Extrajudicial Execution
Grenade Attack
Terrorism
Drive by Shooting
Brutalities
Police Brutality Against Monks
Police Brutality Against Evictees
Tortures
Intimidations
Death Threats
Threatening
Human Abductions
Human Abuses
Human Rights Abuses
Human Trafficking
Drugs Trafficking
Under Age Child Sex
Corruptions
Bribery
Embezzlement
Treason
Border Encroachment, allow Vietnam to encroaching into Cambodia.
Signed away our territories to Vietnam; Koh Tral, almost half of our ocean territory oil field and others.
Illegal Arrest
Illegal Mass Evictions
Illegal Land Grabbing
Illegal Firearms
Illegal Logging
Illegal Deforestation
Illegally use of remote detonation bomb on Sokha Helicopter, while Hok Lundy and other military officials were on board.
Lightning strike many airplanes, but did not fall from the sky. Lightning strike out side of airplane and discharge electricity to ground.
Source: Lightning, Discovery Channel
Illegally Sold State Properties
Illegally Removed Parliamentary Immunity of Parliament Members
Plunder National Resources
Acid Attacks
Turn Cambodia into a Lawless Country.
Oppression
Injustice
Steal Votes
Bring Foreigners from Veitnam to vote in Cambodia for Cambodian People's Party.
Use Dead people's names to vote for Cambodian People's Party.
Disqualified potential Sam Rainsy Party's voters.
Abuse the Court as a tools for CPP to send political opponents and journalists to jail.
Abuse of Power
Abuse the Laws
Abuse the National Election Committee
Abuse the National Assembly
Violate the Laws
Violate the Constitution
Violate the Paris Accords
Impunity
Persecution
Unlawful Detention
Death in custody.
Under the Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime, no criminals that has been committed crimes against journalists, political opponents, leaders of the Free Trade Union, innocent men, women and children have ever been brought to justice.
It seem more and more to me, that the opposition party leader mp Samrainsy has become worst nightmare for Hun Xen regimes. With everyday screaming from Hun Xen and the agony
expression from his face I wouldn't doubted.
Bravo to opposition party and long live democracy.
khmer love peace
khmer love justice
khmer love khmer
khmer love srp
This is the role of opposition party in Khmer society, checking in balance. At least Hun Sen must think twice before he does something bad.
Nothing to be done for the benefits of Cambodian people by the OLD king and the NEW king. HUN SEN just keep abusing his power and create more corruption in the government and his gangster. Wake up Cambodian people. Fight for your basic rights and democracy if you want to have a good future for your self and your children. Millions of Cambodian can stand up and remove HUN SEN from power. The people power.
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