Sunday, July 18, 2010
AFP
PHNOM PENH — A senior US diplomat on Sunday defended relations with allegedly abusive Cambodian military units as he concluded a two-day visit to the capital Phnom Penh.
William Burns, US Under-Secretary of State for political affairs, said military aid from the United States to Cambodia was intended to boost a civil-military relationship that was essential to a "healthy political system".
"Any military relationship that we conduct around the world is consistent with US law. So we look very carefully and vet very carefully the participants from Cambodia, from other countries," Burns told a press conference.
He spoke as Cambodia conducted its first ever large-scale international peacekeeping exercise, co-sponsored by the US Army, on the grounds of a military unit accused of being involved in illegal landgrabs.
Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said last week it was "outrageous" that Cambodia's ACO Tank Unit was hosting 700 military personnel from 23 countries in the "Angkor Sentinel" exercise.
The rights group said the US State Department and human rights organisations have documented soldiers of the unit using armoured vehicles to seize land from Cambodian villagers and farmers.
Burns made his trip while a Cambodian opposition politician faced an arrest warrant after controversial defamation proceedings.
Mu Sochua of the Sam Rainsy Party faces jail for refusing to pay 4,000 dollars in fines and compensation on a conviction last year for defaming premier Hun Sen when she announced plans to sue him for allegedly insulting her.
Burns, who met with Hun Sen and other government and opposition officials during his visit, said he spoke "about the importance of freedom of expression".
"It's very important to very carefully to weigh importance of issues like defamation suits... often times the kind of criticism that goes on is best in the political arena rather than the judicial system," he said.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said last week that defamation proceedings against Sochua illustrated the "alarming erosion" of Cambodia's free speech and judicial independence.
William Burns, US Under-Secretary of State for political affairs, said military aid from the United States to Cambodia was intended to boost a civil-military relationship that was essential to a "healthy political system".
"Any military relationship that we conduct around the world is consistent with US law. So we look very carefully and vet very carefully the participants from Cambodia, from other countries," Burns told a press conference.
He spoke as Cambodia conducted its first ever large-scale international peacekeeping exercise, co-sponsored by the US Army, on the grounds of a military unit accused of being involved in illegal landgrabs.
Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said last week it was "outrageous" that Cambodia's ACO Tank Unit was hosting 700 military personnel from 23 countries in the "Angkor Sentinel" exercise.
The rights group said the US State Department and human rights organisations have documented soldiers of the unit using armoured vehicles to seize land from Cambodian villagers and farmers.
Burns made his trip while a Cambodian opposition politician faced an arrest warrant after controversial defamation proceedings.
Mu Sochua of the Sam Rainsy Party faces jail for refusing to pay 4,000 dollars in fines and compensation on a conviction last year for defaming premier Hun Sen when she announced plans to sue him for allegedly insulting her.
Burns, who met with Hun Sen and other government and opposition officials during his visit, said he spoke "about the importance of freedom of expression".
"It's very important to very carefully to weigh importance of issues like defamation suits... often times the kind of criticism that goes on is best in the political arena rather than the judicial system," he said.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said last week that defamation proceedings against Sochua illustrated the "alarming erosion" of Cambodia's free speech and judicial independence.
17 comments:
god bless cambodia.
the US is sending a strong message, and opposition still can't get a clue, here? go figure! now, we expect opposition to criticize america, too. thank you for walking in cambodia's shoes, america. now we both feel the pain from opposition! at least, it's a good pain! god bless cambodia.
GOD could not bless Cambodia, it's too busy to bless USA, Cambodians should not wait for that..
China and America are two faces of the same coin. And the Khmers still don't have a clue about the game they are playing.
Uncle Sam is becoming very cheap now by stressing the importance of military relation with another country ( Cambodia ) but could not supply to the latter the military equipment (All the military trucks are chinese).
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.
Sam Rainsy LIC 31 October 2009 - Cairo, Egypt
"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."
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 10 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 detonate 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 Vietnam 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.
i think KI should readapt a system that require all the comment typed by hand not copied-pasted system. The reason why 2.29 AM still do everyday. It seems to me that he/she is the same person who rewrite the same letter without any critical thinking at all.
1:28 AM,
I agree with you 100%.
Cambodia and Cambodians need to depend on themselves and not God who does not exist.
Where was God when the KR was in power? Nowhere to be found, I guess!
The US dropped atomic bombs on Japan and yet has continued to be prosperous! Go and try to figure out how God works!
We should always work hard and depend on ourselves, not on God!
me love america long time, ok!
4:00 AM,
Keep loving America and hopefully it won't disappoint you the way it did to Prince Siri Matak in the 70s!
You'd better make sure America loves you in return and not use you!
Does this mean the US is going to give all those junk trucks back again?
America used to be a strong and powerful country. People around the world admire America and count on them to make democracy work.
Nowaday America that I used to see do not care about democracy because America becomes dictator itself too. They become engage with the killer and dictator.
The bottom line is they're flip-flop without concrete policy. America nowaday sides with whoever strong. Now Hun Sen is a strong man so America makes friend with him. If one day opposition party controls Cambodia, you can count America will pray and friend with them. America policy don't care who they deal with.
No more admire from Cambodia people. They're a cheap country who do not care about human right or abuse of power. They care only their interest.
That's why I told friend and parent do not care to vote for Republican nor democratic party in the USA. They won't do anything to help us.
Thank you!!! but i don't care unknown has trillions faces at this point my people need help!,Nobody will live forever.
I just wish that whoever who hate America just leave this country immediately and return to where you belong.
For those fucking Cambodians who hate AMERICA,you should not forget that some thirty years ago ,the chinese supported the khmer rouge to the very end ,and as result 2 mil plus souls were gone .And now ,the Vietnamese is slowly but surely eliminate your fucking race from this planet.
Enjoy your historical enemies.
"អំណាច"
For an ordinary Khmer like me is hard to understand of the opinnion from some Khmer politicians, who opposed the relationship with other countries like China, America etc...
Or it is all about the power and we Khmer like to have power on a negative way.
បើអាមេរីកាំង មិនខំរិតចំណងនឹងខ្មែរទេ
ហ៊ុនសែននឹងលើកប្រទេសខ្មែរ ចូលជាមួយចិនតែម្តង។
I just want to invite all american sucking or suckers to leave my Cambodia now and go back to where you belong , the land of the KKK.
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