Friday, July 08, 2011

Rights Group Urges UN To Hold Firm on Tribunal

Ou Virak, head of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, on “Hello VOA” Wednesday. (Photo: by Men Kimseng)

Thursday, 07 July 2011
Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer | Washington, DC
“It should work closely with the government and tell them that the role of the UN is not to help the government, but its people, through the cooperation with the government and civil society.”
A leading local rights organization has issued a sharp warning to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, urging him to take a hard stance on the Khmer Rouge tribunal, which has come under increased scrutiny for its handling of a controversial case at the court.

The Cambodian Human Rights Center urged the UN not falter in handling trials of senior leaders, especially after Prime Minister Hun Sen told Ban in a meeting this year he would not allow more indictments at the court.

The UN should not step backward on human rights and succumb to threat,” Ou Virak, president of the rights group, told “Hello VOA” Wednesday. “It should work closely with the government and tell them that the role of the UN is not to help the government, but its people, through the cooperation with the government and civil society.”


The UN-backed tribunal has come under increased pressure in recent months, after investigating judges concluded their work in Case 003, which has two suspects whose indictments Hun Sen objects to. Ban said in a statement last month that the UN was not ignoring that case and another, to refute media reports and concerns the UN was not fully pursuing trials against former Khmer Rouge.

Ou Virak said he asked the international agency to “send a message to the government that the UN can only work with the government so long as the cooperation is for the benefit of the people.”

Cambodia’s relations with the UN office have been strained in recent years. Cambodia threatened to expel the UN’s country head earlier this year for comments he made over the anti-corruption law.

Koy Kuong, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said “some” UN representatives were working under their own “personal views,” and not under the agreements the UN has made with the government. “Therefore, we only remind them to perform their work under the terms of agreement,” he said.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Virak OU is a well spoken of human rights that is very good, but I beg him to think more than twice about heart disease, because his face is too fat. He look likes he is enjoying food so much while his people are starving to death.
Anyone who knows this man please tell him to eat half and give half to the poor. In that case he is not too fat and ugly like he is now.

Anonymous said...

yes, it is important that the court find justice for cambodia and the KR victims. and for the sake of humanity, this type of atrocity should not be allowed to happen again in cambodia under any administration you know!

Anonymous said...

To uncover it and lay under the sun is to let it dry and kill the germ! ( even it look bad at first!)


To cover it and burry ubder the bed ( it look good at the begining) but the germ keep growing and the smell it getting worst! and it can kill human live it the germ can get out by accident!

Anonymous said...

Virak Ou បើឯងចង់រស់នៅក្នុងស្រុកខ្មែរបានយូរអង្វែងនោះឯង ត្រូវតែខំប្រឹងប្រែងធ្វើយ៉ាងណា ឱយតុលាការខ្មែរក្រហមអាចឈានទៅដល់ករណី០០៥និង០០៦ជាដាច់ខាត ដើម្បីទាញក្បាលអា ហ៊ុន សែននិងបរិវារវាទាំងអស់មកកាត់ទោស។ តែបើឯងធ្វើមិនបានទេនោះ ដោយសារតែconflict of the interestឬយ៉ាងណានោះ គឺឯងមិនអាចរស់បានអាយុវែងឡើយ ពីព្រោះពួកកុម្មុយនីស្តវាមិនដែលទុកចិត្តមនុស្សដូចឯងដែលចេញមកពីអាមេរិកទេ។ សូមកុំភ្លេចខ្លួនឱយសោះ ទៅជួយជាតិ សូមកុំទៅជួយបំផ្លាញជាតិ!

Anonymous said...

10:11pm-

Oh come on !
something else is more important.

Anonymous said...

attack yuon and traitors, and not decent people.
if people make little bad thing, it is normal.

do not worry about the skin disease but heart disease.

Anonymous said...

I don't see anyone attacks Virak OU. He is being informed to take care his health, because he is too FAT, and he may drop dead by the heart disease, then he won't be able to ever again speak up as the prez of the right group.
People take this health issue so lightly, then it will be too late. Virak OU is too and too FAT, he needs to go on diet. Reduce eat but exercise like walking fast more, give half of his meal to the poor.

Anonymous said...

8:14 AM
Who said about "skin disease"? Virak OU has to reduce FAT by walking or doing exercise before it too late. With his overweight, he can die fast with a heart disease or colon cancer.

8:14 AM