Daphne Bramham
Think Tank
There’s little good in the U.S. government’s assessment of Cambodia’s human rights record. Here’s just a sampling of what it said in its annual report on human rights around the world which was released Thursday.
“A weak judiciary that sometimes failed to provide due process and a fair trial procedure was a leading human rights problem. The courts lacked human and financial resources and were subject to corruption and political influence.”
“The continued criminalization of defamation and disinformation and a broad interpretation of criminal incitement constrained freedom of expression.”
“Members of the security forces reportedly committed arbitrary killings. Detainees were abused, often to extract confessions, and prison conditions were harsh.”
“The government at time interfered with freedom of assembly.”
“Corruption remained pervasive, governmental human rights bodies reportedly were ineffective and discrimination and trafficking in women and children persisted.”
“Domestic violence and child abuse occurred and education of children was inadequate.”
Click here to read the full report on Cambodia.
1 comment:
the CPP has a very dirty but efficient way to control hundred of thousand if not millions people who are practically held hostage by the situation. The CPP can increase salary of government workers, teachers and soldiers, police...etc. No one can survive with current salaries. In order to earn more by taking bribe, you should demonstrate to be loyal to the CPP the more you can take bribes (but also the more you take, the more you have to pay higher officials). The more you get, the more you become addicted to this way of surviving, or if you become rich you by that way you become completely loyal to CPP and must defend your or their interest. Of course, this is not the case with everybody (I dare hope so). I have a friend who also speak badly about CPP and always voted SRP but nevertheless always go campaigning for CPP. He is forced to do so in order to keep his work and feed his family. Since he is just surviving and not getting rich, I know he still vote SRP and hate CPP. Another friend voted SRP, became richer and richer by taking brides and is now afraid that CPP loose. Still he is a good man and I don't think he will fight, die or kill for CPP. Other who are less educated, may be brain washed and bought by CPP with promises of power, wealth to do the dirty jobs to keep CPP in power. Poor and uneducated people are so busy surviving that they do no see longer perspective and are more prone to see CPP coming with combination of gift, money in addition with with intimidation and threat of war/instability (if CPP loose election - but who controls the army/police that have the potential to make troubles? SRP? of course not). If the SRP or any viable opposition parties can find solution and clearly explain to the population how to deal with breaking this system of corruption and "free" the police, army, normal government officials caught in this trap, it will have better chance to win the election. SRP should set up a communication and PI team to work out clear messages and to be explained according to the different level of understanding among the population. All the absurds things said by Hun Sen and his cronies (and there are plenty of them) in the different forums should be recorded, studied by the team and immediately used to expose (possibly still in a polite ironical and intelligent way) his non-sense and disseminate as wide and fast as possible. SRP should also be fast to accept his mistakes or praise any of the good actions (quite difficult because not so any noticed) of the governments if any. In short, is to demonstrate a mature attitude which will contrast with the thuggish behavior of Hun Sen. Extreme nationalistic position may not be well seen, Vietnam and Thailand will always be in our doorstep, not all of them are bad people (as not all of us are good). If they look down on us it is more because we did not show (yet) them how good we are.
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