Saturday, November 30, 2013

Groups Want Independent Human Rights Body


By Khuon Narim, The Cambodia Daily
November 30, 2013 

Cambodia must establish an independent, national human rights institution with the power to conduct investigations and sanction those guilty of violations, representatives of the country’s two leading local rights groups said on Friday.

A consortium of rights groups met Thursday in Phnom Penh to discuss the establishment of an independent national human rights institution, which the U.N. endorsed under the Paris Principles in the early 1990s, and which Prime Minister Hun Sen committed to establishing in 2006, said Nay Vanda, deputy head of monitoring at Adhoc. However, seven years since Mr. Hun Sen made his statement, there has been no movement toward such a body, Mr. Vanda said.

Om Yentieng
“We want an independent [national human rights institution] that has the power to intervene and investigate cases of human rights violations, and to which the government must comply and implement recommendations,” said Am Sam Ath, technical supervisor for rights group Licadho.

Under the U.N.’s Paris Principles on the establishment of a national human rights institution, such a body must be independent of both government and NGOs, but act as a bridge between both. According to the U.N., the body may be granted quasi-judicial authority to freely investigate any and all issues that are brought to its attention regarding the protection and promotion of human rights, and its mandate must be endorsed on either a constitutional or legislative footing.


The government’s current Human Rights Committee, which is staffed by senior members of Mr. Hun Sen’s long-ruling CPP, is unable, or unwilling, to properly investigate rights abuses because of its pro-government bias, Mr. Sam Ath said.
“Cambodia has a Human Rights Committee but it has pro-government tendency,” he said.

The Committee’s president is Om Yentieng, a close adviser to Mr. Hun Sen.

Asked to comment on the criticism by NGOs that the government committee ignores human rights abuses, Mak Sambath, the committee’s deputy director, said his organization’s critics have “the rights to freedom of expression.”

“They can do whatever they want,” said Mr. Sambath, who declined to comment when asked how many cases of rights abuse his organization had investigated this year.

According to the Cambodia Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, national rights institutions “can only be effective if they are independent of government control and pluralistic in their membership, representing all parts of society.”

The renewed call for an independent human rights investigation body follows in the wake of increasing State violence, including the killings of bystanders by members of the police and military police during confrontations with striking workers, land rights activists, and supporters of the political opposition.

No credible investigations have been conducted into any of the cases of violence despite claims by police authorities and ruling-party officials that inquires are underway.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

good idea! for the start, check to see what country had already adopted this, and borrow some of their conduct for use in cambodia and make it a permanent independent organization that looks into reports of any kind of human rights violation or human rights abuse, etc. what happened under pol pot's KR should not allow to ever taken place again in cambodia, etc. the world had seen what happened then and was horrified the gross human rights abuse under pol pot's KR regime from 1975 to 1979! cambodia and the world have to be tough with it in order to prevent it from ever reoccurring.

Anonymous said...

it was sad to see khmer helpless people suffer during that time. nobody can forget it!

Anonymous said...

JENDHA,

BAN PONNONG HGEUY YOK EUY TEAT.

YOU HAVE ALL THAT WHAT DO YOU WANT MORE.

BY HUN SEN

https://fr-fr.facebook.com/photo.php?v=626848607371876&set=vb.520708567985881&type=2&theater

Anonymous said...

SO SAD BECAUSE AH HUN SEN AH KBOT CHEAT:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10202761945074916&set=vb.1388687307&type=2&theater

Anonymous said...

traitor,

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=456000684522059&set=a.305143252941137.66774.305117772943685&type=1&theater

Anonymous said...

គ្មានអ្វីដែលអាចធ្វើឲមានប្រសិទ្ធិភាពបានយូរឡើយ ល្គឹកណាពួកក្បត់ជាតិនៅតែដឹកនាំប្រទេស
ព្រោះ បង្កើតអ្វីមកក៍នៅតែនៅក្រោមអំណាច
ពួកវាទាំងអស់ ។ ពូកវានៅតែមានល្បិច មាន
មធ្យោបាយ និង វិធិសាស្រ្តពឹសពុល ថោកទាប
ធ្វើឲលែងឯករាជ្យ លែងមានប្រសិទ្ធិភាពដដែល
ហ្នឹង ។ ព្រោះពួកវាមានប្រាក់ មានអំណាច
មានអាវុធគ្រប់ធុនវានឹងទិញ ឬ គំរាមកំហែង
ដូចដែលពួកវាធ្លាប់ និង កំពុងធ្វើ វាមិនបោះ
បង់ឡើយ ។ បើគ្រាន់តែធ្វើបណ្តោះអាសន្ន ក្នុង
គ្រាដែលកំពុងធ្វើការផ្លាស់ប្តូរនោះបាន តែបើនៅ
តែបើមិនមានការផ្លាស់ប្តូរទេ វាគ្មានបានការទេ ។ មានតែការផ្លាស់ប្តូរទេ ទើបអ្វី ៗ វាអាចមាន
ប្រសិទ្ធិភាពយូរអង្វែងបាន ។

Anonymous said...

Sad to say, but if the govt keep oppressing his people, the history might just repeat itself.
There are more poorer people than the Killing Fields era, so the possibility and risks are there.

Anonymous said...

11:24pm, oppressing the people in what sense? when they violate the law or not providing for them when they are in need as in irresponsible parents, etc? not do something to improve life and raise the standard of living in the country? well, you're out of luck unless they look into implementing the social services agency or human services agency or some form of social assistance agency to help the most vulnerable. that where smart and wise politicians should into, this area of state or gov't social services so disadvantaged or vulnerable population can get the help they needed most. why don't good politicians look into that area of forgotten gov't responsibility? if you really want to help make a difference, that where influential people and leadership should look into to make a real difference once and for all in cambodia. i think that areas of gov't agency is lacking. otherwise, don't politicize and complaining about it! demand solution, not just complain about it! that is smarter and wiser!

Anonymous said...

This man is look STUPID to me. is he laughing or crying which once is which?

Anonymous said...

Yes, we're not surprised, Hun sen and his cronies would want their own human rights group so they can continue to violate human rights all they want and the way they want!

Anonymous said...

mook douch ah mer bok!