Cambodia demeans the Asean chair

July 22, 2012
The Nation

Opinion

Re: Cambodia has put Asean future in jeopardy, Editorial, July 15.

After half a century of hard work in an attempt to build regional unity, Asean has made a mistake by allowing Cambodia to use its self-interest to destabilise the unity of the grouping.

As the current holder of Asean's revolving chair, Cambodia has failed to bring the participating foreign ministers to issue a joint communique after a recent summit in Phnom Penh. Such an incident has never happened in Asean's 45-year history.

Thus, Cambodia is being seen as trying to use its position as Asean's chair to best suit its own interest - not that of the grouping. If this is true, it is unbecoming and unworthy of the grouping's chair.

The incident in Phnom Penh has also dealt a big blow to Asean secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan, who has been working hard to make the grouping stronger and more united.

It's a pity that Dr Surin's tenure, which ends late this year, should have been marred by this incident.

Vint Chavala

Lamphun

លោក ស៊ូប៊ែឌី ជំរុញ​ឲ្យ​កម្ពុជា​ក្នុង​នាម​ជា​ប្រធាន​អាស៊ាន​ដោះស្រាយ​បញ្ហា​របស់​ខ្លួន

៣-មិថុនា-២០១១៖ លោក សុរិយា ស៊ូប៊ែឌី (Surya Subedi) អ្នក​រាយការណ៍​ពិសេស​នៃ​អង្គការ​សហប្រជាជាតិ ទទួល​បន្ទុក​សិទ្ធិ​មនុស្ស​នៅ​កម្ពុជា ធ្វើ​សន្និសីទ​កាសែត​ក្នុង​ថ្ងៃ​បញ្ចប់​បេសកកម្ម​របស់​លោក នា​រាជធានី​ភ្នំពេញ។ (RFA/Uon Chhin)

2012-04-05
ដោយ តាំង សារ៉ាដា
Radio Free Asia

មន្ត្រី​ជាន់​ខ្ពស់​របស់​អង្គការ​សហប្រជាជាតិ បាន​ទាមទារ​ឲ្យ​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​កម្ពុជា ដោះស្រាយ​បញ្ហា​ក្នុង​ស្រុក​របស់​ខ្លួន​ឲ្យ​មាន​ប្រសិទ្ធភាព ដើម្បី​ឆ្ពោះ​ទៅ​រក​លទ្ធផល​ជា​ផ្លែផ្កា​ក្នុង​ខណៈ​ខ្លួន​ជា​ប្រធាន​អាស៊ាន​សម្រាប់​អាណត្តិ​នេះ។

អ្នក​រាយការណ៍​ពិសេស​របស់​អង្គការ​សហប្រជាជាតិ លោក សុរិយា ស៊ូប៊ែឌី (Surya Subedi) បាន​ជំរុញ​ឲ្យ​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​កម្ពុជា ក្នុង​នាម​ជា​ប្រធាន​អាស៊ាន ត្រូវ​ធ្វើ​យ៉ាង​ណា​ពង្រឹង​យន្តការ​ក្នុង​ប្រទេស​របស់​ខ្លួន​ទន្ទឹម​គ្នា​នឹង​ការ​ដោះស្រាយ​បញ្ហា​ក្នុង​តំបន់​អាស៊ាន​ទាំង​មូល។

លោក សុរិយា ស៊ូប៊ែឌី ថ្លែង​ដូច្នេះ៖ «កម្ពុជា​ត្រូវ​ពង្រឹង​នូវ​សេរីភាព​ក្នុង​ការ​បញ្ចេញ​មតិ ពង្រឹង​សមត្ថភាព និង​ឯករាជ្យ​ភាព​នៃ​ប្រព័ន្ធ​យុត្តិធម៌។ ពង្រឹង​សិទ្ធិ​ដីធ្លី ខណៈ​ពលរដ្ឋ​ខ្មែរ​ជា​ច្រើន​កំពុង​រង​ការ​ដេញចេញ​ដោយ​បង្ខំ​ពី​លំនៅឋាន​របស់​ពួកគេ។ ហើយ​ម្យ៉ាង​ទៀត ពលរដ្ឋ​ដែល​រស់​នៅ​តាម​ទី​ជនបទ​កំពុង​ប្រឈម​នឹង​ការ​គំរាម​ដក​យក​ដីធ្លី​របស់​ពួកគេ​ដោយ​ក្រុមហ៊ុន និង​អាជ្ញាធរ​ពី​គោលការណ៍​ដី​សម្បទាន​សេដ្ឋកិច្ច។ ទាក់ទិន​នឹង​បញ្ហា​ដីធ្លី​នេះ​ដែរ ពលរដ្ឋ​ខ្មែរ​ទូទៅ​ត្រូវ​ទទួល​បាន​ការ​ធានា​ពេញ​លេញ​ដោយ​ច្បាប់។ យ៉ាង​ហោច​ណាស់​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​ត្រូវ​ពិភាក្សា​ជាមួយ​ពលរដ្ឋ​ជា​មុន​សិន​មុន​សម្រេច​ចិត្ត​ជម្លៀស​ចេញ​ពី​លំនៅឋាន​ដើម្បី​យក​ដី​ឲ្យ​ក្រុមហ៊ុន​អភិវឌ្ឍន៍ ឬ​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​ត្រូវ​ផ្ដល់​នូវ​កញ្ចប់​សំណង​សមរម្យ​ដល់​ពួក​គេ»។

Sacrava's Political Cartoon: ASEAN Chairman

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)

អង្គការ​សិទ្ធិ​មនុស្ស និង​ជនរងគ្រោះ​អំពាវនាវ​ដល់​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​កម្ពុជា​ឲ្យ​បញ្ឈប់​ការបណ្តេញ​ចេញ

ប្រជាជន​ដីក្រហម​ធ្វើការតវ៉ា​រំលឹក​ដល់​ថ្ងៃ​បណ្តេញ​ចេញ​ពី​ផ្ទះសម្បែង នៅព្រឹក​ថ្ងៃ​អង្គារ​ទី ២៤ មករា ២០១២ (RFI/ ស៊ីវ ចាន់ណា)

ថ្ងៃ អង្គារ 24 មករា 2012
ដោយ លី ម៉េងហួរ
Radio France Internationale

នៅថ្ងៃអង្គារ​ទី​២៤ មករា ២០១២ ក្រុមអង្គការសិទ្ធិមនុស្សជាតិ និងអន្តរជាតិ រួមទាំង​សហគមន៍​ជនរងគ្រោះ បាន​អំពាវនាវ​យ៉ាង​ទទូច​ដល់​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​កម្ពុជា ឲ្យ​បញ្ឈប់​ការបណ្តេញ​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​ពីលំនៅឋាន​ទាំងបង្ខំ ក្នុង​រឿង​ជម្លោះ​ដីធ្លី។ តាម​សង្គម​ស៊ីវិល ក្នុងនាម​ជា​ប្រធាន​អាស៊ាន នៅឆ្នាំ២០១២​នេះ កម្ពុជា​គួរ​តែ​គោរពច្បាប់ និង​លើក​កម្ពស់​សិទ្ធិ​មនុស្ស ដោយ​បញ្ឈប់ ការបណ្តេញ​ប្រជា​ពលរដ្ឋ​ពីលំនៅឋានទាំងបង្ខំ ដូច​ករណី​កំពុង​ ជាច្រើន កំពុង​ផ្ទុះ​កើតមាន​នៅ​ស្ទើរ​ទូទាំង​ប្រទេស។


ក្រុម​អង្គការ​សិទ្ធិមនុស្ស​អន្តរជាតិ​ធំៗ​ចំនួន ៥ បាន​អំពាវនាវ នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​អង្គារ​នេះ ដល់​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​កម្ពុជា ដែល​ជា​ប្រធាន​អាស៊ាន ឲ្យ​បញ្ឈប់​នូវ​ការបណ្តេញ​ចេញ​ប្រជាជន​ក្រីក្រ​ពី​លំនៅឋាន ទាំង​បង្ខំ និង​ដោះលែង​ប្រជាជន​បុរី​កីឡា ៧ នាក់ ដែល​ត្រូវបាន​ចាប់​ឃុំខ្លួន នៅ​ពន្ធនាគារ​ព្រៃ ស ក្នុង​ព្រឹត្តិការណ៍​ជម្លោះ​ដីធ្លី កាលពី​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​៣​មករា ឆ្នាំ​២០១២។

ក្រុម​អង្គការ​សិទ្ធិមនុស្ស បាន​លើកឡើង​ក្នុង​លិខិត​ចំហ​ជូន​លោកនាយក​រដ្ឋមន្ត្រី ហ៊ុន សែន​ថា ក្នុងនាម​ជា​ប្រធាន​អាស៊ាន នៅ​ឆ្នាំ​២០១២​នេះ កម្ពុជា​គួរតែ​គោរព​ច្បាប់ និង​លើកកម្ពស់​សិទ្ធិមនុស្ស ព្រម​ទាំង​សេរីភាព ដោយ​ការបញ្ចប់​នូវ​ការបណ្តេញ​ប្រជាជនពី​លំនៅដ្ឋាន​ទាំង​បង្ខំ នៅ​ស្ទើរតែ​ទូទាំង​ប្រទេស នា​ពេល​សព្វថ្ងៃ។​

លិខិត​ចំហ​នោះ មាន​ចុះ​ហត្ថលេខា​របស់​តំណាង​អង្គការ Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International និង​អង្គការ Global Witness។ លិខិត​អំពាវនាវ បាន​លើកឡើង​ថា ការបណ្តេញ​ចេញ​ដោយ​បង្ខំ ក្នុង​រយៈពេល​ប៉ុន្មាន​ឆ្នាំនេះ ត្រូវបាន​អង្គការ​សិទ្ធិមនុស្ស​អន្តរជាតិ កត់សម្គាល់ថា នាំឲ្យ​មាន​ប្រជាជន​កម្ពុជា​រាប់ពាន់​នាក់ ធ្លាក់​ខ្លួន​កាន់តែ​ក្រ​ទៅៗ។

As the chair of ASEAN for 2012, Cambodia should abide by its legal obligation to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms

Rights groups call for end to forced evictions in Cambodia

Jan 24, 2012
DPA

Phnom Penh - Five international rights groups called Tuesday for Cambodia to end forced land evictions and deemed such action 'a blot on the country's reputation.'

Amnesty International, Witness, Human Rights Watch, International Federation for Human Rights and Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development sent a letter to Prime Minister Hun Sen urging action.

'As the chair of ASEAN for 2012, Cambodia should abide by its legal obligation to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms,' the letter said, referring to the Association of South-East Asian Nations.

'One of the most dangerous places for an ordinary Cambodian to be is living on a piece of land that a rich man and his government cronies want,' said Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watch's Asia division.

Rights groups urge Cambodia to end mass evictions

Cambodian police walk in line during the eviction of residents at a slum village in the centre of Phnom Penh, on January 4

Tuesday, January 24, 2012
AFP

Five leading human rights groups on Tuesday urged ASEAN chair Cambodia to end all forced evictions in the country and free seven people who were detained after a recent land protest turned violent.

"As the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for 2012, Cambodia should abide by its legal obligation to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms... and end the practice of forced evictions that is a blot on the country's reputation internationally," the campaigners said in an open letter to Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Cambodia recently took over the rotating chairmanship of the 10-member regional ASEAN bloc.

The signatories of the letter, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Witness, also called for the release, "pending further investigation", of seven residents who were arrested during an eviction of some 300 families from an area in the capital Phnom Penh on January 3.

Asean meet in limbo amid Thai protests

Saturday, November 29, 2008
AFP with Xinhua

BANGKOK: The Secretary General of Southeast Asian bloc ASEAN said Friday that he had traveled to Thailand to assess whether the kingdom is still capable to host a summit as protests shutter the main airports.

Speaking via phone to Agence France- Presse Surin Pitsuwan, secretary general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), said that he made his way overland to Bangkok to determine whether the country is still able to accommodate the Asean Summit amid the worsening protests in Thailand.

Pitsuwan, who is also a former Thai foreign minister said the final decision lay with the Thai government.

“Part of my trip here is to discuss the Asean summit with the Thai government. I have to listen to the Thai government first,” he said.

“The Thai government should make a decision on its readiness and the internal situation.”

Surin has been in Singapore, and said he was traveling overland from Penang, Malaysia, which is near the Thai border.

Current Asean chairman Thailand has insisted it will go ahead with the December summit in the northern city of Chiang Mai, even as anti-government protesters stepped up a six-month campaign to topple the prime minister.

They swarmed the main Suvarnabhumi airport on Tuesday and shut it down, and on Thursday, the smaller Don Mueang was also forced to shut its doors when protesters surrounded it, cutting almost all air travel in and out of Bangkok.

Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam have raised the possibility of postponing the Asean summit due to the worsening political crisis in the country.

Protesters to fight to the death

Protesters occupying Bangkok’s main airports vowed Friday to “fight to the death,” as police said they would negotiate with the demonstrators before trying to evict them under emergency laws.

Embattled Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat had imposed a state of emergency around the airports on Thursday night but security forces feared a raid could spark a bloody confrontation with the anti-government activists.

Airlines began flying stranded air travelers out from a naval base Friday, but tens of thousands of passengers are believed to have missed flights after four days of unrest that have badly hit Thailand’s tourist industry.

“We are not afraid. We will fight to the death, we will not surrender and we are ready,” one of the main protest leaders, Somsak Kosaisuk, told a crowd of supporters at the domestic Don Mueang airport.

Anti-government activists braced for an assault overnight, extending razor wire cordons to about three kilometers around the flagship Suvarnabhumi international airport and blocking access roads, witnesses said.

Police say around 4,000 protesters from the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) —a movement backed by elements of the palace, the army and Thailand’s Bangkok-based elite—are occupying Suvarnabhumi for a fourth day.

Another 2,500 are at Don Mueang, where the cabinet’s temporary offices have been located since protesters seized their headquarters at Government House in Bangkok in August, calling for the government to resign.

Somchai’s attempts to assert his authority by declaring emergency rule and authorizing action to clear the airports were apparently undermined by the police announcement of further talks with the protesters.

“We will use the gentle way first. The priority is to negotiate and not crack down immediately—we are all Thais,” regional deputy police commander Major General Piya Sorntrakoon told Agence France Presse.

ASEAN head travels to protest-hit Thailand to "clarify" summit

28 November 2008
AFP

BANGKOK: The secretary general of Southeast Asian bloc ASEAN will travel to Thailand to assess whether the kingdom can still host a summit as protests shutter the main airports, the group secretariat said.

In a statement late Thursday out of Singapore, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) secretariat said Surin Pitsuwan - a former Thai foreign minister - would "clarify this matter with Thailand."

A Thai foreign ministry official said Friday that Surin had not yet arrived in the kingdom, and said he was not aware that the secretary-general had any plans to look into the situation in the kingdom.

Current ASEAN chair Thailand has insisted it will go ahead with the December summit in the northern city of Chiang Mai, even as anti-government protesters stepped up a six-month campaign to topple the prime minister.

They swarmed the main Suvarnabhumi airport on Tuesday and shut it down, and on Thursday, the smaller Don Mueang was also forced to shut its doors when protesters surrounded it, cutting almost all air travel in and out of Bangkok.

Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam had raised the possibility of postponing the ASEAN summit due to the worsening political crisis in the country.

Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat declared emergency rule at the two airports on Thursday to try to rein in the protests, after holding a special cabinet meeting in Chiang Mai to discuss the escalating turmoil.

He has rejected calls by the army chief to hold new elections.

Thailand announced in late October that the ASEAN summit would be moved from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, a government stronghold.

The government said it was because of northern Thailand's cooler climate, but the anti-government protests are believed to be a key factor.

Surin: Political turmoil won’t affect Asean summit

Tuesday November 25, 2008
Heamakarn Sricharatchanya
Bangkok Post

Jakarta – The ongoing political turmoil in Bangkok is not going to stop Thailand’s hosting of a summit of Southeast Asian nations that will be held in the northern province of Chiang Mai two weeks from now, the top official of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) said Tuesday.

The statement was made a day after about 18,000 protesters of People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) surrounded the parliament, forcing the parliament to cancel its joint session to consider legislation related to the Asean summit.

“The government is managing situation and the fact that they have moved the venue to Chiang Mai is making sure it is going to be smooth and away from any pressure,” Asean secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan, former foreign minister, said during his meeting with reporters from Asean countries.

Mr Surin called the ongoing political tension in Thailand as “part of inconvenience of parliamentary democracy.”

“If it is a presidential system, you would not have the problem,” he said. “We have to live with that as long as it is constitutionally resolved.”

Earlier the day, Foreign Minister Tharit Charungvat expressed his confidence on Thailand’s readiness to host the summit. “Every country is confident that Thailand can host the meeting,” he said.

Two months ago, Cambodia said it was concerned about Thailand’s ability to host the summit, and even suggested Asean to consider a more stable host such as Singapore or Vietnam.

Relations between Thailand and Cambodia have turned sour following the border dispute over Preah Vihear temple. Asean itself has not been in a position to help solve the conflict because of Thailand’s decision to engage in bilateral talks with the neighbouring country.

“At least, the dispute has not flared up into the open. It hasn’t been resolved but it has been contained,” Mr Surin said. “And that is an achievement in itself.”