Thai foreign minister to seek bilateral talks on border: statement

Friday, 23 January 2009
Written by Meas Sokchea
The Phnom Penh Post

PAST SUCCESS

A meeting between Hor Namhong and then-Thai Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat in November last year saw a reduction in troop levels along both sides of the border. Since then, political instability in Thailand has hindered further negotiations.

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya will lead a state visit beginning Monday to spearhead renewed negotiations over border dispute.

THAI Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya will lead an official delegation to Cambodia beginning Monday to promote bilateral border negotiations between the two nations' prime ministers, a press release from the Cambodian Foreign Ministry announced Thursday.

Kasit will meet King Norodom Sihamoni and leaders of the ruling Cambodian People's Party in advance of border discussions with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong, the press release stated.

The foreign ministers are expected to address ongoing border conflicts ahead of future discussions between Prime Minister Hun Sen and his Thai counterpart Abhisit Vejjajiva in Thailand during the forthcoming Asean Summit, which runs from February 27 to March 1.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Koy Khuong told the Post Thursday that the Thai delegation's visit aimed to strengthen cooperation between the two countries, as well as to address border concerns and other issues of mutual concern.

Hun Sen said Tuesday during an address in Oddor Meanchey province that he would not address border issues during the Asean Summit, but added that bilateral negotiations with the Thai premier were forthcoming.

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy questioned whether discussions between the heads of state would produce any tangible results.

"Bilateral negotiations cannot resolve matters. Our country is smaller than neighbouring ones, so if we face a neighbour that is larger than us, it is impossible to solve the dispute," Sam Rainsy told the Post Thursday.

"Until the international community steps in to defend Cambodia, we must defend our territorial integrity," he added.

Heang Rithy, president of the Cambodian National Research Organisation, said bilateral negotiations could succeed only if Thailand initiates them and says the country has acted as an invader.

"If Cambodia asks to negotiate, this is not effective and will not end the conflict," he said.

"If Thailand confesses that it has made a mistake, then we can negotiate in accordance with international law and without the UN. But if Thailand continues to be obstinate, only the UN will be able to resolve the conflict," he said.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Koy Khuong said Cambodia will continue to pursue a bilateral solution to the conflict.

"What we have done before, we will continue to do. We will maintain our bilateral stance so that we can talk together. If this path does not work, we will seek a third-party solution," he said.

Rights Abuse Critic Threatened With Gun

Heang Rithy, President of CNRO (Photo: CNRO)

By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
29 September 2008

Heang Rithy, president of the Cambodian National Research Organization a critic of the government’s human rights record, said Monday he was threatened by gunpoint Thursday night.

The organization documents human rights abuses, especially in the growing problem of land-grabbing. Heang Rithy is an outspoken critic of the Cambodian government.

Heang Rithy filed a complaint with the Ministry of Interior Friday, claiming he had been driving to his office Thursday night, in Chamkar Mon district, when a luxury car with military police plates pulled in front of him and stopped. The driver pointed a pistol at him and told him to step out of his car and threatened to shoot him, according to the complaint.

Heang Rithy said Monday he was worried the threat was related to his work, especially radio broadcasts on Beehive Radio FM105 criticizing the government’s human rights efforts and detailing rights abuses.

Ministry of Interior officials could not be reached for comment Monday, a national holiday.

Maj. Huot Sam Ol, commander of Chamkar Mon military police, said he received a direct complaint from Heang Rithy.

“But I think it is not a political threat,” he said. “Just a traffic incident.”

Military police would investigate, he said.

Heang Rithy said the threat was not traffic related.

Chan Soveth, an investigator for the rights group Adhoc, said Monday he received a complaint from Heang Rithy but had not yet opened an investigation. It was difficult to judge whether the threat was political or traffic related.

CSLHRC's Dr Heang Rithy: Dr Lao Mong Hay made a very serious mistake by criticizing the Hero-King w/o sufficient proof of his past KR association

Dr Heang Rithy (pointing arrow) of the CSLHRC during an audience with King Sihamoni (Photo: CNRO)

CSLHRC opposes Dr Lao Mong Hay who blamed King-Father

Thursday, September 27, 2007
Koh Santepheap newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

The Committee Strict Law Enforcement for Human Rights in Cambodia (CSLHRC) issued a statement to oppose Dr. Lao Mong Hay, a researcher at the Asian Human Rights Commission, who wrote an editorial published by a local newspaper, in which he stated that Samdech Norodom Sihanouk, the Hero-King of Cambodia, should share the responsability with the former Khmer Rouge leaders, because the then-prince Sihanouk was involved with the (Khmer Rouge) regime also.

In his statement, CSLHRC’s Dr. Heang Rithy explained that on this issue, Dr. Lao Mong Hay should have sufficient solid legal evidence. Regarding another statement (by Dr. Lao Mong Hay) published by the Cambodian paper saying: “He (King-Father) should be stripped of immunity so that he could appear in court,” CSLHRC explained that, legally, the lifting of the Hero-King’s immunity is the jurisdiction of the court if there is sufficient legal evidence.

The CSLHRC statement said that this is the legal measure of the national and international laws. Nobody can talk like in the demand made by Dr. Lao Mong Hay by using a right that is not based on the law at all, in spite of the fact that he is (part of) a human rights organization. A talk or a demand made without evidence can cause confusions among Cambodian people, and lead them to hate the Hero-King.

According to the national and international law, and in particular, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which stipulates in its Article 19 that “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers,” but it should not infringe on the rights of others.

Article 41 of the Cambodian Constitution stipulates that: “Khmer citizens shall have freedom of expression, press, publication and assembly. No one shall exercise this right to infringe upon the rights of others, to affect the good traditions of the society, to violate public law and order and national security.” Therefore, the expression of opinion of each individual must not infringe upon the rights of others, nor upon the dignity and honor of others.

In conclusion, the expression of opinion or the demands made that the Hero-King should share responsibility with the Khmer rouge leaders is a very serious mistake, because there is no document to prove that he (King-Father) participated (with the Khmer Rouge regime. Dr. Heang Rithy also called, in the name of CSLHRC, that all human rights organizations, before they criticize anybody, they should have sufficient proof, in particular, they should review the legal aspect of the law, etc…

Group Warns Monks Off Politics

Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
08 August 2007

A local research organization has written King Norodom Sihamoni warning him that monks and politics don't mix.

The Cambodian National Research Organization said allowing monks to vote would encourage laymen to choose their temples along party lines, countering the spirit of Buddhism.

If monks have the right to vote, they have the right to hold office, said Heang Rithy, head of the research organization, which cold lead to the politicization of the faith.

"In general, monks cannot participate in the elections," he said. "If you allow monks to vote, that means you allow them to run for office as well. This is against the principles of Buddhism. This amounts to making fun of the religion."

Kuol Panha, executive director of the independent Committee for Free and Fair Elections, disagrees. Monks do have the right to vote but they don't have the legal right to run for office, he said.

"Monks can elect political candidates whom they think will serve Buddhism, but they themselves can't run for office," he said.

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy said monks are capable of objective voting, but they should not participate in political campaigns.

"I personally think that monks have rights like everyone else, to exercise their rights at the polling stations," he said.

Monks have been voting since 1993, and no law forbids it, said Cheam Yeap, a lawmaker for the ruling Cambodian People's Party.

"Monks should be considered as independent voters," Cheam Yeap said. "They can vote. It would be against the Cambodian constitution if you forbid monks from voting."

The constitution allows all men and women of legal age to vote.