By Sok Serey
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
Recently, the Cambodian government turned down a request made by a country for Cambodia to send demining soldiers, and humanitarian forces to Iraq.
A government official indicated that this rejection was made because Cambodia believes that Iraq is not currently under UN administration. Khieu Kanharith, spokesman for the government, told RFA on Monday that Cambodia could send its forces under the decision and the request made by the UN only.
Khieu Kanharith said: “The administration of Iraq is not under the UN, and there was a request – but I don’t want to talk about who – made by a friendly country, a friendly superpower, but we told them that we are afraid of combat zone, we are not going there. Secondly, Iraq is not under the UN administration and decision.”
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy reacted by saying that the Cambodian government should provide all the help it can in order to provide humanitarian help only.
Sam Rainsy said: “If we can help the civilians, the innocents, men and women, the elderly, so that they can escape death, escape mine explosion, escape terrorism, then we must help. We should not discriminate, we must help anybody for humanitarian reasons, in order to protect the lives of the innocent people. If we can help the people in a country, regardless of the continent and the region, then we should help.”
Based on international news, Iraq is currently being administered by the ally force led by the USA, and several reports indicated that violent bomb explosions take place, killing and maiming people almost daily.
Jeff Daigle, spokesman for the US embassy in Phnom Penh, said that the US did not made any request to Cambodia to send its troops to another country at all.
It should be recalled also that, in 2006, Hun Sen also rejected a similar request, however, he agreed to the request made by the UN to send Cambodian humanitarian forces to demine Sudan twice. During the first operation, 135 Cambodians were sent to provide humanitarian assistance in April 2006, during the second operation, on May 2007, Cambodian sent a contingent of 139 deminers to replace the first contingent which completed its 1-year mission.
A government official indicated that this rejection was made because Cambodia believes that Iraq is not currently under UN administration. Khieu Kanharith, spokesman for the government, told RFA on Monday that Cambodia could send its forces under the decision and the request made by the UN only.
Khieu Kanharith said: “The administration of Iraq is not under the UN, and there was a request – but I don’t want to talk about who – made by a friendly country, a friendly superpower, but we told them that we are afraid of combat zone, we are not going there. Secondly, Iraq is not under the UN administration and decision.”
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy reacted by saying that the Cambodian government should provide all the help it can in order to provide humanitarian help only.
Sam Rainsy said: “If we can help the civilians, the innocents, men and women, the elderly, so that they can escape death, escape mine explosion, escape terrorism, then we must help. We should not discriminate, we must help anybody for humanitarian reasons, in order to protect the lives of the innocent people. If we can help the people in a country, regardless of the continent and the region, then we should help.”
Based on international news, Iraq is currently being administered by the ally force led by the USA, and several reports indicated that violent bomb explosions take place, killing and maiming people almost daily.
Jeff Daigle, spokesman for the US embassy in Phnom Penh, said that the US did not made any request to Cambodia to send its troops to another country at all.
It should be recalled also that, in 2006, Hun Sen also rejected a similar request, however, he agreed to the request made by the UN to send Cambodian humanitarian forces to demine Sudan twice. During the first operation, 135 Cambodians were sent to provide humanitarian assistance in April 2006, during the second operation, on May 2007, Cambodian sent a contingent of 139 deminers to replace the first contingent which completed its 1-year mission.
