“Cambodia is a democratic country that other countries should stop directing and pointing orders at”: Oxymoron Yentieng

Oxymoron Yentieng, chairman of the government human rights commission (Photo: Sovannara, RFI)

03 April 2010
By Kuoch Kuntheara
Radio France Internationale
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the article in Khmer

In response to questions asked by Kuoch Kuntheara, Om Yentieng, chairman of the government human rights commission, thanked the UN for its support to the government direction in the additional strengthening and development of human rights. In the name of Cambodia which is one of the democratic countries, Om Yentieng called on other countries and a number of international organizations to stop directing Cambodia, and stop pointing orders to Cambodia as they please.

Click here to hear the interview in Khmer with this oxymoron (MP3)

Sacrava's Political Cartoon: Hyena-Om Yen Tieng

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

Ong Yentieng on GW's report "Country for Sale": "...broadcast that I said it is a crazy report"

Om Yentieng, Hun Sen’s senior advisor and chairman of the Cambodian government’s Human Rights commission (Photo: John Vink/Magnum)

Watchdog ‘the Worst Liar’: Top Adviser

By Taing Sarada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
11 February 2009

Click here to listen to the audio program in Khmer

[Editor’s note: The environmental watchdog Global Witness released a report this month claiming Cambodia’s potential oil and mineral wealth is set to benefit a small elite, including senior officials in the government and military. Om Yentieng, a senior adviser for Prime Minister Hun Sen, dismissed the report, “Country for Sale,” in a phone interview with VOA Khmer.]

Q. The recent Global Witness report claims some high-ranking government officials, such as Sen. Lao Meng Khin, Gen. Ouk Kosa, Gen. Pol Saroeun, Gen. Meas Sophea, and others, including yourself, were quietly allocated mining licenses. Is this true?

A. I think that if I have a mining license, I don’t know who doesn’t have one in Cambodia. Global Witness really likes to tell so many lies. I think Global Witness is the worst liar. I really want to laugh about that. Doesn’t Global Witness have other things to say, or what?

Q. The report claims that some Royal Cambodian Armed Forces officials protect mining companies, including yours. What do you think about that?

A. They have been speaking very badly about the Cambodian government for years. They have a lot of things to say, a lot of lies about Cambodia.

Q. The report claims that 45 percent of sate property was purchased by private companies. Your response?

A. I have nothing to say further, as I have already said that they have nothing to say but lies. If it is like Global Witness says, Cambodia is already like Hell, and you wouldn’t see that Cambodia has a lot of development like this at all. So that is enough. Don’t try to hurt Cambodia more on that.

You [Global Witness] have a sharp nose and white skin. Are you trying to rule everyone in the world, or what? You always speak about the respect of human rights, and respect of the truth, but you are betraying your own words. You are a liar, and you are the worst, and smell worse than anything else. It is like the doctor who tries to sell itchy medicine, but he can’t even treat his own itchy skin first.

Q. Regarding assets such as petroleum, iron and other minerals, how will the government manage those in the future? And how can this be done with transparency in the revenue?

A. Do you think Cambodian people are not human beings? Are we stupid about everything you say? You think we are too stupid to manage these resources? You know, the Khmers built Angkor Wat, so this is not so difficult. If we talk about petroleum mining, about Chevron, the US oil and gas company doing its research every day in Cambodia, maybe Om Yentieng sold his license to that company. Why doesn’t Global Witness also ask Chevron, how much did this company bribe the government to be able to drill Cambodia’s biggest offshore [block]?

Please don’t be so concerned with this matter. The Cambodian people, including the illiterate farmers, still know how to protect their country. Outsiders, who always have concern, have never helped protect Cambodian land even a meter, only Cambodians in the country have. Please, next time don’t be so interested with this crazy report. And broadcast that I said it is a crazy report.

Delusional Om Yentieng: Yash Ghai's report is "sensational and exaggerated"

Cambodia dismisses UN human rights envoy's report as sensational, exaggerated

Thursday, March 20, 2008
The Associated Press

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: Cambodia dismissed a U.N. envoy's report criticizing its government for human rights abuses and corruption as sensational and exaggerated, saying the country is on the right track for democracy.

Om Yentieng, head of the government's human rights committee, said the report ignored the progress his government has made in improving rights and the rule of law.

He said the government is disappointed with Yash Ghai, the U.N. secretary-general's special envoy on human rights in Cambodia, who submitted the report to a U.N. Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva.

Many issues described in Ghai's report "are selectively made for sensational purposes and/or overly exaggerated," Om Yentieng said in a statement received Thursday.

His response is the latest shot in the Cambodian government's long-running war of words with Ghai, a Kenya-born professor, whom Prime Minister Hun Sen has called "deranged" for accusing his administration of poor governance.

Om Yentieng, who is also a senior adviser to Hun Sen, described as "unacceptable" Ghai's assertion that the country's justice system has failed to function independently from the executive branch.

"Legal guarantees and security associated with the rule of law are largely missing in Cambodia," Ghai said in a statement on the release of his report.

Ghai said the government's control of the judiciary has bred a "high level of corruption" resulting in victimization of the poor across Cambodia and "legal impunity for ministers, officials and friends of the government."

Cambodia's judicial system is widely regarded as corrupt and susceptible to political manipulation.

The U.N. envoy also slammed the government on the issue of land and property rights.

Thousands of urban and rural dwellers have been "illegally and inhumanely" evicted from land that has been appropriated by corporations and influential individuals, he charged.

He warned that, in the long run, the inability of courts to settle disputes in a fair manner will "aggravate tensions, conflicts and the risk of violence that will be hard to manage."

Om Yentieng responded that Ghai's evaluation "does not fairly reflect the reality in the country" which "is moving on the right track" of democratic and economic progress.

Om Yentieng, Hun Sen's top wisecrack advisor: Amnesty Internation wants to put colonial rule on Cambodia

Villagers from Koh Kong province who were victims of a land grab camp outside the National Assembly earlier this year. Amnesty International this week cited continued land grabs of evidence of Cambodia's ongoing rights abuse issues.

Top Advisor Accuses Amnesty International of Colonialism

Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
25/05/2007

A top adviser to Prime Minister Hun Sen and head of the government's human rights committee Friday accused Amnesty International of colonialism, after the right group's sharp criticism of the government's rights record in 2006.

Amnesty released "State of the World's Human Rights 2007" earlier this week, in which it said rights abuses in Cambodia continue.

"I don't understand Amnesty International," Hun Sen adviser Om Yentieng said. "It wants to put colonial rule on Cambodia, and it seems like it is too much. It is about time this should stop, the urge to rule Cambodia. Please let Cambodia have its freedom for development, and don't bother it too much."

The Amnesty report cited the eviction of 10,000 urban poor from their homes in 2006, the loss of land and livelihoods of the rural poor, abuse of the courts and restrictions on freedom of assembly as evidence of ongoing human rights abuses.

"Land concessions and other opaque land deals between business interests and the authorities continued" in 2006, report says. "Long awaited reform including laws governing the judiciary and criminal justice system did not take place."

The report highlights the incarceration of Born Samnang and Sok Samoeun for the alleged murder of unionist Chea Vichea and cites death threats to journalist as further proof of abuses.

Agreeing with the findings in the report, opposition leader Sam Rainsy said the corruption law should be passed as soon as possible.

Seng Theary, executive director of the Center for Social Development also supported the report's overview.

"We appeal to the government and the leadership to pay attention to human rights issues and to our society in general," she said. "If we do not pay attention to human rights causes of individuals as a whole—the people in one society, one country—we cannot believe the country can progress in the field of the country's quality and way of life of the people."

Cambodia Center for Human Rights Director Ou Vireak said the country's powerful leaders "seem to use their power without reasonable limit."

"They use serious threats on local people," he said.

Om Yentieng: Amnesty International exaggerating the truth

Government official accuses human rights organization of exaggerating the truth

24 May 2007
By Uk Sav Bory
Radio Free Asia (a station labeled insolent by Hun Sen)
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

A government official reacted to the report issued by the human rights organization Amnesty International (AI), and accused the report of exaggerating the true situation in Cambodia

Om Yentieng, the president of the government organization for the defense of human rights in Cambodia, said on Thursday that the report issued by AI only wants to topple the government. He said that AI never provides justice to the Cambodian government at all, and he also accused the AI report of supporting the opposition party.

Om Yentieng said: “The person who wrote this report about Cambodia is too politically biased, and he did not use a pen to write, but used a brush to color (the situation). Therefore, I am asking them: ‘Sirs! That’s enough, please have some mercy, please be neutral, don’t condemn Cambodia nonstop like this, if you want to help the opposition party, just shout out that you help the opposition openly, there is no reason to distort and create a bad reputation for yourself.’”

The reaction from Om Yentieng took place after AI issued a report on Wednesday 23 May stating that Cambodia does not respect human rights by evicting several people from the lands they occupied, Cambodia did not push for the adoption of the anti-corruption law, and Cambodia creates obstacle to the progress of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal.

Regarding this report, Om Yentieng said: “The (AI) say that we evict people from Phnom Penh, then however large their love for Cambodians is, we as Khmer like (the evicted people) would love them (evicted people from Phnom Penh) 1,000 times more. We cannot kill our own people like this, and we work to obtain the vote, we are not dumb enough to kill ourselves. Don’t think that we are dumb. Furthermore, the institution to fight corruption was formed by the ruling party, if it is not under the ruling party, who should it be under? Under AI, eh? If it’s like this, please take away our sovereignty, there is no need to hold an election, no need to find a party to rule. If we hold the power, then we are the rulers, you (AI) talk so sweet, you want AI to govern Cambodia?”

Notwithstanding (Om Yentieng’s ranting), Seng Theary, Director of the Center for Social Development, said that she supports the AI report. “I trust the research done by AI. The goals of this organization are very valuable for each country in the world, in particular for countries that lack respect for human rights.”

Quite often, Cambodia suffers the scolding from national and international institutions for its non-respect of human rights stemming from the recent violent land eviction of people, the use of violence on Khmer Krom monks and workers, and Cambodia also has a large proportion of corrupt government officials, a fact that was duly noted by national and international organizations as well.