Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer Original report from Phnom Penh
19/04/2007
Local rights groups and the opposition appealed to authorities Tuesday to stop the US visit of National Police Chief Gen. Hok Lundy, saying the trip harms their efforts to strengthen human rights in the country.
The general, a powerful supporter of Prime Minister Hun Sen, has been implicated in serious crimes against Cambodians, and his visit, to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other agencies, undercuts the work of human rights organizations, the groups said.
People implicated in crimes should not be invited to the US, opposition leader Sam Rainsy said.
"We know that in the US, many people are demanding the reconsideration" of Hok Lundy's visit, he said, "because the decision has no support from many establishments in the US itself."
Hok Lundy was denied a US visa by the State Department in 2006 on what the general called confusing allegations he was involved in human trafficking. In 2004, Hok Lundy's approval was widely suspected in the release of a group of brothel owners and sex traffickers.
Hok Lundy is "up to his neck" in criminal activity, Brad Adams, the Asia director of Human Rights Watch, told VOA Wednesday. "It's not even a subject of debate."
"Our people, our country, and countries in general, look up to the US," Center for Social Development Director Seng Theary said Thursday. "The US is inviting Hok Lundy for a visit, meaning it gives big consideration and an honor to Hok Lundy."
This is turn, she said, was not beneficial to the Cambodian public.
The appeal follows a statement Tuesday by Human Rights Watch that pointed out Hok Lundy's suspected involvement in the 1997 grenade attack, extrajudicial killings and drug and human trafficking.
"Two US Drug Enforcement Agency (Administration) officials and a former US ambassador to Cambodia have confirmed to Human Rights Watch that the US government is aware of Lundy's involvement in drug trafficking," the rights group said.
A press officer at the US Drug Enforcement Administration was not immediately able to comment Thursday.
"In February 2006, the State Department's human trafficking office specifically cited Lundy's alleged involvement in human trafficking as grounds for denying him a visa," the group said. "That decision was linked to a brothel raid in December 2004, following which Lundy reportedly ordered the release within hours of several traffickers before an investigation could be conducted."
A State Department official said Thursday Cambodia had made "significant efforts" to combat trafficking, but that "strong diffrences of opinion" remained between the two countries over the matter.
The State Department planned to use the occasion of Hok Lundy's visit to deliver a "tough, direct message" to the police chief on its views, the official said. The State Department upgraded Cambodia from the worst trafficking category, "Tier 3," to Tier 2 in 2006.
Interior Ministry spokesman Khieu Sopheak dismissed the accusations against the police commissioner, saying no evidence points to Hok Lundy.
The general, a powerful supporter of Prime Minister Hun Sen, has been implicated in serious crimes against Cambodians, and his visit, to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other agencies, undercuts the work of human rights organizations, the groups said.
People implicated in crimes should not be invited to the US, opposition leader Sam Rainsy said.
"We know that in the US, many people are demanding the reconsideration" of Hok Lundy's visit, he said, "because the decision has no support from many establishments in the US itself."
Hok Lundy was denied a US visa by the State Department in 2006 on what the general called confusing allegations he was involved in human trafficking. In 2004, Hok Lundy's approval was widely suspected in the release of a group of brothel owners and sex traffickers.
Hok Lundy is "up to his neck" in criminal activity, Brad Adams, the Asia director of Human Rights Watch, told VOA Wednesday. "It's not even a subject of debate."
"Our people, our country, and countries in general, look up to the US," Center for Social Development Director Seng Theary said Thursday. "The US is inviting Hok Lundy for a visit, meaning it gives big consideration and an honor to Hok Lundy."
This is turn, she said, was not beneficial to the Cambodian public.
The appeal follows a statement Tuesday by Human Rights Watch that pointed out Hok Lundy's suspected involvement in the 1997 grenade attack, extrajudicial killings and drug and human trafficking.
"Two US Drug Enforcement Agency (Administration) officials and a former US ambassador to Cambodia have confirmed to Human Rights Watch that the US government is aware of Lundy's involvement in drug trafficking," the rights group said.
A press officer at the US Drug Enforcement Administration was not immediately able to comment Thursday.
"In February 2006, the State Department's human trafficking office specifically cited Lundy's alleged involvement in human trafficking as grounds for denying him a visa," the group said. "That decision was linked to a brothel raid in December 2004, following which Lundy reportedly ordered the release within hours of several traffickers before an investigation could be conducted."
A State Department official said Thursday Cambodia had made "significant efforts" to combat trafficking, but that "strong diffrences of opinion" remained between the two countries over the matter.
The State Department planned to use the occasion of Hok Lundy's visit to deliver a "tough, direct message" to the police chief on its views, the official said. The State Department upgraded Cambodia from the worst trafficking category, "Tier 3," to Tier 2 in 2006.
Interior Ministry spokesman Khieu Sopheak dismissed the accusations against the police commissioner, saying no evidence points to Hok Lundy.
14 comments:
USA is now working with criminals instead of protecting human right and world freedom.
Hun Sen should sack this criminal now to save his administrative popularity. Hok Lundy has a rotten name around the world. He cannot be saved since he used Robber such as Mok Chito to be assistance. How many people who not known about Mok Chito ?????????????????????????
very good cambodia.
congratulation cambodia for having leaders hated and accused of human traffickers and drug traffickers and killers by the international community and world organizations. good job.
don't have to look no further. if heng pov is guilty, hokalongdy is also guilty. they are one and the same.
The US has 2 world renowned if not The best agencies: CIA & FBI. They already knew what sort of crime has Hok Lundy been implicated in. They have been watching every step the police commissioner takes, every moves he makes.
shut ta fuck up 3:35AM. U.S.A is not working with criminal,she rather use it for her OWN interest.
The Bush`s government is so corrupt. Please refrain from saying the "U.S" because every agency here is denouncing the invitation. It is the Bush`s Administration that are doing this. This is like a deja vu of the Jimmy Cartar and Nixon Administration, only worst.
hehe!!!
Why bother to dig in the guy's past when he voluntarily to cooperate with you .
Mr President ,please ignore all the fucking whinnings,complainings nonsense ,it is war against GLOBAL TERRORISM that you have to concentrate on....
President GEORGE W. BUSH is our elected leader. He is the President of the UNITED STATES .
Invite HOK LUNDY to WASHINGTON to help fight against WORLD TERRORISTS i s a correct move. If anyone disagree with it ,you can go to hell....
Hok lundy! you are one of Hun sen's disgusting criminal in Cambodia. You deserve rotten eggs at your face once you step on the US soil.
You cannot be "proud" as you said by the invitation from the FBI. You must understand that the FBI knows very well who you are and that they only need you for a short time, for their interest.
For Everybody and the international community you are just a criminal, like Kun Kim, Mak Chito and other maffiosis businessman and women.
Haha we US know very well about the criminal acts of Hok lundy. We invited him because he is now one of us. We are his boss now. Don't you know that he kill and abused the other for our own benefits. We won't care how bad he is as long as he works for our interest... By the way, do you think who else have killed more people than us, US. Under the name of democracy, we could kill freely. No one dare to say we are wrong or he will be kill or his country will be invaded. We invaded iraq, and we involve in many other crimes... Hey you guy who said that you love cambodian people, don't you know that we, US, also have hand in cambodian genocide...Hahaha... Wake up and try to see the truth...
And now we have the enemy within,that's why the PATRIOT act is so important....
12:38PM, how dare you accuse the U.S of having hands in Cambodian genocide , just watch your mouth boy . In fact we try to prevent it. America and its allies had spend billions of dollars to stop the spread of communism into S.E Asia.What America want in that part of the world is a real democracy where people elect their leader by voting not GUN.
Yeah, but we don't need any favor.
We don't mind if Vietnam and Laos
becoming communist as they are
now. They ain't gonna do anything
to Cambodia as you can see with
your own eyes.
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