Cambodian King grants pardon to Kem Sokha
ព្រះមហាក្សត្រចេញព្រះរាជក្រឹត្យព្រះរាជទានលើកលែងទោសដល់លោក កឹម សុខា
Fri the 3rd Waxing Moon of Māgasira B.E.2560, December 2, A.D.2016 Year of the Monkey
RFA interviewing Sam Rainsy and Thach Setha on Different Views on French Map
Cambodia, Vietnam to Ask France’s Help to Draw Up Border Map
Mon the 14th Waning Moon of Kattikā B.E.2560, November 28, A.D.2016 Year of the Monkey
VOA Khmer
Cambodia and Vietnam reached a possible breakthrough in talks being held to end a dispute over the demarcation of the two country’s borders last week in Siem Reap.
Prime Minister hun Sen met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in the northern Cambodian city on Wednesday and agreed to write a joint letter to the French government to request more detailed maps of the border.
“Relating to the border issue … both prime ministers agreed to write a joint letter to request France send mapping experts to help draw up” a new map,
Kao Kimhourn, a senior minister, told reporters after the bilateral meeting.
He added that Hun Sen had also asked his Vietnamese counterpart to halt all ongoing construction along the border, without elaborating.
In late August a committee set up to discuss the issue decided to draft a letter to France asking the former colonial power to assist in resolving the dispute.
However, the idea was dropped when the two sides could not agree on the wording of the letter.
Va Kim Hong, head of the border committee, could not be reached.
Yim Sovann, an opposition spokesman, said as well as bilateral discussions, civil society should be involved “to ensure that border demarcation is accurate.”
Ultimatum Given to UN
Sun the 13th Waning Moon of Kattikā B.E.2560, November 27, A.D.2016 Year of the Monkey
United Nations Special Rapporteur Rhona Smith (left) and Wan-Hea Lee, the Representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. KT/Mai Vireak
The United Nations human rights body says talks on a new agreement to let it stay in Cambodia are continuing as the government warned that the organization would be shut down if negotiations were not speeded up. (more…)
VIETNAM: At a Crossroads, 10 Years after CPC Designation Removed
“Vietnam is at a crossroads,” explains USCIRF Chair Thomas J. Reese, S.J. “Its government needs to stop oppressing believers and enact legislation that respects religious freedom. If it does not, USCIRF will have to continue calling for its designation as a country of particular concern.”
Fri the 4th Waning Moon of Kattikā B.E.2560, November 18, A.D.2016 Year of the Monkey
PRESS RELEASE, November 10, 2016
2016 Annual Report: vietnam-freedom-report
Washington, D.C. – On the 10th anniversary of the State Department’s removal of Vietnam’s designation as a “country of particular concern” (or CPC), the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) sees a country that has made progress but still has a long way to go before it fully respects religious freedom. USCIRF also watches with concern as the Vietnamese National Assembly is poised to vote on a new law governing religion. (more…)
CNRP to reduce a number of ministries if elected
ក្រុមមន្ត្រីគណបក្សសង្គ្រោះជាតិនៅក្នុងពិធីមួយពីពេលកន្លងមក។ ហុង មិនា
សង្គ្រោះជាតិនឹងកាត់បន្ថយក្រសួងបើសិនខ្លួនឈ្នះឆ្នោត
Fri the 12th Waxing Moon of Kattikā B.E.2560, November 11, A.D.2016 Year of the Monkey
ភ្នំពេញៈ គណបក្សសង្គ្រោះជាតិនឹងកាត់បន្ថយចំនួនក្រសួងក្នុងរដ្ឋាភិបាល និងកំណត់ឲ្យមានរដ្ឋលេខាធិការតែពីររូបប៉ុណ្ណោះនៅក្នុងក្រសួងនីមួយៗជាជាងមានរដ្ឋលេខាធិការចំនួន ៥ ហើយលុបបំបាត់រាល់អនុរដ្ឋលេខាធិការទាំងអស់ប្រសិនបើខ្លួនឈ្នះឆ្នោតបានឡើងកាន់អំណាច។ នេះបើតាមឯកសារមួយដែលទទួលបានកាលពីម្សិលមិញ។
ឯកសារនេះមិនបានបញ្ជាក់ថាតើក្រសួងណាអាចនឹងត្រូវកាត់ ឬបញ្ចូលគ្នាទេ ប៉ុន្តែនិយាយថាគណបក្សសង្គ្រោះជាតិមានគោលបំណងដឹកនាំរដ្ឋាភិបាលមួយដែលមាន (more…)
The Paris Agreements at 25: Requiem Instead of Celebration
Fri the 5th Waxing Moon of Kattikā B.E.2560, November 4, A.D.2016 Year of the Monkey
Courtesy HRW
When the Agreements on a Comprehensive Political Settlement of the Cambodia Conflict were signed by Cambodian leaders and representatives of 17 other countries in Paris on October 23, 1991, Cambodians had reason to hope for an end to one-party rule, political trials and political killings. Yet, 25 years later, the leader of the opposition is in exile, politicians and human rights activists are in prison, and dissidents continue to be killed. The prospects for free and fair elections in 2018 are almost nil and Cambodia is hurtling back toward a one-party state led by a violent demagogue, Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has been in power for 31 years. Why did Paris fail to deliver democracy and human rights?
Here are some of the key reasons why:
Free and Fair Elections Were Dead on Arrival
The Paris Agreements state that, “The Cambodian people shall have the right to determine their own political future (more…)
Vietnam Rice Industry Faces Threat From Climate Change, Mekong Dams
FILE – Terraced rice paddy fields are seen during the harvest season in Hoang Su Phi, north of Hanoi, Vietnam, Sept. 18, 2015.
Tue the 2nd Waxing Moon of Kattikā B.E.2560, November 1, A.D.2016 Year of the Monkey
Courtesy VOA
Bangkok – Vietnam’s government is banking on agricultural reforms in its main rice producing region to meet the challenges posed by climate change and disrupted water flow on the Mekong River.
Cambodian former PM and current opposition lawmaker dies at age of 80
អតីតនាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រីខ្មែរសម័យសាធារណរដ្ឋប្រជាមានិតកម្ពុជាទទួលមរណភាព
Sat the 13th Waning Moon of Assayuja B.E.2560, October 29, A.D.2016 Year of the Monkey
លោក ប៉ែន សុវណ្ណ Pen Sovann
Phnom Penh, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) — Cambodian former prime minister and current opposition lawmaker Pen Sovann died on Saturday night at the age of 80 due to illness, the opposition party said in a statement.
“His Excellency Pen Sovann, a member of parliament and former prime minister during the People’s Republic of Kampuchea, died at 19:17 local time on Oct. 29, 2016 at the age of 80 due to illness at his house in (southern) Takeo province,” the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) said in the statement.
Pen Sovann had suffered a stroke since January last year.
He used to be the prime minister of Cambodia for six months in 1981 after the fall of the Democratic Kampuchea in 1979.
Time to move on – UN expert urges Cambodia to fully implement rights and freedoms at every level
Tue the 9th Waning Moon of Assayuja B.E.2560, October 25, A.D.2016 Year of the Monkey
Download Khmer version: rhona-smith-10202560kh
PHNOM PENH / BANGKOK / GENEVA (20 October 2016) – The time for the Government of Cambodia to blame the troubles of the last century for the situation today is surely over, United Nations Special Rapporteur Rhona Smith said at the end of her third visit* to the country to assess progress on issues of discrimination against ethnic minorities, indigenous peoples, vulnerable groups as well as the current human rights situation.
“Cambodia has earned its place on the international stage as an equal sovereign state and, as such, the Government must take responsibility for fully implementing at the national, provincial and commune/sangkat levels all those rights and freedoms in the treaties it has so willingly ratified,” stressed the independent expert mandated by the UN Human Rights Council to monitor and advise on the situation of human rights in Cambodia.
On the eve of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the 1991 Paris Peace Accords which laid down the framework for the present Cambodian constitution and enshrined respect for human rights, Ms. Smith observed that the Cambodia of 2016 is very different from the Cambodia of 1991: “The progress and development is well worth celebrating, however imperfect aspects of that progress may be.”
Drawing on the text of the Accords, she identified particular issues with the realisation of human rights today. “The Cambodian constitution in Article 31 makes clear the emphasis to be placed on respect for human rights and on ensuring that the law is applied without discrimination on any ground. Yet, there are many examples of the law being applied in an apparently discriminatory or politicised manner,” she said. “Restrictions on freedoms of assembly, expression and association are particularly problematic.”
The Special Rapporteur commended Cambodia’s strong and vibrant civil society, symbolic of the post-1991 country. However, she underlined that “civil society is under a duty to respect the law of Cambodia and the rights and freedoms of others,” noting that “human rights defenders and activists are not, necessarily, political actors.”
The independent expert called on the Cambodian authorities to review and revise a number of laws to strengthen the protection of human rights, and called for judges to publish reasoning for all decisions in order to strengthen both real and perceived judicial independence.
Focusing on vulnerable groups not yet in a position of equality under the law, Ms. Smith commented that rounding up people in street situations is simply not acceptable, after a visit to the Prey Speu Drop In Centre. “There is a need for a holistic approach to economic and social rights to ensure no one is left behind,” she said in a reference to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Chronic overcrowding in the two main prisons was also a cause for concern, on which the expert recommended increasing the use of non-custodial sentencing and reducing the reliance on provisional detention as two ways to alleviate the overcrowding.
“The Paris Peace Accords provided for full and fair opportunities for everyone to organise and participate in genuine elections,” the expert said looking to the forthcoming local elections in 2017 and national elections in 2018. However, she warned that “there is a deep loss of trust between the two principal political parties.”
“I urge both parties, through intermediaries as necessary, to explore opportunities for working productively together,” Ms. Smith stated. “Both parties were elected in 2013 to serve the people of Cambodia. The people deserve that those they entrusted do so professionally in the best interests of the people.”
During her ten-day visit, the Special Rapporteur met in Phnom Penh with numerous senior Government officials, members of the UN system, the diplomatic community and representatives of a broad range of civil society actors and other stakeholders.
In addition, she undertook visits to various sites in and around Phnom Penh including Khmer Cham living on land and on the river, the Prey Sar commune correctional centres (CC1 and CC2) and the Drop In Centre (formerly Prey Speu). She also visited Kampong Speu Province where she had meetings with provincial authorities, members of indigenous communities, and communities claiming loss of land due to sugar concessions.
The Special Rapporteur will present her next report to the Human Rights Council in September 2017.
(*) Check the Special Rapporteur’s full end-of-mission statement:http://cambodia.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Statement%20-%20FINAL%20-%2019.10.2016.pdf
Ms. Rhona Smith was appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council in March 2015. Ms. Smith is a Professor of International Human Rights Law in the United Kingdom. She has also taught international human rights law as a visiting professor in China and Canada and spent time as a distinguished visitor in Vanuatu. Professor Smith has also been a visiting professor in Cambodia where she worked on designing and developing course curricula for the re-launch of Cambodia’s first master level program in human rights law. To learn more, see:http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/SP/CountriesMandates/KH/Pages/SRCambodia.aspx
The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms. Special Procedures mandate-holders are independent human rights experts appointed by the Human Rights Council to address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. They are not UN staff and are independent from any government or organization. They serve in their individual capacity and do not receive a salary for their work.
UN Human Rights, country page – Cambodia:http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/AsiaRegion/Pages/KHIndex.aspx
For additional information and media enquiries, please contact:
In Phnom Penh: Ms. Christine Pickering (+855 23 993 590/91, Ext: 213 / cpickering@ohchr.org)
In Geneva (before and after the visit): Ms. Jennifer Kraft (+41 22 928 9830 or write tosrcambodia@ohchr.org)
For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts:
Mr. Xabier Celaya – Media Unit (+ 41 22 917 9383 / xcelaya@ohchr.org)
For your news websites and social media: Multimedia content & key messages relating to our news releases are available on UN Human Rights social media channels, listed below. Please tag us using the proper handles:
Twitter: @UNHumanRights
Facebook: unitednationshumanrights
Instagram: unitednationshumanrights
Google+: unitednationshumanrights
Youtube: unohchr
សកម្មភាពសហគមន៍ខ្មែរក្រោម KKC activities
វប្បធម៌ខ្មែរកម្ពុជាក្រោម Khmer Krom Culture
Khmer Patriotic Songs
We’re On Facebook
