UN Envoy’s Strong Message

[geovalin]

 

After her third UN fact-finding mission to Cambodia, special rapporteur Rhona Smith issued a searing review of the human rights situation in the country, stating that the days of the government evoking the troubles of the past century as an excuse for its present shortcomings were long gone. Concluding a week-long visit to the Kingdom, the UN Human Rights special rapporteur made it clear, in no uncertain terms, that concerns raised in her May report to the human rights council – the arrest and detention of National Election Committee deputy Ny Chakyra, restrictions on freedom of expression and the use of violence by authorities on peaceful demonstrators – were still completely valid if not amplified, stating that her comments stood repeated today.
 

Although she expressed gratitude and surprise at the willingness of government officials to meet and discuss the current human rights situation “frankly,” Ms. Smith was quite frank in her criticism of the administration – saying she was disappointed the government had not kept up lines of communication in reporting to UN treaty bodies and imploring that the human rights covenants of the 1991 Paris Peace Agreements, which cast the foundation of the country’s constitution, be upheld. “Cambodia’s history demonstrates the tragic consequences of human rights not being adequately respected and robustly protected. Cambodia must not return to a situation of war and strife,” she said.
 

Among Ms. Smith’s concerns were the ongoing detention of four Adhoc human rights workers held at the overcrowded Prey Sar prison, who she said should “have their charges proven or be released immediately and their cases dropped.” Ms. Smith was not granted access to meet the detained staff members, a move Soeng Sen Karuna, senior human rights investigator for Adhoc, called intentional.

 

read more http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/31047/envoy---s-strong-message/

[Grubster]

She could have found much worse conditions in the western owned clothing sweat shops, can't look there though.