Cambodia denies forcing drug users into 'experiment'

(CAAI News Media)

PHNOM PENH, Dec 22 (AFP) - Cambodian authorities on Tuesday denied a rights group's accusations that they forced drug addicts to participate in a "trial" of a herbal formula that is not registered in the country.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said that since December 11, police have arrested 17 people from the streets and held them in a centre where they were given a course of the medication "with no indication of voluntary consent".

"Such a trial violates the rights of the forced participants and does not meet minimum scientific standards," HRW said of the course of the formula "Bong Sen", which took place on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.

Rebecca Schleifer, health and human rights advocacy director at HRW, said the "perverse experiment" was only made possible "by arbitrary detention and compelled participation".

"The use of coercive tactics to put drug users on a wholly unknown and unproven ‘cure’ for drug dependency violates the most fundamental principles of medical ethics and human rights," the group said.

Authorities in Cambodia said "Bong Sen" was not registered in the country but denied the course was a "drug trial", saying it was a programme to train Cambodian doctors in treating addictions with the herbal substance.

Neak Yuthea, director of the legislation, education, and rehabilitation department of the National Authority for Combating Drugs, said ten Vietnamese doctors helped train the Cambodians, who had no experience using the formula.

Authorities in Vietnam, where he said "Bong Sen" has been used effectively, provided the medication for the programme.

Neak Yuthea said 21 drug users from the Phnom Penh streets took part in the ten-day programme before being discharged.

"We did not arrest or force them but we persuaded them to participate in the programme voluntarily," he said.

One drug user who participated also told local media that he volunteered to participate in the programme.

Christophe Peschoux, representative for the UN High Commission for Human rights in Phnom Penh, told AFP he filed a "request to meet the individuals tested in order to establish the facts".