via CAAI News Media
US Contributes $ 5 million for ECCC
Wednesday, 31 March 2010 10:57 DAP-NEWS/ Soy Sophea
US official on Wednesday announced that it will contribute $ 5 million USD for UN-back Khmer Rouge Tribunal.
The pledge is made by Stephan Rapp, US ambassador at-large, at his US embassy in Phnom Penh.
Opposition Marks 13th Anniversary of Grenade Attack
Wednesday, 31 March 2010 03:21 DAP-NEWS
The opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP), led by acting party leader Kong Korm, marked the 13th anniversary of a deadly grenade attack in a public park in front of the former National Assembly building.
During the ceremony, Kong Korm pointed the finger at the Cambodian Government, a persistent allegation that was again was strongly rejected by Government officials, who said the SRP criticism was just a cynical attempt to gain political advantage.
On March 30, 1997, Sam Rainsy led more than 1,000 protesters to oppose corruption and call for a just court system. Four grenades killed 16 protesters and injured 50. No-one has ever been convicted in connection with the crime.
Following Kong Korm’s statement, Sam Rainsy said from Paris he is confident that justice will be found for the victims of the grenade attack 13 years ago. Rainsy himself narrowly escaped death when one of his bodyguards protected from the blasts.
“Wherever I am, I never forget … the victims of the 30 March 1997 grenade attack” Rainsy said. “I am confident that it will not be long before the perpetrators and the backers of this crime will be sentenced by an independent court and dealt with according to the law.”
Interior Ministry Spokesman Khieu Sopheak noted that Rainsy’s remarks were different from an apology letter to PM Hun Sen in 2006. The Ministry “is now cooperating with the FBI to investigate further,” he added.
Tith Sothea, a Council of Ministers official, said investigations are still ongiong. “The court system is an independent institution which on one dare interferes with,” he said. “Sam Rainsy himself abused justice as he fled the court.”
Subedi Welcomes Cambodia’s Acceptance of UPR Recommendations
Wednesday, 31 March 2010 03:20 DAP-NEWS
UN’s Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, Professor Surya P.
Subedi, on Monday welcomed the decision of the Royal Government of Cambodia to accept the 91 recommendations following Cambodia’s submission to the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review.
“This demonstrates the public commitment of the Government of Cambodia to pursue its efforts to build a functioning system of the rule of law guided by international human rights norms, which is an important factor in the development of the country”, said the Rapporteur in a Tuesday’s statement of Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Cambodia.
Cambodia is one of the very few Member States to have formally endorsed all recommendations made by the Human Rights Council. Under the Universal Periodic Review mechanism, the human rights record of all 192 Member States is reviewed by the Council on the basis of a four-year cycle. This mechanism enables fellow Member States to review each other’s human rights records, both acknowledging progress and identifying areas for attention.
At the Human Rights Council, Member states acknowledged the remar- kable progress made by Cambodia, taking into account that the country has come a long way after three decades ofconflicts. Among other things, they welcomed the enactment of several important laws, the effort to improve access to health an d education, to promote women’s rights, and other reforms underway, including those in the correctional sector.
They echoed recommendations by other United Nations Treaty Bodies and experts, as well as by civil society organizations, with regard the need to strengthen the legal and institutional framework to protect land and housing rights, and the independence and capacity of the judiciary, said the release.
The importance of promoting and protecting freedom of assembly and expression, as essential factors of democratic debate, was underlined; so was the importance attached to dialogue between the Government and civil society and the need to protect human rights defenders. Members States welcomed the engagement of Cambodia with the other United Nations human rights mechanisms, including the Special Rapporteur and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The real test of the UPR recommendations starts with their effective implementation. Many of them are being implemented already. The Special Rapp- orteur encourages the Government to “engage major stakeholders, including civil society organizations, in the follow-up to the UPR.” He adds, “I look forward to working with the Government, civil society actors, the OHCHR and United Nations agencies as well as interested development partners, to support Cambodia’s effort to further integrate these recommendations into its policies, laws and practices in the next phase of the UPR process.”
U.N., Member States are Pleased with Cambodia’s Progress
Tuesday, 30 March 2010 10:34 By Ek Madra
PHNOM PENH- Human Rights Council and member states acknowledged the progress made by Cambodia in enactment of several laws, improved access to health, education and women’s rights and other reforms underway, said the UN release in Geneva which is on Tuesday in Cambodia.
The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, Professor Surya P.
Subedi, welcomed the decision of the royal government of Cambodia to accept the 91 recommendations following Cambodia’s submission to the United Nations Human Rights
Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR).
At the Human Rights Council, Member states acknowledged the remarkable progress made by Cambodia, taking into account that the country has come a long way after three decades of conflicts, said the release.
“Members States welcomed the engagement of Cambodia with the other United Nations human rights mechanisms, including the Special Rapporteur and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights,” it said.
They echoed recommendations by other United Nations Treaty Bodies and experts, as well as by civil society organizations, with regard the need to strengthen the legal and institutional framework to protect land and housing rights, and the independence and capacity of the judiciary, it said.
“This demonstrates the public commitment of the government of Cambodia to pursue its efforts to build a functioning system of the rule of law guided by international human rights norms, which is an important factor in the development of the country,” said the release.
“The importance of promoting and protecting freedom of assembly and expression, as essential factors of democratic debate, was underlined; so was the importance attached to dialogue between the government and civil society and the need to protect human rights defenders,” it said.
Cambodia is one of the very few Member States to have formally endorsed all recommendations made by the Human Rights Council. Under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism, the human rights record of all 192 Member States is reviewed by the Council on the basis of a “four-year cycle”.
This mechanism enables fellow Member States to review each other’s human rights records, both acknowledging progress and identifying areas for attention.
The real test of the UPR recommendations starts with their effective implementation. Many of them are being implemented already.
The Special Rapporteur also encouraged the government to “engage major stakeholders, including civil society organizations, in the follow-up to the UPR,” it said.
Subedi said he looked forward to working with the government, civil society actors, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Cambodia and United Nations agencies as well as interested development partners, to support Cambodia’s effort to further integrate these recommendations into its policies, laws and practices in the next phase of the UPR process.
The United Nations Special Rapporteur informed Deputy Prime Minister Sok An in January that he has seen real progress in this Kingdom’s rights respects.
Subedi told Sok An that he was “not coming here to criticize Cambodia to do this or that”, but rather to work together with Cambodia as partnership in term of promoting human rights and the rule of laws.
Sok An told Subedi that “the judicial aspect is very important issue”, which has been taken seriously by the government.
Sok An, who is also co-chairman of the legal and judicial reforms, said the government has set up school of magistracy, registrar and notary so as to improve the country’s judicial system.
“Judiciary is a very big task, so we have to start from the foundation,” he explained the UN Special Rapporteur.
Cambodia produces an estimated 55 judges per year, said Sok An.
“The number of new judges is not sufficient, so we need to train more judges to work in the judicial system,” said Sok An.
“You have laid down good foundation for judiciary to work properly in the future,” said Subedi told Deputy Prime Minister Sok An.
No comments:
Post a Comment