A full range of democracy and human rights abuses are being investigated and accountability will be pursued

WHAT IS THE COMMISSION OF INQUIRY FOR CAMBODIA?

The Commission of Inquiry for Cambodia is an independent, citizen-based, fact-finding committee that brings together experts, decision-makers, the Khmer people and the international community. The main objective is to build a cohesive and coordinated effort to generate high-level international attention to enact systemic changes and bring Cambodia back into compliance with international human rights and democracy standards and the Rule of Law.

HOW IT ALL STARTED

No single international group or agency, platform, or voice, can successfully force major human rights abusers to stop their violations by themselves. Meaningful improvements can only take place if all the international platforms and voices act together in a critical mass.

It is time to adopt the Amnesty International philosophy by spotlighting abuses. We must ensure that violators will be held accountable in meaningful ways before the court of international public opinion.

The Inspiration

The idea for the Commission of Inquiry for Cambodia resulted from the Zoom event, "Information sharing and strategic planning webinar." The event included over 50 Khmer groups and leaders. It was convened on July 18, 2021, by Brad Adams, Asia Director of Human Rights Watch. Brad suggested past advocacy efforts had not produced "effective, meaningful and systemic" improvements and change. Brad challenged the Khmer community to develop new and more creative approaches. The Commission was established by the Khmer community with that in mind, based on the models for this independent fact-finding body used by the United Nations Commissions of Inquiry for Burma (Myanmar) and Syria. It has brought together some of the best minds and most experienced Cambodian and human rights experts. Together, they work to promote the more effective observance of democracy and human rights standards for Cambodia and the Khmer people.

The 1991 Paris Peace Accords

The Commission began its work on October 23, 2021. This date marks the 30th Anniversary of the Paris Peace Accords. This international agreement ended the Indo-China wars and established the internationally agreed-upon framework for the operation and governance of the modern state of Cambodia. The Accords represent one of the most important historical documents for Cambodia. They set out the core standards and principles that both the government of Cambodia and the international community agreed would serve as the essential framework for the operations of the Cambodian state.

Among them were the core principles and standards regarding:

  1. Democratic governance in Cambodia;

  2. Observance of internationally recognized human rights standards;

  3. Maintenance of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cambodia, based on the total withdrawal of Vietnamese military forces.

But, in recent years, there have been significant shortcomings in support of the Accords.

The People’s Fact-Finding Commission of Inquiry

For the past 30 years, the United Nations human rights agencies and the International Criminal Court have failed to provide a full-fledged, comprehensive judicial hearing on Cambodia's major widespread violations of democracy and human rights standards incorporated in the Paris Peace Accord and numerous international treaties.

Recognizing the severity of human rights violations and the lack of support for a true democracy, the Cambodian people have decided to take matters into their own hands. They have established a citizen-based independent fact-finding Commission of Inquiry for Cambodia to lay out the stark reality of Cambodia's sociopolitical issues.

The Paris Peace Accords paved a path for the guiding principles of democracy, human rights, and territorial integrity that the government of Cambodia and the international community agreed to abide by.

This Commission of Inquiry for Cambodia provides a new space to mobilize voices to speak truth to power. The goals are to obtain justice and accountability from the Cambodian government and collect evidence of abuses. This evidence is to be presented to available international forums and enforcement bodies. The Commission will identify and lay the foundation for meaningful and systemic remedial action to be mandated by the international community to return Cambodia to the human rights and democracy standards the Paris Peace Accords set out and guaranteed 30 years ago, today.

សេចក្តីសង្ខេបអំពីគណៈកម្មការស៊ើបអង្កេតកម្ពុជា

វីដេអូខ្លីនេះនឹងបង្ហាញលោកអ្នកនាង ពីការគៀបសង្កត់កាន់តែខ្លាំងឡើង និងទូលំ ទូលាយបំផុត ដេាយឥតញញេីតពីរដ្ឋាភិបាល ហ៊ុន សែន រួមទាំងការបំផ្លិចបំផ្លាញស្ថាប័ន ប្រជាធិបតេយ្យស្នូល ដូចជាការបញ្ចេញមតិ សិទ្ធសារព័ត៌មាន ការប្រឆាំងនយោបាយដ៏ មានអត្ថន័យ និងការបោះឆ្នោត ដោយយុត្តិធម៌ ហេីយយេីងក៏ទទួលស្គាល់ផងដែរថា សហគមន៍អន្តរជាតិមិនបាន ឆ្លើយតបគ្រប់គ្រាន់ដើម្បី ទប់ស្កាត់ ឬ ដោះស្រាយការ រំលោភបំពានទាំងនេះទេ។ អាស្រ័យហេតុនេះ ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋខ្មែរ បានរួមគ្នាបង្កើតគណៈ កម្មការស៊ើបអង្កេតសម្រាប់កម្ពុជានេះ។ 

យើងសង្ឃឹមថាលោកអ្នកនាង នឹងចាប់អារម្មណ៍ទស្សនាវីដេអូខ្លីនេះ ហើយនឹងជួយចែក រំលែកបន្ត ទៅក្នុងសហគមន៍របស់លោកអ្នកនាង ដើម្បីអោយប្រជាជនកម្ពុជា បានដឹង ពីសកម្មភាព និងចូលរួមជំរុញលើកទឹកចឹត្ត ឱយកិច្ចការរបស់គណៈកម្មការនេះ បានដំ ណើរការទៅដោយរលូន។