Oral Statement Submitted to the 51st Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council
Michael J Weaver
Legal Intern, Commission of Inquiry for Cambodia
Chair and Members of the Human Rights Council:
The UN’s most recent reports on the situation in Cambodia have highlighted three important points:
That there continues to be overwhelming evidence that the Hun Sen government is committing extensive human rights abuses and violations of the rule of law;
That the destructive impact of these abuses on civil society make it impossible for the upcoming national elections to be conducted in a free and fair manner that properly represents the political will of the Khmer people; and,
That substantial reforms are needed to bring human rights and rule of law observance, and the operation of the political process, in line with international standards.
We strongly endorse the findings and recommendations included in the recent reports and statements of the UN Cambodia office and the Special Rapporteur. But we wish to emphasize that a great deal more is required of the international community than simply observing the balloting and vote counting process on election day.
The political opposition must be returned to full legal status and allowed to operate freely.
The independent media and its journalists must be allowed to exercise their rights to free press and free expression.
Mass criminal trials targeting political opposition members and other critics of the government must end and those unjustly detained must be freed.
Civil society must be allowed to operate without improper surveillance, restrictions, and threats of harassment and arbitrary detention.
These major reforms must be monitored and confirmed by the international community before it can accept the results of any national elections taking place in Cambodia.