The 60th anniversary of international human rights day

STATEMENT

on

The Occasion of

The 60^TH ANNIVERSARY OF INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY December 10, 2008

“All persons in Cambodia and all Cambodian refugees and displaced persons shall enjoy the rights and freedoms embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other relevant international human rights instruments” Paris Peace Agreement.

As the world over is celebrating the 60^th Anniversary of International Human Rights Day, the Sam Rainsy Party strongly believes that the Paris Agreements that has paved the way to national reconciliation and peace, must be revisited. The 21 countries and the four Cambodian political parties in conflict agreed on 23 October, 1991 to the following actions:

a. Cambodia undertakes:

• to ensure respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Cambodia;
• to support the right of all Cambodian citizens to undertake activities which would promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms;
• to take effective measures to ensure that the policies and practices of the past shall never be allowed to return;
• to adhere to relevant international human rights instruments;

b. The other Signatories to this Agreement undertake:

· to promote and encourage respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Cambodia as embodied in the relevant international instruments and the relevant resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly, in order, in particular, to prevent the recurrence of human rights abuses.

It must be reminded that close to two decades following the Paris Peace Agreement, Cambodia still lacks a true independent, neutral and impartial mechanism to monitor human rights violations which occur every day, with majority of these violations unchecked by the government. The lack of neutrality and rampant corruption in the judiciary system allow violators to remain free while victims and their family members fear for their lives.

Specially trained police and military forces are used by the government to terrorize and arrest innocent people during forced evictions or to crack down on human rights defenders, workers, monks or teachers who dare to organize or to speak against human rights violations. Cases of extrajudicial killings have been reported but have remained covered up with the existing culture of impunity.

Killings of trade union activists, opposition journalists and the 1997 grenade attacks on workers remain unresolved, while families of the victims and witnesses of these crimes continue to live in fear or to seek asylum in other countries.

The list of violations of human rights is long.

The Sam Rainsy Party calls on all party signatories to the Peace Agreement to adhere to the promises made in order for every Cambodian woman, man, and child to live in dignity, to find justice, and to be free from all forms of discrimination.

A. Cambodia should:

· Discontinue all use of force to control and crackdown forced evictions and land disputes;

· Release human rights defenders, villagers and political activists wrongly detained;

· Continue to support the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Cambodia.

B. Donor Community should:

· Refer to the recommendations of the representative of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to monitor the government’s performance on human rights and the rule of law;

· Increase funding to promote the work of local human rights defenders.

Sam Rainsy Party