The Huffington Post
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- Cambodia's prime minister urged the Southeast
Asian nation's people on Tuesday not to discriminate against their gay
countrymen.
Prime Minister Hun Sen spoke at a ceremony to hand land titles to villagers in southern Cambodia.
Gay rights is not a major issue in Cambodia, and Hun Sen
seemed to have been inspired by discussions of the subject on
International Human Rights Day on Monday, including on local television.
Cambodian society, as in neighboring Thailand, is generally tolerant of
homosexuality.
He said he had heard requests from gay Cambodians that they be able to enjoy the same rights and freedoms as others.
"There are gays and lesbians in every country, so there should be no
discrimination against them just because of their destiny," he said.
In 2007, Hun Sen announced that he was disinheriting his adopted daughter because he was disappointed that she had taken a lesbian
partner.
However, he appealed to society to show respect for gay people,
saying "Most of them are good people and are not doing alcohol, drugs or
racing vehicles."
Former Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk, who died in October, caused a
stir in 2004 when he wrote on his website that he supported the right
of gay couples to marry.
Sihanouk said he was inspired to state his views after watching news reports about gay marriage in San Francisco.
The late king said that as a "liberal democracy," Cambodia should
allow "marriage between man and man ... or between woman and woman."
"It's not their fault if God makes them born like that. ... Gays and
lesbians would not exist if God did not create them," wrote Sihanouk,
who abdicated in favor of his son later that year.
Same-sex civil unions are not legally recognized, but many marriages
in Cambodia are common law rather than officially registered.
----------------------------------------------------
Cambodian PM Hun Sen Urges End to Anti-Gay Discrimination
Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen, who in October 2007 publicly cut
ties with his lesbian daughter, has spoken out in support of gays and
lesbiand and urged his countrymen to curtail anti-gay discrimination, the AP reports:
He said he had heard requests from gay Cambodians that they be able to enjoy the same rights and freedoms as others.
"There are gays and lesbians in every
country, so there should be no discrimination against them just because
of their destiny," he said...
...he appealed to society to show respect
for gay people, saying "Most of them are good people and are not doing
alcohol, drugs or racing vehicles."
The Cambodian leader made international headlines in 2007
when he publicly cut ties with his lesbian daughter. Said Hun Sen to
more than 3,000 assembled at a school graduation ceremony in Phnom Penn:
"My adopted daughter now has a wife. I'm quite disappointed. We are
concerned that she might one day cause us trouble ... and try to stake
her claim for a share of our assets."
At that time, Hun Sen also reportedly urged Cambodians not to
discriminate against gays and lesbians. Comments about his daughter were
reportedly omitted when the speech was aired on state media.
In 2004, Cambodia's King Sihanouk spoke out
about gays and lesbians, saying "I am not gay, but I respect the rights
of gays and lesbians. It's not their fault if God makes them born like
that."
----------------------------------
Cambodia's PM Speaks out Against Anti-Gay Bias
Cambodia's prime minister urged the Southeast Asian nation's people on Tuesday not to discriminate against their gay countrymen.
Prime Minister Hun Sen spoke at a ceremony to hand land titles to villagers in southern Cambodia.
Gay rights is not a major issue in Cambodia, and Hun Sen seemed to have
been inspired by discussions of the subject on International Human
Rights Day on Monday, including on local television. Cambodian society,
as in neighboring Thailand, is generally tolerant of homosexuality.
He said he had heard requests from gay Cambodians that they be able to enjoy the same rights and freedoms as others.
"There are gays and lesbians in every country, so there should be no
discrimination against them just because of their destiny," he said.
In 2007, Hun Sen announced that he was disinheriting his adopted
daughter because he was disappointed that she had taken a lesbian
partner.
However, he appealed to society to show respect for gay people, saying
"Most of them are good people and are not doing alcohol, drugs or racing
vehicles."
Former Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk, who died in October, caused a
stir in 2004 when he wrote on his website that he supported the right of
gay couples to marry.
Sihanouk said he was inspired to state his views after watching news reports about gay marriage in San Francisco.
The late king said that as a "liberal democracy," Cambodia should allow
"marriage between man and man ... or between woman and woman."
"It's not their fault if God makes them born like that. ... Gays and
lesbians would not exist if God did not create them," wrote Sihanouk,
who abdicated in favor of his son later that year.
Same-sex civil unions are not legally recognized, but many marriages in
Cambodia are common law rather than officially registered.
2 comments:
Sinorook said that is because his son is gay.....
don't worry about personal issues ah kwaq, you should worry about corruption gone rampant and land grabbing human rights abused most of all worry about yuon that invades our water near Phnom kongkei kompong Chang province,7mikkiobs illegal yuons that you have to worry about not gays or lesbians crab!..
....yis!...longorng man ah kwaq niz vei...
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