A Change of Guard

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Thursday 23 May 2013

Students ambush Subedi [Hun Sen is resorting to thuggery]


Last Updated on 22 May 2013
Phnom Penh Post 
By Kevin Ponniah
2 students group
Students hold aloft signs protesting at the visit of UN human rights envoy Surya Subedi last night following a lecture he had given. Photograph: Vireak Mai/Phnom Penh Post
United Nations human rights envoy Surya Subedi was ambushed last night by what appeared to be a co-ordinated student group while delivering a public lecture, raising suspicions that it was a political stunt.

Professor Subedi, who was delivering a lecture on international investment law at Cambodian Mekong University, had completed his lecture and was taking questions when the ruckus began.

Six students took to the microphone, all questioning the right of Subedi to report on Cambodia, with many students also questioning his impartiality and agenda – all to raucous applause from the packed house of university students.

“What the hell are you doing to Cambodia?” one particularly energised young man asked. “Will you lose your job if you say Cambodia’s human rights situation is good?”

“Your result [in your report] is the same as the opposition party. I don’t have any questions for you because I am very disappointed in you,” said another student.

Subedi responded to the students’ questions after they had all spoken, saying he was impressed by their “courage”.

“My reports on human rights are based on my analysis of the situation here. I listen to people from all walks of life. As a friend of Cambodia, I am offering my advice on how to improve the situation of governance in this country,” he said, adding that the UN does not “impose its will on anybody”.


“You will thank me in 20 years’ time. You are young now and you have a young sentiment. I salute it; I appreciate it,” he told the crowd. Following Professor Subedi’s response, University Chancellor Ich Seng was delivering the closing remarks when a group of students gathered at the hall’s entrance and unfurled banners calling for the elimination of the UN Special Rapporteur position.

A number of students seated around the hall then pulled out similar hand-drawn signs from underneath their tables and began chanting “No more Surya Subedi” in English.

The students then assembled outside the entrance, continuing their chanting and refusing to budge despite the requests of university staff.

The protesters refused to comment, although one told the Post they were members of a political student group.

A local NGO worker, who wished to remain nameless, said she recognised some protestors as members of the CPP Youth.

Some of the students assembled also questioned the protesters’ political motivation. “I think they are from the government youth . . . if they want to protest against Mr Subedi like this . . . and they want him to go out of the country, then I think they are supporters of the government,” 24-year-old Sokha told the Post.

However, a female student who was one of the six to launch a tirade during question time, insisted that she was not a member of a political party and came to the lecture of her own volition.

“I can say what my heart feels. I can say something that I know,” 21-year-old Hun Youn said.

Others who attended the lecture simply expressed their surprise at what had happened. “I did not expect this, and I think it’s not good because I support the special rapporteur. He is very good for Cambodia,” Narith, 30, said.

While Un Nay, 23, a member of staff at the university, said that although he did not expect the protest he supported the students’ right to do so. “If the action is effective for [Subedi] to hear it or for other people to hear it, it is good,” he said.

Gaye Valerie Salacup, head of the university’s international office, said the event was “not the venue” for students to voice their anger towards Subedi.

Subedi himself remained calm in the face of the protests, giving the Post a philosophical response as he exited the building:  “It was not surprising for me. They are learning and it is a process of learning. It will continue.”

Additional reporting by Sarah Thust

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

his country is worsed than Khmer,

Khmer does not needs advise from him

Khmer does not needs lecture from him

I fully supported the students questions,,

Anonymous said...

Those students are thugs who sold their heads to CPP ; they do not represent Cambodia . One of the girl gave her fake name HUN YOUN  ( ហុ៊ន យួន ) ; now we
can tell where does she come from .

Anonymous said...

12:32 am, he works for the UN, not for his native country. But Nepal is not worse than Cambodia. They have transformed their country from a repressive regime to a democratic country and then later abolished the monarchy, now it's very democratic, so it's much better than Hun Sen's regime which stayed in power for 34 years with Hun sen as the worst Khmer leader after Pol Pot.

Anonymous said...

As a university student. I am very happy that he is here to cracked down human rights in srok khmer. I was ashamed and dissappoited that some of the students acted so rude.

we all should be happy that the UN send someone over to try to fix what is wrong in Cambodia. And yes there is a lot of problems in Cambodia.

Anonymous said...

The person at 12:32 am, must also share the same name, Hun Youn.

Hun = Youn.

This Youn has no shame at all.

Anonymous said...

Blogger @ 12:32am should complaint to the UN headquarter but not to the UN special reporter personel.

"What brainless individual or CPP thug."

Anonymous said...

At least they know this much, if those students use those same words against Hun Sen, they were thrown in Prey Sar in no time. I hope their pea brains would tell them to be smart not to sell themselves.

Anonymous said...

23 May 2013 , 12:32 am must tell your slave-boss to kick the UN out & make Khmer land to be a jungle , a safe heaven for the impunity , land grabbers , corrupt Hun Sen's cronies etc ... When Thailand and/ or Vietnam infringe Cambodia territorial integrity Hun Sen must not appeal for UN 's help because it's useless .

Anonymous said...

If Khmer can't even take care of themselves, what rights do they have to complain when someone else has pointed out their faults?

The protesters are obviously setups. What better way but to use "educated" university students to condem the inspectors, rather than your typical CPP cronies?

Anonymous said...

it democracy country, the students has the rights to express, freedom of speech,

I admired these students to stand up & express their concerned, brave & dare to speak out louder

Anonymous said...

To 3:23 pm
Sure express it based on fact not as mouthpiece of a disguised KR who killed your ancestors not so long ago. If you cannot understand this much of simple truth, no god can help you let alone the dodgy universities in PPenh.

Anonymous said...

BRILLIANT KHMER'S STUDENTS ,
BRAVE & DARE TO STAND UP TO CONFRONT subedi,,

awesome, new generations ! i'm proud

Anonymous said...

If the students did not speak of their own minds, it's not democratic . Freedom
also has limit . When their freedoms are sold for their own group's opportunity, they became slaves . Right & responsible duty must go together .

Anonymous said...

To5:09 pm
These students were definitely exploited by Dictator and Traitor Hun Phuc and his cronies in the hope of discrediting the UN Rapporteur.
Instead of being smart and educated, they let themselves be USED blindly.

Anonymous said...

I admired n proud of these students
bravery n my hero

Anonymous said...

remember when Mr. Khiev Samphan
entered Phnom Penh the first time-
in the 1990s- he was hit on the head by a group of students and in the meantime Hun Sen was standing by and saying to the goup not to kill him.

student group organized by the CPP
is always there, it is the Viet's trick Hun Sen always uses.

Anonymous said...

This is so obvious that it has been organized by CPP!

Anonymous said...

4:16 pm, No doubt. In fact it's been orchestrated by Hun Sen himself because he also insulted this UN representative before.