UN envoy urges fair polls in Cambodia

UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights to Cambodia Surya P Subedi. The UN, bowing to international pressure to affect a peaceful settlement of the long standing Cambodian conflict, had had to undertake the role of midwife in relations to the warring parties and their respective patrons sitting at its influential Permanent Council body, armed with one of the largest funding budgets in its history - over $2 billions US for a single project - in this mission. Whilst some of its initial accomplishments should not be forgotten - repatriation of Cambodian refugees along the border with Thailand, institution of a multiparty political model, getting the Cambodia government to sign Human Rights Charters etc. - its overall success rate has been modest - and some might argue - congruous with its limited and superfluous or ambiguous influence in seeing out its own aims and visions. In fact, multiparty political assembly along with the UN's presence in the country, constitutional monarchy, the Paris Peace Accords had all been effectively squashed or neutered and/or dead in the water from the time of the violent coup of 1997. The ending of armed conflict has seen the influx of foreign investors into the country, the resurgence in largely free market activities as well as the growth in services sectors, especially, in international tourism which all contribute to the nation's increased 'budget' and a healthy GDP. But these benefits are generally and systematically reaped by the ruling political and economic elite through in-built backhanded channels and mechanisms and enforced non-transparency, leaving the vast population mired in dire condition of subsistence and hand-to-mouth fight for survival. If the social situation is as bleak as I have just described, why then has there been no real popular outcry or reaction against the ruling party on a vaster scale, and strong enough to threaten its stranglehold on power? Well, that is for you - the reader - to reflect upon. What I would like to add is that for whatever factors or dynamics, whoever had ruled Cambodia from December/January 1979 [or even before then] to  September 1989, and up until the UN's brief intervention in 1993 are/is still in de facto control of her today. In effect, this is largely made possible because not only 'opposition forces' and the conditions they need to prevail by - multiparty climate or pluralism - had been denied them ["I want the Opposition dead!": Hun Sen], but the Midwife to the Cambodian drama had also been pacified or ostracized as a counter interested party, and has remained so for some time now, and Mr/Prof Subedi is probably more conscious of this fact than anyone else is. If he had not been so previously, he is now - after having been heckled and barracked by those mobs affiliated to the ruling party and Mr Hun Sen. Exercise of free speech? Try disrupting Nguyen Tan Dung of Vietnam or the Chinese Premier on their next visit to Phnom Penh and see what happens! - School of Vice

But, Prof Subedi is just a ghost specter sent into town to haunt - periodically - a few control freaks, that's all...really...

Good job, lad! One of the hecklers – Mr Chea Chheng - during Prof Subedi’s recent lecture at the Mekong University seen here receiving gifts from Mr Hun Sen. Chheng’s attack on Prof Subedi appears to centre on his report's 'unfavourable'/ ‘biased’ contents as these relate to Cambodia’s overall civil and human rights conditions which in Chhen’s argument can do damage to the country’s international ‘image’. Such a scenario - the argument goes - could dissuade potential investors from considering investing in Cambodia. This is a specious and unfeasible argument to advance not only in light of Cambodia’s mass misery brought about by corrupt commercial deals and ‘unsound’ business practices and by the loss of national sovereignty in the immediate and long terms, but also in face of worldwide economic developments and patterns that have overwhelmingly shown economic well-being or prosperity and a strong investment climate to be inseparable from, and synonymous with favourable democratic and civil right environments. For instance, Ms Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma [Myanmar] recently called upon [potential or prospective] foreign investors to press their local Burmese counterparts for maximum transparency at all levels in their business dealings. This is because sound business practices tend to foster business confidence, helping to engender long term socio-political stability that rests upon having a well-represented [unionised] workforce at the one end, and a body of sound-ethical investors themselves, at the other – School of Vice   

Agencies/Phnom Penh

Visiting UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights to Cambodia Surya P Subedi has appealed to all political parties and the election body to do everything in accordance with law in order to ensure that July’s general election would be free and fair.

“I once again urge all parties and National Election Committee to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections,” he said at a press briefing after a one-week fact-finding mission on the human rights situation in Cambodia. “All sides should play by the rules, demonstrate maturity in debate, and not engage in insulting games. “

The envoy also urged for fair and equitable access to the state media and the strict prohibition of use of state resources by any political party during the election campaign, Xinhua reported.

Moreover, he appealed to all sides concerned to refrain completely from exploiting racial sentiments to garner support for their election campaign. “I will continue to monitor the electoral system and process in the country,” he said.

Cambodia is scheduled to hold a general election on July 28, according to the National Election Committee.

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