Dear Editor of Phnom Penh Post,
United Nation Human Rights Council forgot to count Cambodia
The United Nations Human Rights Council concluded its March 26 meeting by adopting 28 resolutions. Convening in Geneva, the Council is the U.N.'s foremost human rights authority. It was created after the U.N.'s 53-member Human Rights Commission did such an abysmal job that in December of 2004 then Secretary General Kofi Annan called for the creation of a new human rights body. The Council currently has 47 members elected on the basis of "geographical distribution" by simple majority vote of the U.N.'s general assembly. Members have to commit to "uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights." Annan hailed the new body as a step forward: "I don't think anyone can claim this is old wine in a new bottle," he said after its creation.
The Council's recent work product speaks volumes. Eight of the 28 resolutions passed were criticisms directed at specific governments -- one for North Korea, one for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, one for Burma, one for Guinea, and four for Israel. Human rights violations committed by Israel and North Korea were deemed especially "grave".
Considered that human rights violation is not only committed by government of North Korea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burma, Guinea and Israel, Cambodia is one of those that have to be included. And why the United Nation Human Rights Council did not list Cambodia in the eight of 28 resolutions passed were criticisms directed at specific governments?
The Council views the Israeli government's actions as its most urgent human rights concern -- more dire than, for example, the assassination of human rights defenders in Russia; the continuing genocide in Sudan; the 8 million forced-laborers in China's Laogai prisons; the 200 political prisoners in Cuba; the assault on independent media in Venezuela; the persecution of gays in Uganda. Missing from the Council's resolutions are the cruel dictatorships in Vietnam, Belarus, Zimbabwe, Eritrea, and the brutality of Iran's government against its own people.
But the council had forgotten the mass atrocity that was committed by the past and current Cambodian government that was backed up by Vietnam from April 17th 1975 to October 23rd 1991 and after election 1993 to present.
Mass atrocities or mass atrocious crimes that killed and put to deaths almost four millions Cambodians (1 million before Khmer rouge regime, 2,5 million during Khmer rouge regime and 0,5 million at the K-5 after Khmer rouge regime) were completely ignored by the council of UN human rights.
Why did the U.N. not find it important to speak out on behalf of the Tibetans, Uyghurs, Cambodians, Chechens, Cubans, Darfuris, Dalits or dozens of other oppressed groups? Because the U.N. Human Rights Council includes a dozen dictatorships, counting China, Cuba, Egypt, Russia and Saudi Arabia as well as a catalog of governments with dreadful human rights records such as Angola, Bahrain, Bolivia, Cameroon, Djibouti, Nicaragua, and Pakistan.
The world's current roundtable for human rights is a tool to whitewash, cover up, and direct attention away from the behavior of its worst member governments. The only working governmental alternative is a body -- in the U.N. or outside it -- composed solely of democratic, open societies applying consistent standards and willing to work transparently to expose and condemn governments that abuse rights. That is why we (Cambodian Action Committee for Justice and Equity) are advocating and promoting the political rights to ensure that political victims such as Khmer Rouge victims will justice at ECCC.
It's time Human Rights and Political Rights in Cambodia become an issue we all take seriously, and put on the forefront of the global political agenda because this country currently is running by a cruel dictatorship.
Regards,
-
SOURN SEREY RATHA
Chief Mission of CACJE
Board Director of Socio-Economic Development Center for South East Asia
Website: www.cacje.net Webblog: http://ssrth.wordpress.com
United Nation Human Rights Council forgot to count Cambodia
The United Nations Human Rights Council concluded its March 26 meeting by adopting 28 resolutions. Convening in Geneva, the Council is the U.N.'s foremost human rights authority. It was created after the U.N.'s 53-member Human Rights Commission did such an abysmal job that in December of 2004 then Secretary General Kofi Annan called for the creation of a new human rights body. The Council currently has 47 members elected on the basis of "geographical distribution" by simple majority vote of the U.N.'s general assembly. Members have to commit to "uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights." Annan hailed the new body as a step forward: "I don't think anyone can claim this is old wine in a new bottle," he said after its creation.
The Council's recent work product speaks volumes. Eight of the 28 resolutions passed were criticisms directed at specific governments -- one for North Korea, one for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, one for Burma, one for Guinea, and four for Israel. Human rights violations committed by Israel and North Korea were deemed especially "grave".
Considered that human rights violation is not only committed by government of North Korea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burma, Guinea and Israel, Cambodia is one of those that have to be included. And why the United Nation Human Rights Council did not list Cambodia in the eight of 28 resolutions passed were criticisms directed at specific governments?
The Council views the Israeli government's actions as its most urgent human rights concern -- more dire than, for example, the assassination of human rights defenders in Russia; the continuing genocide in Sudan; the 8 million forced-laborers in China's Laogai prisons; the 200 political prisoners in Cuba; the assault on independent media in Venezuela; the persecution of gays in Uganda. Missing from the Council's resolutions are the cruel dictatorships in Vietnam, Belarus, Zimbabwe, Eritrea, and the brutality of Iran's government against its own people.
But the council had forgotten the mass atrocity that was committed by the past and current Cambodian government that was backed up by Vietnam from April 17th 1975 to October 23rd 1991 and after election 1993 to present.
Mass atrocities or mass atrocious crimes that killed and put to deaths almost four millions Cambodians (1 million before Khmer rouge regime, 2,5 million during Khmer rouge regime and 0,5 million at the K-5 after Khmer rouge regime) were completely ignored by the council of UN human rights.
Why did the U.N. not find it important to speak out on behalf of the Tibetans, Uyghurs, Cambodians, Chechens, Cubans, Darfuris, Dalits or dozens of other oppressed groups? Because the U.N. Human Rights Council includes a dozen dictatorships, counting China, Cuba, Egypt, Russia and Saudi Arabia as well as a catalog of governments with dreadful human rights records such as Angola, Bahrain, Bolivia, Cameroon, Djibouti, Nicaragua, and Pakistan.
The world's current roundtable for human rights is a tool to whitewash, cover up, and direct attention away from the behavior of its worst member governments. The only working governmental alternative is a body -- in the U.N. or outside it -- composed solely of democratic, open societies applying consistent standards and willing to work transparently to expose and condemn governments that abuse rights. That is why we (Cambodian Action Committee for Justice and Equity) are advocating and promoting the political rights to ensure that political victims such as Khmer Rouge victims will justice at ECCC.
It's time Human Rights and Political Rights in Cambodia become an issue we all take seriously, and put on the forefront of the global political agenda because this country currently is running by a cruel dictatorship.
Regards,
-
SOURN SEREY RATHA
Chief Mission of CACJE
Board Director of Socio-Economic Development Center for South East Asia
Website: www.cacje.net Webblog: http://ssrth.wordpress.com
3 comments:
Poor Israelis... the world is behind
your backs. Should stop sending your
children on suicide bombing campaigns against the Palestinians citizens. And quit sending rockets over the fence against Hezbollah.
Its OK for Iran to nuke you, it would
please the UN with much pride.
And send those 28,000 Thai workers
back to Thailand where they can earn
much less what you are paying them
now. I heard everyone of them
complaining that they are making too much and happy with their wages.
Well, I think both sides, Israelis and Palestinians, have committed human rights abuses and atrocities, but the Israeli army has committed more and worse atrocities than the Palestinians because they have better weapons and they had bombed everywhere, civilian or militant targets, with surgical precision. Israeli leaders should be held accountable for war crimes before the International Criminal Court.
Israel is too smart to play along with national community and desire of the UN, its for their survival.
Palestinians are not their only enemy they have to deal with. Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Russia, Iran,
Arabia, Lebanon...and many nationals that are surrounding her. Matter of fact, the world will turn against her. USA was the only best ally that stood with Israel, but that is changing with the current administration.
For fact: Palestinians are brother of Israelis. They are the descendant of Esau, also known as the Edomites. Israel today was known of old as Jacob. Esau and Jacob are brothers. But Esau hated Jacob and that hatred is what causing the conflict between the two people groups.
To solve the conflict, the Palestinians need to quit their hostile treatment of their brothers. By divine will, the land belong to Israel. Palestinians has to accept that fact and Israel will be at peace with them. Any other way will only lead to destruction for them and the surrounding nations. UN hands are tied about this matter, Israel will act accordingly for their own survival.
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