Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
UNITED NATIONS, 10th Oct. UN human rights expert on Monday called for urgent structural reforms in Cambodia after the “restricted” general elections earlier this year.
UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, Vitit Muntarbhorn said that the hereditary succession to power raised serious concerns with respect to human rights, democratic principles and the international rule of law.
Mr. Muntarbhorn and other rights experts had described the lead-up to and the outcome of the July polls as “extremely disconcerting”, amid restrictions and harassment targeting political opponents and the media.
Hun Manet new Prime Minister, took over in August from his father, Hun Sen, who led the country for over three decades.
Mr. Muntarbhorn call was coincided with the presentation of his report to the UN Human Rights Council, in which he assessed progress towards 20 key human rights benchmarks.
“A key challenge for implementing human rights benchmarks lies in the intergenerational power shift in the country, which is intertwined with the political and electoral processes and coupled with the restricted civic-political space,” he said.
He stressed 20 benchmarks, 12 were found to be off target, and three with variable levels of implementation. Five benchmarks, such as improving access to education and allocating additional resources to the social sector, were considered on target.
Mr. Muntarbhorn received reports of continued attacks, unjustified arrests and prosecutions of human rights defenders, journalists, political dissidents and others critical of the authorities.
“The use of draconian laws creates challenges for individuals working on human rights and environmental issues, as they face significant pressure when interacting with authorities,” he said.
He noted many human rights defenders and environmental activists have remained in detention since early 2023, with their numbers increasing compared to the previous year.
“Various political dissidents are being held in distant prisons, raising concerns about their freedom and well-being,” Mr. Muntarbhorn said.
He called for the immediate release of those detained and for the charges against them to be dropped.
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