UN rights experts says national elections ‘extremely disconcerting’ in Cambodia

Anjali Sharma

GG News Bureau

UNITED NATIONS, 3rd Aug. UN human rights experts on Wednesday said that the results of the recent elections in Cambodia are “extremely disconcerting”, added that the credibility of the entire electoral process was affected

UN independent experts said Cambodians went to the polls on 23 July after shrinking civic and political space, including a ban on the main opposition party, media restrictions and harassment of perceived opponents of the ruling elite.

They said in a news release “As a result, the national elections were very unbalanced and raised major concerns for the international community,”.

Vitit Muntarbhorn, Special Rapporteur on human rights in Cambodia warned that the shrinking democratic space and repressive practices linked to Cambodia’s political leadership seriously undermined human rights and liberal democracy under its international obligations and the Paris Peace Agreements.

The October 1991 accords ended the conflict in the country.

They provided for the withdrawal of foreign forces, cessation of outside military assistance and national reconciliation.

“Cambodia’s new government must abide by its international human rights obligations and the Paris Peace Agreements and address an array of serious human rights violations old and new which impede sustainable and inclusive development in the country,” the experts said.

They added that Cambodia’s human rights record will be considered by the UN Human Rights Council later this year, bringing the country’s 2022 commune elections and 2023 national elections into international focus.

“Thirty years since peace was assured by the Paris Peace Agreements, a major obstacle remains the failure to ensure and protect human rights and the systemic undermining of democratic principles,” they said.

The experts said with the Prime Minister of Cambodia expected to transfer power to his eldest son in the near future, the international community must remain vigilant and prepare a cohesive international response to the country’s democratic crisis.

Special Rapporteurs on promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence; on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; on contemporary forms of slavery; on the rights of internally displaced persons; on independence of judges and lawyers; on the rights of persons with disabilities; and the Working Group on enforced or involuntary disappearances voiced their concerns.