Permanent representative of Cambodia to the UN Office at Geneva In Dara addresses the UN 41st Meeting of the 57th Regular Session of Human Rights Council. - Photo: Permanent mission of Cambodia to the UN / Phnom Penh Post - ANN
PHNOM PENH (Phnom Penh Post/ANN): Cambodia defended its human rights record at the 41st meeting of the 57th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council, where special rapporteur Vitit Muntarbhorn and several high-profile countries raised concerns, including the recent arrest of journalist Mech Dara.
At the meeting held in Geneva, Switzerland on October 7, Muntarbhorn reported on the progress Cambodia has made in terms of humanitarian action, social protection measures and poverty reduction.
However, he also went to great lengths to describe the country’s human rights issues, including what he referred to as the prosecution of activists and journalists reporting on human trafficking and corruption.
Muntarbhorn also highlighted the limited gender equality in Cambodia, citing the country’s rank of 116th out of 170 countries in the Gender Equality Index.
He pointed to women’s limited access to political power, noting that only 17 out of 125 National Assembly members are women, and just 10 women serve in the 62-member Senate.
He further noted that the recent capital and provincial council elections saw women councillors representing less than 20 per cent.
He urged the government to take action to ensure genuine multi-party democracy and women’s rights, suggesting that one possible reform could be amending electoral laws at the local and national levels to implement the so-called “sandwich system”, alternating male and female candidates on all party lists.
Thiseas Poullos, representing the EU, expressed the bloc’s appreciation for Cambodia's continued cooperation with human rights mechanisms and emphasised the crucial role of the special rapporteur in monitoring the human rights situation in the country, as well as the progress the country has made.
However, Poullos stated that the EU “condemns the detention, prosecution and imprisonment of dozens of political dissidents, human rights and environmental activists, journalists, opposition members and labour rights groups” who criticise the authorities.
“Just last week, a renowned Cambodian journalist, Mech Dara, was arrested and charged with incitement for social media posts. We call on the government of Cambodia to expeditiously release persons detained for political reasons and to open up the space for political pluralism and inclusivity,” he said.
The arrest of Dara in late September has raised concerns about press freedom, but the Ministry of Information defended the move, stating that the charges against him were legal and unrelated to his journalism.
Dara was charged with incitement to cause social unrest following a series of social media posts deemed inflammatory by Phnom Penh Municipal Court. He has been placed in pre-trial detention in Kandal Provincial Prison awaiting trial, which could lead to years of imprisonment if found guilty.
In response, permanent representative of Cambodia to the UN Office at Geneva In Dara said that the country regretted that Muntarbhorn’s report was an “incomplete and unbalanced integration of factual and legal information” and that his assessment was unfair.
“The special rapporteur also missed the mark on gender equality as a core societal issue. Cambodian women are considered to be the more powerful and important gender, holding central roles of leadership, authority and control of prosperity. Efforts have been made to enhance women’s advantages and empower them,” he said.
In Dara added that the country remains committed to the liberal democratic path, noting that the 2023 parliamentary elections saw a voter turnout of nearly 84.59 per cent, with 18 political parties contesting to choose the country’s future leadership.
He stated that civil and political spaces remain open, with over 6,000 civil society organisations and nearly 2,000 media outlets operating without censorship in the Kingdom, none of which were included in the special rapporteur’s report.
Regarding imprisonment, In Dara said offenders are charged and prosecuted based on the offenses they have committed.
“Affiliation with a political party, trade union or any other organisation does not entitle a person to break the law with impunity,” he said.
“Human rights are not absolute. But the special rapporteur and human rights advocates have never stressed that the exercise of rights and freedoms carries with it special duties, responsibilities and limitations as provided by laws. To qualify law enforcement as a restriction of the freedoms of a certain group is to denigrate the rule of law,” he added.
He concluded by stating that the country remains steadfast in promoting and protecting human rights, with a constitution and the rule of law guiding its democratic journey with pluralism. - Phnom Penh Post/ANN
