In its Universal Periodic Review (UPR), the United Nations called upon Cambodia to end its persistent violations of basic freedoms and respect the rights of its citizens. Prime Minister Hun Sen and the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) have dismissed the allegations.
Almost a year has gone by since elections created political gridlock in Cambodia. The ruling CPP garnered only 68 of the 123 seats in the assembly. The opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) has alleged election fraud and called for fresh elections and government reform.
In an effort to quell public demonstrations, Hun Sen shut down Freedom Park, the only public place where Cambodians were allowed to protest. The CPP also temporarily suspended broadcasts of Voice of America and Radio Free Asia in the lead up to elections. The majority of news outlets are controlled by the CPP, limiting public exposure to opposing views.
Prior to shutting down Freedom Park, police often targeted demonstrators, resorting to open fire and water cannons to dissipate crowds. Aggressive targeting of election and garment worker protests resulted in eight deaths and the injury and arbitrary detention of at least 20 Cambodians.
Cambodia’s hasty disregard for the findings of the UPR demonstrates that the country is not taking international criticism seriously. And without consequences, Cambodia is likely to continue with its intransigence.
The Heritage Foundation recently noted: “The U.S. should be more publicly critical of Hun Sen’s human rights abuses.… Of most immediate relevance, the U.S. should be most critical of the corruption and ongoing police violence surrounding the election protests in Cambodia.”
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Heritage also recommends that the U.S. condition assistance to Cambodia and encourage other signatories of the 1991 Paris Peace Agreement—including Japan, Indonesia, Australia, the United Kingdom, and France—to do the same.
Recent findings in the U.N.’s periodic review should come as no surprise and should prompt action from the international community to think more critically about the monetary assistance it extends to Cambodia. Rather than continuing to facilitate Hun Sen’s poor behavior, the international community should encourage Cambodia to embrace democratic principles and respect the natural rights of its citizens.
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