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On
Cambodia,
After ICP
Asked UN Of
Move to Arrest
Rainsy, UN
Watching
By Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
November 17 --
Cambodia
pushed back at
the UN system
under Ban
Ki-moon, and
now what? Now
the UN has
nothing to say
amid
crackdowns. On
November 16,
Inner City
Press asked
Ban's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric,
video here,
transcript
here:
Inner City
Press: I’m
wondering if
on Cambodia
you have
anything… the
opposition
leader, Sam
Rainsy, has
had his
immunity
removed and is
no longer a
Member of
Parliament,
and the idea
is he is going
to be
arrested.
Spokesman
Dujarric:
I do not.
But 24
hours later,
after the US
issued a
statement, in
the November
17 noon
briefing
Dujarric's
deputy brought
in a piece of
paper.
"Cambodia?"
Inner City
Press asked.
It was. Here
is the UN's
statement:
"The
Secretary-General
is following
with concern
the increasing
tensions
between the
ruling party
and the
opposition in
Cambodia.
The arrest
warrant issued
against
opposition
leader Sam
Rainsy on 13
November and
earlier
incidents
against
opposition
parliamentarians
and leaders
are worrisome
developments.
The
Secretary-General
urges the
Cambodian
People's Party
and the
Cambodia
National
Rescue Party
to resume
their
cooperation
and dialogue
and encourages
all political
players to
refrain from
violence,
intimidation
and
harassment. A
non-threatening
environment of
democratic
dialogue is
essential for
political
stability and
a peaceful
society."
On November
17, after the
UN's
no-comment,
the US State
Department
issued this
statement, by
deputy
spokesperson
Marc C. Toner:
“We are deeply
concerned by
today’s
removal of
Cambodian
National
Rescue Party
(CNRP) leader
Sam Rainsy
from the
National
Assembly in a
unilateral
move by the
ruling
Cambodian
People’s
Party. His
removal is
another step
backwards for
Cambodia’s
progress
towards a free
and democratic
society. We
call on the
National
Assembly to
reinstate Mr.
Rainsy
immediately
and to restore
his
parliamentary
immunity. We
also call on
the government
to revoke the
arrest warrant
issued against
him on
seven-year-old
defamation
charges and to
allow him and
other
opposition
Parliamentarians
to return to
Cambodia
without fear
of arrest or
persecution.
Today’s
actions are
the latest
incidents of
harassment and
intimidation
targeting
Cambodia’s
opposition,
including the
recent violent
attacks on
Members of
Parliament and
the removal of
opposition
party deputy
leader Kem
Sokha from his
position as
First Vice
President of
the National
Assembly. The
Cambodian
people will
vote in
provincial
elections in
2017 and in a
national
election in
2018. Recent
elections in
the region
show that
people want
freer, more
democratic
societies, and
we expect that
the Cambodian
people will
reward leaders
who create a
more open,
inclusive
political
climate.
We urge the
government to
take immediate
steps to
guarantee a
political
space free
from threats
or
intimidation
in Cambodia,
and for the
government and
opposition to
engage in
serious and
meaningful
dialogue on
actions to
strengthen
Cambodia’s
democratic
future.”
But
even hours
later, there
was no UN
comment.
* * *
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