The Cambodian government has threatened to expel a UN envoy if UN agencies continue “unacceptable interference” in the country, a letter seen yesterday said.
The move came after UN agencies in Cambodia earlier this month urged “a transparent and participatory” process as parliament debated an anti-corruption law that was criticized by the opposition and rights groups.
In a letter to UN resident coordinator Douglas Broderick, Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong alleged his office had been guilty of “a flagrant and unacceptable interference in the internal affairs of Cambodia” with the statement.
“Any further repetition of such a behavior would compel the Royal Government of Cambodia to resort to a ‘persona non grata’ decision,” said the letter, dated Saturday and referring to Broderick.
The minister also said Broderick’s office “had exceeded the limit of its mandate” because it had not been instructed to issue the statement by UN headquarters.
Ranked one of the world’s most corrupt countries, Cambodia passed the anti-graft law in parliament on March 11, more than 15 years after legislation was first proposed, but only days after the draft was shared publicly.
Cambodia’s foreign ministry had already accused the UN of “acting as if it were the spokesperson of the opposition parties” with the statement.
Officials at the UN have so far refused to comment on the government’s allegations.
All lawmakers from the opposition Sam Rainsy Party walked out of parliament in protest just hours before the draft law was passed by 82 lawmakers, mostly from Prime Minister Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party.
Opposition and rights groups said the draft of the anti-corruption law was flawed and asked for more public debate, saying the legislation would be ineffective and offered whistle-blowers little protection.
A national anti-corruption council and an anti-corruption unit will be created to oversee investigations, but critics said it was unlikely either body would be effective because both would be controlled by the ruling party.
Public figures face up to 15 years in prison if convicted of accepting bribes, the draft law states.
It was approved by Cambodia’s senate on Friday and will take effect after being formally declared by King Norodom Sihamoni.
Cambodia was ranked 158 out of 180 countries on anti-graft organization Transparency International’s most recent corruption perception index.
It was also ranked the second most corrupt Southeast Asian country after Indonesia in an annual poll by the Political and Economic Risk Consultancy.
Last year, a US diplomat said that graft costs Cambodia up to US$500 million every year, an allegation the government rejected as “unsubstantiated.”
FAKE NEWS? ‘When the government demands the press become a state mouthpiece under the threat of punishment, something has gone very wrong,’ a civic group said The top US broadcast regulator on Saturday threatened media outlets over negative coverage of the Middle East war, after US President Donald Trump slammed critical headlines from the “Fake News Media.” The US president since his first term has derided mainstream media as “fake news” and has sued major outlets over what he sees as unfair coverage. Brendan Carr, head of the US Federal Communications Commission — which oversees the nation’s radio, television and Internet media — said broadcasters risked losing their licenses over news coverage. “The law is clear. Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will
INFLUTENTIAL THEORIST: Habermas was particularly critical of the ‘limited interest’ shown by German politicians in ‘shaping a politically effective Europe Jurgen Habermas, whose work on communication, rationality and sociology made him one of the world’s most influential philosophers and a key intellectual figure in his native Germany, has died. He was 96. Habermas’ publisher, Suhrkamp, said he died on Saturday in Starnberg, near Munich. Habermas frequently weighed in on political matters over several decades. His extensive writing crossed the boundaries of academic and philosophical disciplines, providing a vision of modern society and social interaction. His best-known works included the two-volume Theory of Communicative Action. Habermas, who was 15 at the time of Nazi Germany’s defeat, later recalled the dawn of
The Chinese public maintains relatively warm sentiments toward Taiwan and strongly prefers non-military paths to improving cross-strait relations, a recent survey conducted by the Atlanta, Georgia-based Carter Center and Emory University showed. The “China Pulse” research project, which polled 2,506 adults between Oct. 27 last year and Jan. 1 this year, found that 86 percent of respondents support strengthening cultural ties, while 81 percent favor deepening economic interaction. The report, co-authored by political scientists at Emory University and advisors at the Carter Center, indicates that the Chinese public views Taiwan’s importance through a lens of shared history and culture rather than geopolitical
Cannabis-based medicines have shown little evidence of effectiveness for treating most mental health and substance-use disorders, according to a large review of past studies published in a major medical journal on Monday. Medical use of cannabinoids has been expanding, including in the US, Canada and Australia, where many patients report using cannabis products to manage conditions such as anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and sleep problems. Researchers reviewed data from 54 randomized clinical trials conducted between 1980 and May last year involving 2,477 participants for their analysis published in The Lancet. The studies assessed cannabinoids as a primary treatment for mental disorders or substance-use
RSS