Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Human rights award ‘not a legal defence’ say foreign affairs ministry

Human rights award ‘not a legal defence’ say foreign affairs ministry

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. MFAIC

Human rights award ‘not a legal defence’ say foreign affairs ministry

A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said a US State Department human rights award should be given to a person who advocates for peace, national harmony and reconciliation, not a lawbreaker.

The statement came the day after the US state department named detained Cambodian trade union leader Chhim Sithar as one of the 10 global recipients of its annual Human Rights Defender Award.

In the February 2 statement, ministry said the award did not represent the wishes of the majority of the Cambodian people. It also emboldened certain forces, who were prepared to exploit the situation and promote their hidden agendas, under the guise of human rights and democracy.

“An honour such as this usually recognises advocates for, among other things, peace, national harmony and reconciliation, disarmament, the eradication of racial discrimination, violence and hatred, or any other accomplishment which is in the best interests of society,” it added.

Sithar, the president of the Labour Rights Supported Union of Khmer Employees (LRSU) at integrated casino resort NagaWorld, was arrested on November 26 at Phnom Penh International Airport and placed in pre-trial detention after returning from a 12-day trip to Australia.

Sithar was first arrested in January last year – on charges of incitement to commit a crime – in relation to a strike she led. She was released on bail in March, but a court order instructed her not to travel abroad without court approval.

The statement explained that the legal woes of Sithar were neither about human rights nor labour disputes, but her flagrant violation of the ban on leaving the country while under court supervision.

“If a person is bailed, but deliberately violates the conditions of his or her judicial supervision, the investigating judge has the right to return them to pre-trial detention, as is stipulated in article 230 of Cambodia’s Criminal Procedure Code,” the statement said.

“This prize is not a means of legal defence in any court in the world. The best defence is to attend court hearings and present legal arguments and concrete evidence that demonstrate the innocence of the accused,” it added.

MOST VIEWED

  • 12th Cambodia int’l film festival to see return of Hollywood star

    Phnom Penh is set to come alive with the magic of cinema as the highly anticipated 12th Cambodia International Film Festival (CIFF) takes centre stage. Boasting an impressive line-up of 188 films from 23 countries, including captivating shorts, feature films, documentaries and animation, the festival promises an

  • Brawl marrs football final as Indonesian take gold in seven goal thriller

    The Indonesian men's U22 men national football team were crowned champions of the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia, defeating Thailand 5-2 in extra time on May 16 at Olympic National Stadium in Phnom Penh. The match was marred by an ugly incident that occured in the 91

  • Bareknuckle champion wants Kun Khmer fighter

    Dave Leduc, who is the current openweight Lethwei boxing champion in Myanmar, has announced that he will travel to Cambodia this year to challenge SEA Games gold medallist Prum Samnang any time that is convenient, after their planned match later this month in Slovakia was

  • Candlelight Party disqualified from July general election

    The National Election Committee (NEC) has disqualified the Candlelight Party (CP) from contesting the upcoming general election, citing a lack of valid documentation. NEC spokesman Khorn Keomono said the CP failed to fulfil one of the three main requirements: including original documentation proving their registration

  • Thong Khon calls for orderly SEA Games closing ceremony

    Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism and permanent vice-president of the Cambodia SEA Games Organising Committee (CAMSOC), calls on all people who have received tickets to the May 17 closing ceremony of the biennial multi-sports extravaganza at the Morodok Techo National Stadium to ensure that the event

  • 1.4 billion dollar Phnom Penh-Bavet expressway due in four years

    The Government, through the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, has officially signed a public-private partnership agreement with a private company for the construction of a Phnom Penh-Bavet Expressway project that will connect the capital to Svay Rieng province. The budget for the project is