Second Prime Minister Hun Sen met with Thomas Hammarberg on Sunday for the first time in eight months, reportedly telling the Stockholm-based rights official that the government has made progress in investigating extrajudicial killings documented by the UN.
The meeting with the UN secretary-general’s special representative for human rights in Cambodia, at Hun Sen’s Takhmau residence, came one month after the government accused the UN human rights unit of “an orchestrated campaign” against it.
Om Yentieng, Hun Sen’s adviser on human rights and media issues, said the government has established leads to arrest suspects in the killings and will submit a report to the UN in an exchange of information when the UN finalizes documentation alleging at least 50 more extrajudicial killings, Om Yentieng said.
Svay Sitha, a Cabinet spokesman, confirmed the government’s progress and said the information exchange may happen by Wednesday, when Hammarberg leaves the country.
Rosemary McCreery, the director of the UN Center for Human Rights office here said the report will be ready soon. “It’s being finalized at the moment.”
The report won’t be made public until at least two weeks after the government sees it, she said.
UN officials had no comment on the meeting but said Hammarberg will likely answer questions at a press conference before he leaves the country. He left Sunday for Siem Reap, where he is scheduled to meet King Norodom Sihanouk today.
