Appearing Friday before a UN committee on racial discrimination, a small team of Cambodian diplomats in Geneva concluded their defense of government policy on indigenous peoples, the Khmer Krom minority and the difficulties faced by those disenfranchised by an inability to speak or read Khmer.
For the first time in over a decade, Cambodia submitted to questioning by the UN body concerning its adherence to a treaty on racial discrimination that the government ratified while under communist administration in 1983.
Information about Cambodia’s presence was scarce on Friday. However, the government was expected to face pointed questioning concerning the Khmer Krom minority and the treatment of indigenous peoples.
According to attendee Thach N Thach, president of the Kampuchea Khmer-Krom Federation, the government representatives had difficulty responding to questions about the treatment of Khmer Krom, and frequently “stalled” rather than addressing the issues raised.
Among the issues discussed on Friday, said Mr Thach, was the inability of a group of recent deportees to obtain Cambodian identity cards.
“They just said everything is fine. They do their best,” said Mr Thach from Geneva. “The delegates are not informed.”
Although the Khmer Krom, who originate from an area now within southern Vietnam, share the ethnic identity of the majority of Cambodian citizens, the 1965 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination governs all discrimination based on race, color, descent, ethnicity or national origin.
Human Rights Watch accused the government last year of colluding with Vietnamese authorities in the suppression of Khmer Krom political activities, charges both governments denied.
In written answers to questions concerning the status of the Khmer Krom minority put before the session, the government said critics may see matters “only from one corner of an impropriate condition but not to see from the legal aspects and general condition as a whole.”
“In principle,” the reply added, “Khmer Kampuchea Krom are recognized as Cambodian citizens without any discrimination.”
Chhith Sam Ath, executive director of NGO Forum on Cambodia, which also submitted a report to the UN panel, said Friday that the government has a long way to go in protecting the rights of indigenous minorities.
“Some progress has been made, in particular with regards to legislation such as indigenous policy development and the sub-decree on community land titling that was passed,” he noted.
“We have a lot of legal framework in place now for protecting the land rights. We would like to see enforcement of these.”
The 65-page report sent by NGO Forum details case after case that the organization said demonstrate “persistent and institutionalized” discrimination against the country’s ethnic minorities.
Land grabs by the financially or politically well-connected are frequent occurrences, notes the report, which said the inability of the judiciary to act impartially has created a system “[n]ullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples.”
“If the government can’t balance the rights of the indigenous community with development, the community will be seriously impaired,” Mr Sam Ath said Friday.
The 18-member UN panel comprises independent jurists and experts, including former US war crimes ambassador Pierre-Richard Prosper. Its findings will not be binding but will be published.
Mr Thach said that Mr Prosper’s “questions are good but government [is] not responding yet with specifics.”
Mak Sambath, deputy chairman of the government’s Human Rights Committee, defended the composition of the delegation, which included no officials responsible for technical and policy matters.
Those sent to speak on the government’s behalf were well versed on the matter, said Mr Sambath
“His Excellency Sun Suon will protect our report and knows about the situation of human rights in Cambodia,” said Mr Sambath, referring to Cambodia’s ambassador to Switzerland.
He added that financial difficulties made it unfeasible to send Cambodian officials.
“Cambodia has never discriminated against indigenous people…. Khmer Krom, Cham, indigenous —we acknowledge their rights,” said Mr Sambath.
But, he said, the Human Rights Committee will gladly heed advice given by the UN panel.
“We will practice any recommendations from the UN.”
At a similar review in May by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the government also declined to send a high-level delegation. The panel called for a moratorium on land evictions but no such moratorium was observed.
(Additional reporting by Chhorn Chansy)
