The status of the UN’s human rights office here remained in limbo Tuesday after a morning meeting between UN Secretary-General for Human Rights’ special representative Peter Leuprecht and Prime Minister Hun Sen failed to produce an agreement between the government and the UN.
Speaking after the one-hour meeting, Leuprecht said Hun Sen “was surprisingly forthcoming” and “reconfirmed his support” for the UN to operate a human rights office here. But Leuprecht would not say when he thought a new memorandum of understanding would be signed. “My experience now…is that indicating dates is fairly risky,” he said. “I hope we will be able to overcome the last, outstanding problem with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, because it is really with him that we have to sign the agreement.”
Om Yentieng, the government’s top human rights official, also said the memorandum issue is “the affair of the Foreign Ministry.”
The office’s previous memorandum of understanding with the government expired in February 2000. The UNCHR and the government have been negotiating a new agreement since the end of last year. But the government is resisting giving government employees participating in UNCHR programs “functional immunity,” which is meant to protect freedom of speech against threats of censure and imprisonment.
Leuprecht is not scheduled to meet this week with Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hor Namhong, a UN official said. Leuprecht is scheduled to leave Cambodia Thursday. When he arrived Friday, Leuprecht said he “wouldn’t count on” getting the government to sign the memorandum before the end of his visit.
His meeting with Hun Sen was his first since November. The premier, citing a busy schedule, refused to meet with Leuprecht during the envoy’s February visit.
Leuprecht said Hun Sen said in their Tuesday meeting that the National Assembly could approve the new law governing the Khmer Rouge tribunal in 15 minutes. “I hope there will be no further delay. But you never know,” said Leuprecht. “Again, there’s no logical reason.”
In meetings today and Thursday with Minister of Interior Sar Kheng, Minister of Justice Uk Vithun and National Police Director General Hok Lundy, Leuprecht said he will discuss requests from the UN rights office and nongovernmental organizations that they be allowed private interviews with criminal suspects who have been arrested and detained. He said he would bring up police behavior and torture with Hok Lundy, a subject he cited in previous reports to the UN. But Leuprecht said he and Hun Sen did not discuss the Cambodian Freedom Fighters trial, which ended in 30 convictions.
last week.
Several human rights groups criticized the trial last week for failing to protect the defendants’ rights to a fair trial.
Leuprecht is also scheduled to meet King Norodom Sihanouk today. He does not have a meeting scheduled with National Assembly President Prince Norodom Ranariddh.
