Take Wednesday’s allegations by the government that the UN transported Montagnards from Vietnam, add Prime Minister Hun Sen’s description of UN Special Representative Peter Leuprecht as “stupid” during a Leuprecht visit last December, and one might say the relationship between the UN in Cambodia and the government is at times strained.
While many UN officials say the working relationship between various UN agencies and the government is generally good, the government at times has been resistant to suggestions from the UN and sometimes vocal in their criticism of the international agency.
“The UN breaks their Memorandum of Understanding because they often report alleged human rights violations to the newspapers before they report it to us,” said Khieu Kanharith, secretary of state for the Ministry of Information. “They usually take only one side of the report and do not get the whole picture.”
While other government officials contacted Thursday chose not to characterize the relationship between the UN and the government, Khieu Kanharith spoke loudly and at length about the UN.
Although he said he didn’t have a problem with most UN offices, Khieu Kanharith listed various “offenses” the UN office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has committed. He accused UN officials of having “political biases” that affect their work in Cambodia. He also said UN officials often accuse the entire government of violating human rights when they should point out one or two individuals who should be blamed.
“The UN office of Human Rights is not here to praise the government. They are here to criticize and be critical of the government,” said one official from the UN Development Program.
“After you understand this relationship, you don’t expect praise. This is the same in every country where the UN monitors and reports on human rights violations.”
The UNDP official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the UNDP for the most part has a good relationship with the government because it offers technical assistance, as opposed to criticism that could affect donor support and contributions.
In early February, the UN decided to pull out of the Khmer Rouge tribunal talks, a move that angered donors.
Less than a week after the UN announced its decision, Council of Ministers chief Sok An blasted the UN and, in what could be considered a fit of anger, distributed confidential communications between himself and UN Secretary-General for Legal Affairs Hans Corell. While the confidential documents mostly covered minor legal details, Sok An sent a clear message that he was unhappy with the UN.
UNCHR spokeswoman Francesca Morotta downplayed any relationsnhip problems between the UN human rights office and the government.
She noted that Minister of Foreign Affairs Hor Namhong and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson on Feb 21 signed the Memorandum of Understanding which allows UNCHR to operate in Cambodia. That agreement had been stalled for more than a year.
Morotta disputed the perception that the UN human rights office is always critical of the government. She said the relationship may at times be “delicate,” but it is still credible.
