KH Permanent Mission to UN blasts WGAD

Khmer Times
Ven Rathavong

Former opposition leader Kem Sokha. KT/Chor Sokunthea

The Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Cambodia to the United Nations criticized a Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) that called for the immediate release of former CNRP leader Kem Sokha, who is incarcerated on treason charges.

The mission issued a statement after some NGOs, social media, and media outlets publicized that the WGAD is a UN working group, implying that the UN called for Mr Sokha’s release.

The mission’s statement made clear that the WGAD is a group of five individuals who are neither UN staff members nor on its payroll, and that the opinions of the WGAD have been mistakenly interpreted as being shared by the UN.

“Its (WGAD) mandate is to report, advise and give recommendations to the state in question, but plays no judicial role,” read the statement, and that it is not a court of law. Its opinions reflect only the views of its members, not of the UN; nor do they carry any legal weight, bear legal binding upon sovereign states or are entitled to enforcement.

The WGAD has called the arrest and detention of Mr Sokha politically motivated in the context of what appeared to be an escalating trend by the government to suppress criticism. The Permanent Mission pointed out that WGAD rendered its opinion based on unreliable and politically motivated sources, and rushed to conclusions.

“As such, the Permanent Mission of Cambodia is of the view that the WGAD’s manoeuvre is severely undermining its principle of objectivity and independence,” read the statement.

On Wednesday, May 9, Prime Minister Hun Sen insisted that Mr Sokha remain in jail. Mr Sokha was arrested on September 3 for alleged treasonous activities. The charges base on comments made in 2013 that were recorded by Australia-based CBN news, which showed him saying that the US government had been helping him to push for a regime change in Cambodia since 1993.