European body sends a message
The European Parliament, representing one of the country’s largest donors, on Friday called for a moratorium on forced evictions, an overhaul of elections and even went so far as to suggest to the European Union that it suspend tariff-free imports of agricultural goods linked to human rights abuses in Cambodia. In the body’s motion, seven distinct areas of concern are listed, ranging from a rise in violence against protesters to specific cases such as that of Mam Sonando. The parliament then calls for a number of recommendations, the strongest of which is that the EU’s decision-making body, the European Commission, temporarily halt its “Everything But Arms” (EBA) trade agreement with the Cambodian government – which allows Cambodian goods free access to European markets – “in cases where human rights abuses are identified”. …
