Cambodia Misses Deadline to Submit UN Human Rights Report

Cambodia failed Monday to make its deadline to submit a key human rights report—known as the universal period review (UPR)—to the U.N., said Mak Sambath, deputy chairman of the government’s Human Rights Committee. Having missed the submission deadline, the government is now hoping to get its report to Geneva by Wednesday, Mr. Sambath said. “Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered to include more information about the government’s vision in the fifth mandate to reform the judiciary system,” he said of the reason for missing the deadline, which only comes every four years. “The report will tell the U.N. that the government has strong commitment in reforming the judiciary which is why the government will implement by early next year some vital laws.” … Thun Saray, president of local rights group Adhoc, said the last-minute additions concerning judicial reform could be an attempt by the government to distract the U.N. Human Rights Council from the current political situation and Cambodia’s deteriorating human rights record. … If the government does submit its report on Wednesday, it will be Cambodia’s second time undergoing the UPR process, where the Human Rights Council reviews the human rights record of each U.N. member state once every four years. After Cambodia’s first review in 2009, the council made 91 recommendations, many of which were related to Cambodia’s record on forced evictions, restrictions on freedom of expression and the lack of judicial independence. …

 Kuch Naren and Dene-Hern Chen
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/cambodia-misses-deadline-to-submit-un-human-rights-report-46138/