The Cambodian government has threatened to expel a UN envoy if UN agencies continue “unacceptable interference” in the country, a letter seen yesterday said.
The move came after UN agencies in Cambodia earlier this month urged “a transparent and participatory” process as parliament debated an anti-corruption law that was criticized by the opposition and rights groups.
In a letter to UN resident coordinator Douglas Broderick, Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong alleged his office had been guilty of “a flagrant and unacceptable interference in the internal affairs of Cambodia” with the statement.
“Any further repetition of such a behavior would compel the Royal Government of Cambodia to resort to a ‘persona non grata’ decision,” said the letter, dated Saturday and referring to Broderick.
The minister also said Broderick’s office “had exceeded the limit of its mandate” because it had not been instructed to issue the statement by UN headquarters.
Ranked one of the world’s most corrupt countries, Cambodia passed the anti-graft law in parliament on March 11, more than 15 years after legislation was first proposed, but only days after the draft was shared publicly.
Cambodia’s foreign ministry had already accused the UN of “acting as if it were the spokesperson of the opposition parties” with the statement.
Officials at the UN have so far refused to comment on the government’s allegations.
All lawmakers from the opposition Sam Rainsy Party walked out of parliament in protest just hours before the draft law was passed by 82 lawmakers, mostly from Prime Minister Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party.
Opposition and rights groups said the draft of the anti-corruption law was flawed and asked for more public debate, saying the legislation would be ineffective and offered whistle-blowers little protection.
A national anti-corruption council and an anti-corruption unit will be created to oversee investigations, but critics said it was unlikely either body would be effective because both would be controlled by the ruling party.
Public figures face up to 15 years in prison if convicted of accepting bribes, the draft law states.
It was approved by Cambodia’s senate on Friday and will take effect after being formally declared by King Norodom Sihamoni.
Cambodia was ranked 158 out of 180 countries on anti-graft organization Transparency International’s most recent corruption perception index.
It was also ranked the second most corrupt Southeast Asian country after Indonesia in an annual poll by the Political and Economic Risk Consultancy.
Last year, a US diplomat said that graft costs Cambodia up to US$500 million every year, an allegation the government rejected as “unsubstantiated.”
The collapse of the Swiss Birch glacier serves as a chilling warning of the escalating dangers faced by communities worldwide living under the shadow of fragile ice, particularly in Asia, experts said. Footage of the collapse on Wednesday showed a huge cloud of ice and rubble hurtling down the mountainside into the hamlet of Blatten. Swiss Development Cooperation disaster risk reduction adviser Ali Neumann said that while the role of climate change in the case of Blatten “still needs to be investigated,” the wider impacts were clear on the cryosphere — the part of the world covered by frozen water. “Climate change and
Poland is set to hold a presidential runoff election today between two candidates offering starkly different visions for the country’s future. The winner would succeed Polish President Andrzej Duda, a conservative who is finishing his second and final term. The outcome would determine whether Poland embraces a nationalist populist trajectory or pivots more fully toward liberal, pro-European policies. An exit poll by Ipsos would be released when polls close today at 9pm local time, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points. Final results are expected tomorrow. Whoever wins can be expected to either help or hinder the
DENIAL: Musk said that the ‘New York Times was lying their ass off,’ after it reported he used so much drugs that he developed bladder problems Elon Musk on Saturday denied a report that he used ketamine and other drugs extensively last year on the US presidential campaign trail. The New York Times on Friday reported that the billionaire adviser to US President Donald Trump used so much ketamine, a powerful anesthetic, that he developed bladder problems. The newspaper said the world’s richest person also took ecstasy and mushrooms, and traveled with a pill box last year, adding that it was not known whether Musk also took drugs while heading the so-called US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) after Trump took power in January. In a
Packed crowds in India celebrating their cricket team’s victory ended in a deadly stampede on Wednesday, with 11 mainly young fans crushed to death, the local state’s chief minister said. Joyous cricket fans had come out to celebrate and welcome home their heroes, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, after they beat Punjab Kings in a roller-coaster Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket final on Tuesday night. However, the euphoria of the vast crowds in the southern tech city of Bengaluru ended in disaster, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra calling it “absolutely heartrending.” Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said most of the deceased are young, with 11 dead
RSS