Forty-five countries on Wednesday called on Cambodia to reinstate the main opposition party, release its jailed leader and ensure a July general election is free and fair.
A statement on the human rights situation in Cambodia read by New Zealand on behalf of a group of 45 countries, including the US, Germany, Australia and the UK, said previous optimism had been “replaced by deep concern” regarding a decline in civil and political rights in Cambodia.
The statement, which was read to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, urged the Cambodian government to reinstate the opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) and all elected members.
Dozens of opposition lawmakers were banned last year when the Cambodian Supreme Court dissolved the CNRP in a ruling that was widely condemned by the international community.
That decision followed the arrest of CNRP leader Kem Sokha in September last year.
Kem Sokha has been charged with treason, accused of colluding with Americans to overthrow the Cambodian government.
Kem Sokha and the US embassy in Phnom Penh have denied the allegation.
Kem Sokha faces 30 years in prison if convicted.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has ruled the nation for 33 years, is a former Khmer Rouge cadre who defected from the genocidal group and helped drive it from power in 1979. He is credited with helping Cambodia achieve economic growth, but has been criticized for his crackdown on critics and the media.
“We call on the Royal Government of Cambodia to take all measures necessary, before it is too late, to ensure that the 2018 elections are free, fair and credible,” the statement said.
“We are particularly concerned about the conditions under which opposition leader Kem Sokha is being detained following his arbitrary arrest: He is reportedly in isolation, without adequate access to healthcare, subjected to intrusive observation and other conditions, such as constant light,” the statement said. “We call for the immediate release of all political prisoners, including Kem Sokha.”
Cambodian government spokesman Phay Siphan said Cambodia would not comply with demands made by foreign countries.
“We are equally members of the United Nations,” Phay Siphan said.
‘REGRETTABLE’: TPP lawmaker Vivian Huang said that ‘we will continue to support Chairman Ko and defend his innocence’ as he was transferred to a detention facility The Taipei District Court yesterday ruled that Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) be detained and held incommunicado over alleged corruption dating to his time as mayor of Taipei. The ruling reversed a decision by the court on Monday morning that Ko be released without bail. After prosecutors on Wednesday appealed the Monday decision, the High Court said that Ko had potentially been “actively involved” in the alleged corruption and ordered the district court to hold a second detention hearing. Ko did not speak to reporters upon his arrival at the district court at about 9:10am yesterday to attend a procedural
Thirty Taiwanese firms, led by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) and ASE Technology Holding Co (日月光投控), yesterday launched a silicon photonics industry alliance, aiming to accelerate the medium’s development and address the energy efficiency of artificial intelligence (AI) devices like data centers. As the world is ushering in a new AI era with tremendous demand for computing power and algorithms, energy consumption is emerging as a critical issue, TSMC vice president of integrated interconnect and packaging business C.K. Hsu (徐國晉) told a media briefing in Taipei. To solve this issue, it is essential to introduce silicon photonics and copackaged optics (CPO)
The High Court yesterday overturned a Taipei District Court decision to release Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) and sent the case back to the lower court. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office on Saturday questioned Ko amid a probe into alleged corruption involving the Core Pacific City development project during his time as Taipei mayor. Core Pacific City, also known as Living Mall (京華城購物中心), was a shopping mall in Taipei’s Songshan District (松山) that has since been demolished. On Monday, the Taipei District Court granted a second motion by Ko’s attorney to release him without bail, a decision the prosecutors’ office appealed
GRAFT PROBE: Critics questioned Ko claiming he did not know about the Core Pacific floor area ratio issue until this year, citing a 2021 video in which he was asked about it Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) was released without bail early yesterday, while his deputy during his tenure as Taipei mayor was detained and held incommunicado after being questioned since Friday over graft allegations related to a shopping center redevelopment project. Prosecutors on Saturday filed a request with the Taipei District Court to officially detain Ko and former Taipei deputy mayor Pong Cheng-sheng (彭振聲) over allegations surrounding the redevelopment of Core Pacific City, also known as Living Mall (京華城購物中心). The court yesterday determined that the evidence provided by prosecutors was insufficient to justify the detention of Ko and ordered his
RSS