GENEVA (7 April 2014) – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, Surya P. Subedi, expresses concern that the Cambodian National Assembly held its second session last week without the opposition MPs taking up their seat, and urges the legislature to upkeep the key principles of any law-making process: transparency, accountability and participation.
“I have been following closely the situation in Cambodia where restrictions on human rights and fundamental freedoms continue, as a direct consequence of the unresolved political situation arising from the 2013 general election, the results of which continue to be contested.
While it is also my own hope that the political situation normalises as early as possible, which will include the two parties resuming their dialogue at a decision-making level, I am seriously concerned about the legislative implications of the National Assembly functioning with the representation of only by one party, and thus only a portion of the electorate.
Several important draft laws with significant implications for the protection and promotion of human rights, including on the judiciary, trade unions, civil society, and others, are reportedly being prepared to be taken up by the National Assembly.
Many of these are the very laws, including the three fundamental laws on the judiciary, which I have personally been pressing for enactment without further delay. However I must stress that speedy enactment should not come at the cost of the key principles of any law-making process, namely: transparency, accountability and participation.
In a true democracy, the people of the country must be provided with an adequate opportunity to comment on the content of draft laws prior to adoption by the legislature. This also includes opportunity for parliamentarians belonging to opposition parties to effectively debate and if necessary amend the bills before they are passed by the legislature.
While welcoming the many commitments recently made about reform by the Royal Government, I stress once more that reform will be meaningful only when there is meaningful participation by the public or their representatives.
I therefore call on the Government to release for public and expert review all draft laws before the Council of Ministers as soon as possible, particularly those with implications for the realisation and enjoyment of human rights. I also call on the National Assembly to do the same with all draft laws that have or will come before it.”
