The Mirror, Vol. 11, No. 527
“Siem Reap: Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen of the Royal Government of Cambodia affirmed in front of approximately 120 participants from 42 [sic] countries, ‘The Royal Government of Cambodia welcomes any opinion, except expressions to provoke war, violence, and discrimination based on race, color, religion, and nationality, which are prohibited by law as well as by human rights.
“Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen also expressed his own view, ‘I don’t want to see any journalist jailed for writing articles, and the government doesn’t want to spend money to feed people in prison either. This is something that we don’t want to see.’
“Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen said so on the occasion of making the opening statement for the the 8th Informal ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) Seminar on Human Rights, with a focus on Freedom of Expression, at the Sokha Angkor Hotel, Siem Reap, on the morning of 27 September.
“Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen said that human rights and freedom of expression can all exist without necessarily relate to the status of rich or poor, or about politics, or national or religious questions. Rights and human dignity belong to every human being, and one must respect, protect, and develop these rights according to human needs. As a matter of fact, freedom of expression is considered by all people, including by Cambodian people, to be an important element of life, important for communication, for the exchange of opinions, in order to use freedom to make life peaceful, prosperous, and useful in the same way for everybody.
“Samdech Hun Sen stated that Cambodia has, at the present time, approximately more than 2,000 non-government organizations, and approximately nearly 500 publications, none of which is censored. Cambodia has about 15 different journalists’ associations. All of them operate freely in Cambodia, and especially the meetings to discuss human rights issue are all a clear evidence for the strong will of the Royal Government to promote and to respect rights and human dignity in the real life of society.
“Cambodia has many means for expressions, starting from printing, broadcasting, films, demonstrations, and strikes, up to elections.
Mr. Om Yentieng, the president of Cambodian Human Rights Committee, said that ASEM selected Cambodia to host the 8th Informal ASEM Seminar on Human Rights under the topic ‘Freedom of Expression,’ which was held for three days (from 26 to 28 September 2007) in Siem Reap. It is another political milestone for Cambodia to have hosted this international seminar with the participation of 43 countries [sic] – 27 European and 16 Asian countries, and observers from European governments [and civil society organizations] and from the ASEAN Secretariat, approximately 120 people.
“ASEM is a forum to promote cooperation of the countries in Asia and Europe based on discussions to strengthen mutual understanding between Asia and Europe, to build confidence, and to promote cooperation in economic and social development.
“At the ASEM ministerial level meeting in Singapore in February 1997, Sweden and France had suggested the creation of Informal ASEM Seminars on Human Rights. The initiative was approved, to promote through discussions mutual understanding and cooperation between Europe and Asia. Then since 1997, ASEM has arranged such seminars on human rights already seven times.
“The first workshop was held in Lund, Sweden, in December 1997, under the topic “Access to Justice; regional and national particularities in the administration of justice; monitoring the administration of justice.” The 7th workshop was held in Budapest, Hungary, in February 2006, under the topic “Human Rights and Ethnic, Linguistic, and Religious Minorities.”
“The 8th Informal ASEM Seminar on Human Rights is to discuss issues of “Freedom of Expression” as stated in Article 19 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.15, #4401, 28.9.2007
Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:
Friday, 28 September 2007
Cheat, Vol.10, #225, 28.9.2007
- Criminals Kong Siem and Yeay [grandmother] Vit Set Up Sawmills; 25 Large Scale Sawmills Operate in Srae Nouy [Varin, Siem Reap]
Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.6, #1456, 28.9.2007
- Samdech Chea Sim Receives Honorary Doctor’s Degree of Philosophy in Development Integration from Ubon Ratchathani University of the Kingdom of Thailand
- Burmese Military Leaders Cruelly Suppress Demonstrators
Khmer Machas Srok, Vol.1, #34, 28-29.9.2007
- Mr. Sam Rainsy Encourages Young People Who Reach the Age [of voting] to Register for Elections; Mr. Mao Mony Vann [Sam Rainsy Party parliamentarian from Kompong Cham]: Voting Hun Sen Out Is to Get Rid of [Vietnamese] Immigrants
- Son Chhay [SRP parliamentarian, Phnom Penh]: Issue of National Road 4 with AZ Company Is Corruption Immensely Stealing from the Nation
- Beside Cambodian People’s Party, No One Has the Right to Open Radio or Television Stations
Khmer Mekong, Vol.5, #301, 28-29.9.2007
- US Spends More Than $14 Million for Promotion of Human Rights and Radio Free Asia Broadcasts to Vietnam
Koh Santepheap, Vol.40, #6156, 28.9.2007
- Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia and United Nations Development Program Push Tribunal Staff to Respect Regulations
- During Nine Months, 277 Cases of Traffic Accidents Occurred in Kompong Thom: 92 People Died and 427 Were Injured
- Burmese Government Suppresses Demonstrations, Worldwide Shock
Moneaksekar Khmer, Vol.14, #3275, 28.9.2007
- UN and World Bank Seek to Confiscate Property of Cambodia’s Family Tree [UNDP and World Bank plan investigation into $1 billion taken every year]
- Parliamentarian Yim Sovann [Sam Rainsy Party, from Phnom Penh] Sues Hen Vuthea, Pursat Police Commissioner, for Issuing Khmer Identification Cards to Yuons [Vietnamese]
Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.15, #4401, 28.9.2007
- Samdech Hun Sen: ‘I Don’t Want to See Any Journalist Jailed for Writing Articles’
- Samdech Hun Sen: ‘An ASEAN Human Rights Institution Must Be Created, Because It Is a Long-Term Goal of ASEAN’ [reporting from 8th ASEM workshop, addressing the delegations from more than 40 Asian and European countries]
- Radio and Television Are Still Popular and Effective Vehicles of Information [says Khieu Kanharith, Minister of Information, at a workshop on the roles of radio and TV in the development of Cambodia, organized by the Royal Academy]
- Human Rights Party Asks International Community to Intervene with Burmese Government [over demonstrations]
- Khmuonh Subdistrict of the Cambodian People’s Party Receives 422 New Members [from Sam Rainsy Party, Norodom Ranariddh Party, and Khmer Democratic Party – Russey Keo, Phnom Penh]
Sralanh Khmer, Vol.3, #516, 28.9.2007
- Lu Laysreng [Senior Minister and Minister of Rural Development] Says in 2020, Cambodia Will Become a Big Donor Country and No Longer Beg
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