Hopes pinned on new UN Special Rapportuer for human rights

Ben Sokhean / Khmer Times

March 31, 2021

Vitit Muntarbhorn has been appointed the new UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia. Facebook

As Thai scholar Vitit Muntarbhorn is set to take up his role as the new UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia tomorrow, government officials, human rights experts and analysts have expressed optimism that the first UN’s human rights envoy to Cambodia from an Asean nation will play an important role to promote human rights in the Kingdom.

The Human Rights Council last week officially appointed Vitit as UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, replacing an outspoken Briton Rhona Smith who completed her two, three-year term mandates. Government spokesman Phay Siphan said yesterday the government welcomes a new UN Special Rapporteur to promote human rights in Cambodia, rather than one who points at or blames the government.

“But we do not want to see him play the role as a court or a policeman. We also do not want to see him as a jeerer,” he said.

Siphan added that Cambodia pays close attention to human rights issues, saying Special Rapporteurs are “partners” with the government.

“Cambodia wants to tell the world that we care deeply about respect for human rights. Cambodia has the right not to accept the UN Special Rapporteurs on human rights, [but the government won’t do that], we want them to help to strengthen the human rights,” he said.

Since 1993, Cambodia has accepted nationals of six countries as Special Rapporteurs or Special Representatives of the UN Secretary-General. They are Michael Kirby (1993 to 1996) from Australia; Thomas Hammarberg (2000 to 2005) from Sweden; Peter Leuprecht (2000 to 2005) from Austria; Yash Ghai (2005 to 2008) from ; Surya Prasad Subedi (2009 to 2015) from and Rhona Smith (2015 to 2021) from the .

According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), before 2008, the Cambodia mandate was held by a Special Representative of the Secretary- General for human rights in Cambodia. The mandate-holder was appointed by the UN’s Secretary-General, although they still reported to the Human Rights Council.

On his appointment, Smith said Vitit is very experienced international lawyer and Southeast Asian academic.

Vitit has served on many UN bodies, including formerly the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in South Korea as well as Special Rapporteur of the UN Commission on Human Rights on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography.

He was the chair of the International Commission of Inquiry on the Ivory Coast in 2011 and was one of the commissioners of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria from 2012 to 2016.

He was designated in September 2016 as the first UN Independent Expert on violence and discrimination based on and by the Human Rights Council. He is also an international law .

He was educated in the United Kingdom, obtaining his undergraduate and graduate law degrees from Oxford University. He also holds a degree in European law from the Free University of Brussels.

Paul Chambers, a Lecturer and Special Advisor on International Affairs at the Center of ASEAN Community Studies, Naresuan University in , said via an email that Vitit is “well- qualified” as the UN’s human rights envoy to Cambodia. “I know Vitit personally. Vitit’s expertise are his long years as a Chulalongkorn University law professor at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand where he specialised in international human rights law,” he said.

“He was also previously another UN rapporteur back in 1990 to 1994. He is certainly well- qualified,” he added.

Chin Malin, vice president of the Cambodian Human Rights Committee (CHRC), has said that the government welcomes and expects the new Special Rapporteur to cooperate to promote human rights in Cambodia.

Malin also expressed his expectation that Vitit will be able to work “honestly” with all stakeholders in Cambodia, including the government, political parties, civil society organisations, as well as opposition groups.

Chak Sopheap, executive director of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights said yesterday that Vitit’s experience give her confidence in his ability as the UN’s human rights envoy to Cambodia.

“Professor Vitit Muntarbhorn’s experience in the human rights field, his interest in Cambodia and the wider South-East Asian region, as well as his well-known hard-working attitude, give me every confidence in his ability to carry out his duties as Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Cambodia,” she said.

Sopheap noted Vitit was the first UN Independent Expert on violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and co-chair of the drafting committee of the .

“He was awarded the UNESCO Prize for Human Rights Education. I had the pleasure of meeting Professor Muntarbhorn on a number of occasions of his visit to Cambodia and at international meetings and his respectfulness, professionalism and extensive human rights knowledge made a lasting impression,” she said.

Sopheap said CCHR looks forward to collaborating with the new Special Rapporteur, “in every way we can, to bring about concrete, positive and long-term change in Cambodia”.

“Professor Muntarbhorn’s appointment comes at a time when human rights in Cambodia have hit an all-time low,” she added. “Great tasks and challenges undoubtedly lie ahead of him. It is our hope that all stakeholders who have proclaimed their commitment to human rights will genuinely engage with Professor Muntarbhorn, maximising his chances of success, for the benefit of all Cambodians.”

Contacted yesterday, Malin who is also a secretary of state at the Ministry of Justice, said that the government is looking forward to meeting Vitit on his upcoming visits to Cambodia.

“When he goes on a formal mission, he will definitely be asked to visit Cambodia. He can request a meeting with government agencies, and the Cambodian Human Rights Committee will be happy to meet with him to discuss the work” he said. “We have always worked with previous Special Rapporteurs, including Rhona Smith. We always met her as requested,” he added.

Details: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50832173/hopes-pinned-on-new-un-special-rapportuer-for- human-rights/