“Cambodian indigenous people had everything and didn’t need anything.” said Mr. Sun Suon, Cambodian diplomat based in Switzerland. His speech during UN panel on discrimination was obviously contradicted to the real situation of minority groups in Cambodia.
Throughout articles about rejection over Khmer Krom identification card demanding and Souy ancestral land over-lapped published on Wednesday and Thursday the same week, it could be evidence that the livelihood of ethnic people is still in the need of urgent solutions.
Mr. Suon responded to questions of UN regarding minorities without fully understanding. He should have spent much time with those victims to see clearly the exact situation. His statement could discourage foreign intention toward promoting ethnic capacity to strike against other problems mainly discrimination, poverty, diseases, illiteracy, rights, and trafficking.
Sending experts to the panel is a great opportunity for Cambodia to voice out difficulties ethnics facing and ask for helps. However, by sending delegation, Cambodian government was claimed lacking commitment to rights of ethnic minorities. Mr. Mak Sambath’s words saying ambassador’s answers is the same as government’s could be the reason, but none of answers is appropriate to current issues.
My concerns are above but I hope that government would not ignore those minorities and rethink about importance of them in society by taking as much actions as possible to help and make them feel like they are under care and protection like other people. Government should send experts who well versed in particular issues to raise up concerns in next conferences.
Channpheaktra Hong and Hiemkhemra Suy
University Students
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