Children’s saviour Richner dead at 71

DR BEAT “Beatocello” Richner, the founder of the Kantha Bopha Children’s Hospitals, passed away in his native Switzerland at 2:45am on Sunday after a battle with a serious illness, Minister of Health Mom Bun Heng told The Post on Sunday. He was 71.

“Dr Richner leaves behind a n e x c e p t i o n a l l e g a c y deserving admiration,” said a Kantha Bopha Foundation statement on Sunday.

“Afflicted by a serious illness, he left Cambodia last year and returned to his native Zurich, where he spent the last months of his life.

“He left everything behind to answer the call of [former king of Cambodia] Norodom Sihanouk, who asked him to rebuild the children’s hospital in Phnom Penh, destroyed during the reign of terror of the Khmer Rouge,” it said.

Bun Heng said: “I am very regretful and deeply mourning the death of Dr Beat Richner, the founder of Kantha Bopha Children’s Hospitals. I will organise a formal memorial for Richner at 3pm [on Monday] at the Ministry of Health.”

Regarding the memorial for Richner, the minister said it will be open to the public.

However, “those wishing

other than its elected leaders.We know that the EBA’s continuity will be based on the country’s economic growth. First, [EBA] would be phased out, then the implementation of a lower tax would remain,” he said.

CNRP deputy leader Mu Sochua said on Saturday that she expects a strong stance from the EU and the UNHRC.

“The death of democracy in Cambodia remains high on the EU and UNHRC agenda. And there will be a strong call for the immediate and unconditional release of Sokha,” she said.

The deputy Asia Director at Human Rights Watch Phil Robertson said Cambodia is facing a rough road over the next month as the European Parliament and UNHRC are likely to issue resolutions and joint statements, and carry out interventions that will hit Phnom Penh’s “human rights abusing record and the recent sham election which was neither genuine, free nor fair”.

“The [European Parliament] is also likely to pass a hard-hitting resolution that will significantly impact the European Commission’s decision to start the formal review to take away Cambodia’s trade benefits under the ‘Everything But Arms’ scheme.

“Efforts to issue a resolution against Cambodia are also afoot at the Human Rights Council,” he claimed.

He claimed that diplomats in Brussels and Geneva did not believe Cambodia’s claim of a colour revolution.

“In fact, when Cambodian diplomatic representatives brought up that pathetic storyline, diplomats in both Brussels and Geneva just shook their heads and laughed in disbelief,” he said.

He also claimed that the criticism expected in the coming weeks will be down to problems of Prime Minister Hun Sen and his ruling Cambodian People’s Party’s own making.