Europe to discuss Sokha’s detention
THE European Parliament is set to hold urgent debates on selected human rights, democracy and rule of law topics on Thurs d a y i n St r a s b o ur g , France, a briefing released by the body said last week.
Discussion on Cambodia will centre on the imprisonment of court-dissolved Cam- bodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) leader Kem Sokha.
Sokha has been behind bars on treason charges since his arrest in September last year. The Supreme Court denied his fifth bail request last month.
Many Western countries and international human rights organisations have demanded Sokha’s release, calling his arrest arbitrary.
The EU is considering ending Cambodia’s access to its Everything But Arms (EBA) trade preference scheme – allowing the Kingdom tarifffree exports to the 28-nation bloc – and has called for the reinstatement of the outlawed CNRP.
Moreover, the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) will hold its 39t h reg ular session from September 10-28, with human rights in Cambodia to be debated on September 26, ac c ord i ng to it s tent at i ve agenda.
Several human rights violation cases from various countries will be highlighted during the meetings, followed by the issuance of a non-legislative resolution on the same day.
Council of Ministers spokes- man Phay Siphan said, irrespective of what the results debates are, Cambodia will not obey anyone as it is an independent state and EBA would eventually end at some point anyway.
“Cambodia is an independent state. We don’t obey anyone that tries to rule the Kingdom
to pay their respects should notify the ministry to avoid a situation where everybody comes at the same time . . . as space at the ministry is very tight”.
Bun Heng added: “We are very sad. We have lost one of the strongest supporters to have helped Cambodia, and [a man who] saved [millions] of Cambodian children’s lives.”
Kantha Bopha Foundation deputy director Dr Denis Laurent said he would be meeting with his team at the Kantha Bopha hospital on Monday and organise a traditional Cambodian memorial.
“Regarding the Kantha Bopha hospital, I have told my team [and] we will meet [on Monday] morning. We will organise a ceremony,” Dr Laurent said.
Richner “stepped down from his position as managing director of the Kantha Bopha hospitals in Cambodia” on March 28, last year, according to the Foundation of Children’s Hospitals Kantha Bopha. He did not make further public appearances because of his illness.
Richner received his medical degree in 1973 and specialised in paediatrics. He was sent to Cambodia in 1974 and 1975 by the Swiss Red Cross to work at the Kantha Bopha Children’s Hospital, according to the Dr Beat Richner website.
He was forced to return to Switzerland and worked at the Zurich Children’s Hospital, his previous posting. In 1980 he opened a practice in Zurich.
In December 1991, Richner was asked by the Cambodian government to rebuild and manage the Kantha Bopha Children’s Hospital, which had been destroyed during Cambodia’s civil war, a call he answered.
On September 22, 1992, the Kantha Bopha I hospital was inaugurated in Phnom Penh, with it fully operational on November 2.
Over the following years, the hospital was progressively extended and modified to meet the most urgent needs of its patients.
Kantha Bopha Children’s Hospitals have been operating for 26 years and have saved the lives of millions of Cambodian children.
A talented and keen cellist, Richner would regularly hold performances to raise funds to support the Kantha Bopha Children’s Hospitals, which employ more than 2,500 personnel.