Smith calls for fairness in evicting VN families
THE UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Cambodia, Rhona Smith, on Thursday called on t he government to be fair and transparent when handling t he issue of t he ev icted Vietnamese families in Kampong Chhnang prov ince.
She made the statement during a press briefing at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on the last day of her 11-day v isit to t he Kingdom, where she had met senior government of ficia ls, representatives of civ il societ y and members of the diplomatic community.
After travelling to t he province to investigate t he relocation plan, she concluded t hat t here is “undoubtedly” a need to ensure t he availabilit y and sustainable management of water and sanitation for t he v ictims and to conser ve the Tonle Sap la ke and rivers resources.
“The [Kampong Chhnang] prov incia l aut horit y a lso recognised the need to ensure t hat t he relocation plan will not leave the people worse off, which would go against government’s effort i n pov- ert y reduction,” she said.
She added that some of the affected people are among the poorest in the region and t hat t he majorit y of t hem do not have identification documents granting them access to basic ser v ices and rights.
Smith a lso noted that the authorit y has been working with a private company to build infrastructure, such as roads, and supply utilities such as electricit y and clean water in one of the proposed relocation sites.
However, she found t hat ot her relocation sites are st ill lack ing appropriate infrastr ucture.
“I urge the government to improve the ways i n which it addresses t he complex issues of land rights, t hrough more transparency, fairness and by ensuring a holistic approach to sett ling land disputes when considering relocation. Only through this would no one be left behind,” she said.
During her meeting with Interior Minister Sar Kheng on Wednesday, Smith expressed concern about the relocation plan, saying it would contravene human rights.
But Sar Kheng argued that it is t he responsibilit y of t he aut horities to improve sanitation and protect t he env ironment.
He said t he aut horities paid much attention to the human rights aspects of whatever t hey did. No rights were v iolated nor properties confiscated as they abided by the law when maintaining order.
Kampong Chhnang provincial deputy governor, Sun Sovannarith, said the authority has clear plans in preparation for the relocation.
“There would be no problem for t heir children to access education because [school] is close to t heir houses and there is no discrimination against t he Vietnamese people,” he said.