Phnom Penh (FN), July 18 – The Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Cambodia to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations at Geneva has urged all UN agencies to not interfere with the Cambodian court in implementing the rule of law.

The Permanent Mission has released a statement in response to a July 7th statement regarding the release of five detainees on 29 June 2017 and to the clearance of one of the OHCHR field office’s staff from legal proceedings by Lis Throssell, spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

“As a democratic country adhering to the application of the rule of law, together with a high record of ratifying core international human rights instruments, the Government does its best to ensure all Cambodian citizens and entities operating in this country are equally treated- irrespective of their status, whether they are human rights defenders or civil society organizations or political activists,” according to the Statement of the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

“Unfortunately, it has widely been observed that some civil societies and NGOs have quite frequently distorted facts, spread lies, and exacerbated or dramatized rare cases in order to undermine the legitimacy of state’s institution including the judiciary. In this regard, we urge the United Nations agents not to hold prejudice towards the independent functioning of the judiciary in the application of rule of law; as doing so is tantamount to act of contempt of court,” the statement added.

Full statement is available below.
=FRESH NEWS