New Head of Human Rights Committee
New Head of Human Rights Committee
Keo Remy, a Council of Ministers secretary of state and former member of the opposition, will replace Mak Sambath as the head of the Cambodia Human Rights Committee (CHRC), according to a Royal Decree issued last Wednesday.
Mr. Remy was appointed to the position by King Norodom Sihamoni, who also appointed Mr. Sambath as an undersecretary
of state in the Council of Ministers.
So far Mr. Remy has declined to comment on the new positions. A press conference is scheduled at the CHRC’s Toul Kork headquarters today.
Mr. Remy has had an interesting life in Cambodian politics. He was born on September 13, 1963, and started his political career with the Funcinpec Party, where he was referred to as the son-in-law of senior official Chhim Siek Leng, a close ally of then-party president Prince Norodom Ranariddh.
In 1995 he left Funcinpec to establish the Khmer National Party, later to become the Sam Rainsy Party, alongside Mr. Rainsy.
He stood and won a seat in the election in 1998 and again in 2003.
He left the Sam Rainsy Party in 2007 to join Cambodia National Rescue Party acting president Kem Sokha’s Human Rights Party, but defected to the ruling Cambodian People’s Party in 2008 after being denied a spot in the National Assembly that year.
In 2010, Mr. Remy was appointed to the National Council Against Corruption and was appointed vice-president of the government’s Human Rights Committee in May last year.
Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan said Mr. Remy’s latest position was assigned to him with great confidence.
Mr. Sambath had already vouched for his replacement.
“This is a new position for me. I have already announced that… this change has no reason…and Keo Remy has enough ability” he said.
The decree said the reorganization of the CHRC is meant to help the government preserve, develop and promote human rights in Cambodia. This committee acts as a watchdog to address abuses and complaints, research human rights cases, evaluate police action and promote public and governmental awareness for human rights.
According to a 124-page report released by Amnesty International last year, Cambodia does not comply with international human rights standards, despite the country being bound to United Nations standards of freedom of expression.
Amnesty International has implored the Cambodian government to respect human rights, especially for peaceful protesters, which they say police have a history of meeting with excessive force.
