PHNOM PENH (18 October 2016) – “The unfinished business of the Paris Peace Accords is the human rights framework,” said Ms. Wan-Hea Lee, Country Representative for OHCHR, this morning. Ms. Lee spoke at a conference for the Paris Peace Agreements’ 25th anniversary, organized by the Cooperation Committee for Cambodia.
“…When compared to 25 years ago,” she noted, “we see today ordinary people generally fighting for their livelihoods instead of their lives. There is no comparison with that time, when Cambodia was torn apart by the horrors of the genocide and civil war. There are indeed many reasons to celebrate today.
“But peace is much more than the absence of war. Is Cambodia today at peace? If human rights issues are potential causes of conflict, the way to mitigate them, then, should be clear”: through better protection of human rights. Read her full statement in English.