Cambodian Foreign Minister: UN Human Rights Office To Close '15 February 2011'

Phnom Penh 28 December-- Kampuchea Thmey

Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong, minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, told reporters at the ministry on 27 December 2010 morning that the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights [UNHCR] in Cambodia would officially be closed on 15 February 2011 because that office did not get information from various quarters and wrongly reported the real situation in Cambodia.

On the current threat to close the office of the UNHCR in Cambodia, DPM Hor Namhong briefly said that we had signed a memorandum of understanding [MOU] on the mandate expiring on 1 January 2011, and that it will also end at that time.

To reporters' question about his views when the deputy UN High Commissioner come to see him, DPM Hor Namhong briefly said that he had not yet received this information.

It should be pointed out that the Royal Government of Cambodia [RGC] has threatened to close the office of the UNHCR in Cambodia because this office work to serve only organizations opposing the government, and only serves as spokesman of opposition parties.

The RGC has genuinely worked to respect human rights and for development. Whatever the office of the UNHCR had been reporting did not have a clear basis and attacked the government through reports the way opposition parties and nongovernmental organizations wanted. This is contrary to the real situation in Cambodia.