Phnom Penh (FN), Sept. 30 -- Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn return from New York. They have just participated in the first week of the work of the UN General Assembly. On the sidelines of this work, they had numerous meetings, in particular with the Secretary General of the UN, Mr. Antonio Guterres, but also with many representatives of different States. Cambodia was entrusted with one of the Vice-Presidencies for this 73rd session of the General Assembly. This provided Mr. Prak Sokhonn with the opportunity to lead the debates of this world parliament.

In his speech to representatives of the international community, Prime Minister Hun Sen recalled the tremendous turnout that characterized the recent national election. He took the opportunity to address the few who deny any legitimacy to this election : “By their votes, Cambodians reaffirmed their desire for peace, stability and long-lasting sustainable development. Indeed, the free choice of the Cambodian people and the legitimate result of this election is not a subject for question or debate. Some external circles, who have fed on ambition to interfere in the domestic affairs of Cambodia, still fail to see the quality and integrity of our election process by issuing statements against or attacking the election outcome. Such actions are a serious assault on the will of the Cambodian people.”

He denounced the attitude of certain great powers who exploit for purely political purposes international law, the question of human rights and that of democracy and which, by denying the sovereignty of peoples, intend to impose, depending on the circumstances, their model of society : “We are heartedly regretful to highlight the fact that human rights nowadays have become "a mission to impose civilization" for some powerful nations or, perhaps, as their operating standards as the pretext for interference under the name of political right protection.” “As a result, the imposition of unilateral sanctions has become a popular weapon of powerful nations in managing their international politics, which is completely driven by their geopolitical agendas.

This is nothing but a use of the brutal force of a particular state to impose its will on other sovereign states. In a world, where the eras of imperialism and colonialism became the history, we have to acknowledge that not all nations in this General Assembly shall follow the governing model of any country. Big countries should not attempt to install their administrative system on other small countries, because those small countries also possess sovereignty and legitimate aspiration to maintain their own identities. In the modern-days of interdependence, such an old style coercive mind-set should be put to rest. Together, both big and small countries, must respect one another and uphold the rules of the international law and the Charter of the United Nations.”

How can the Cambodian Prime Minister not be right? We are witnessing daily the hypocrisy of those who claim to defend "principles and values", but only when it comes to countries to which they do not buy oil or do not sale weapons. This hypocrisy, it was confirmed to me last July, during a talk with an official of the European Union who, with regard to possible sanctions against Cambodia, declared to me: "with Cambodia, we can all allow ourselves, this does not cost us anything ".

This arrogance and contempt must not impress. One cannot but find mediocre the vexation and the will of revenge of those whose protégés failed to provoke in Cambodia a regime change outside the constitutional rules. What Cambodians must remember today is the many expressions of sympathy and esteem addressed by many Heads of State and Government; it is the quality welcome reserved in New Yok to Samdech Hun Sen and His Excellency Prak Sokhonn; it is the reputation of a Cambodia which has recovered in the world the brightness of the sixties.

Dr Raoul M. JENNAR
Political scientist
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