Group Laments Weakened 1991 Accords
On the anniversary of the 1991 Paris Peace Accords, a US group said it regretted the accords' promise had not been fulfilled. (23 Octob
On the anniversary of the 1991 Paris Peace Accords, whichbrought an end to decades of civil strife in Cambodia, a US group saidit regretted the government had not worked to fulfill the promises of the peaceagreement. Nineteen countries, including Cambodia,Britain, France, Laos,Thailand, the US and Vietnam, signed the Peace AccordsOct. 23, 1991, putting an end to hostilities between warring factions andpaving the way for a constitution and elections. The anniversary of the accords ceased being a Cambodianpublic holiday in 2004. Cambodiahas ignored the tenets of the accords, including the respect of human rightsand principles of democracy, said Yap Kim Tung, president of CambodianAmericans for Human Rights and Democracy. Yap Kim Tung said the three branches of government,legislative, executive and judicial, are controlled by a single individual,while the freedoms of expression and press are sensitive points for the rulinggovernment. The government has failed to stanch pervasive land grabsnationwide, driving farmers into deeper poverty, often at the hands ofhigh-ranking officials, he said. Yap Kim Tung also said the endorsement in 2005 of aCambodian-Vietnamese treaty from 1985 was contrary to the spirit of the 1991accords. Ir Channa, general secretary of the Cambodia WatchdogCouncil, based in Norway, told VOA Khmer the 2005 endorsement cost the loss ofthousands of hectares of Cambodian land, and 30,000 square kilometers ofmaritime territory. The treaty should be annulled, according to the principlesof the 1991 accords, he said. Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan said thegovernment was implementing full respect for human rights and democracy, andhad strived to have a multi-party democracy with the inclusion of civilsociety. Meanwhile, the government was working diplomatically tosolve disputed border issues with neighboring countries, he said. However, critics say it was the failure of the government tosolve border issues which has led to a military build-up with Thailand on the northern border,which last week devolved into a series of gun battles, killing at least oneThai and three Cambodian soldiers.