VZCZCXRO2335
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHPF #0514/01 0760827
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 170827Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6285
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM  PRIORITY
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 1348

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PHNOM PENH 000514 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS; GENEVA FOR RMA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KJUS CB
SUBJECT: CAMBODIA'S PM MEETS WITH NGOS TO DISCUSS LAND, 
WOMEN'S ISSUES 
 
 
 ¶1.  (SBU)  Summary.  On March 15, PM Hun Sen met with 
representatives of 10 NGOs to discuss land disputes and 
women's issues.  NGO oncerns regarding land issues centered 
on illegal government concessions of large tracts of land, 
lack of local community involvement in land development, 
slowness in the land titling process, and possible NGO 
cooperation with the RGC's newly proposed National Authority. 
 On women's issues, NGOs would like the RGC to expedite the 
implementation of the domestic violence law, take tougher 
judicial action against repeat offenders of abuses against 
women and children, and establish a government-managed 
shelter for female victims of rape, domestic violence and 
trafficking.  The PM's response was positive; he acknowledged 
all the problems raised by the NGOs, invited them to join the 
National Authority to resolve land disputes and demurred on 
establishing a shelter saying it's too costly.  The NGOs 
remain skeptical of Hun Sen's intentions, but are considering 
how best to work with the RGC on these important topics.  The 
PM reportedly told the NGOs he would not meet with UN Special 
Representative for Human Rights Yash Ghai during Ghai's next 
visit to Cambodia.  End Summary. 
 
NGO Agenda with the PM 
---------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U)  On March 14, LICADHO founder Kek Galabru outlined to 
Pol/Econ Chief the PM's agreement to meet with Cambodian 
Center for Human Rights (CCHR) leader Kem Sokha and others, 
including Kek Galabru, the following day at the PM's 
residence.  The NGOs had met earlier in the week to discuss 
their agenda, and settled on the topics of land disputes and 
women's issues.  With respect to land issues, the NGOs are 
concerned over the non-transparent process by which the 
government has granted land concessions to different 
companies, often far exceeding the legally mandated limit of 
10,000 hectares.  In addition, in cases where the land 
concession purportedly includes local community development, 
Galabru said that companies rarely solicit input from the 
affected communities.  She cited a recent case in which the 
company granted the concession did work out a development 
plan with the local community, and suggested that it should 
be the model for all such future concessions.  On land 
titling, the process is moving very slowly and is not keeping 
pace with people's needs.  The 2001 land law established that 
people who had lived on their property uncontested for at 
least five years were considered eligible to apply for a 
title, but many people did not know how to go about getting a 
title or were unaware of the law.  According to LICADHO, 
there are many cases of people bribing officials to illegally 
receive land titles and then trying to evict people from 
their land. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  On cooperation with the government-proposed 
National Authority, Galabru said she remains skeptical of the 
government body but agreed that the NGOs should find a way to 
work with it as long as there is some prospect for making 
progress on contentious land issues.  She said that two NGOs 
specializing in legal work -- the Cambodian Defenders Project 
and Legal Aid, may join the National Authority as they have 
the lawyers and expertise to push the issues in a legal 
manner.  The other NGOs likely will form a working group and 
collaborate with the National Authority. 
 
¶4.  (U)  Concerning women's issues, Galabru said that the 
implementation of the domestic violence law was a key 
concern, as was the weak judicial response to repeat 
offenders of abuse against women and children.  On 
trafficking in particular, the NGOs would like the government 
to establish a shelter for women who have been raped, abused, 
or trafficked so that they are properly protected.  Galabru 
cited the AFESIP shelter's problems in December 2004, as well 
as a similar situation earlier in 2004 involving the 
Cambodian Women's Crisis Center's (CWCC) shelter as examples 
of why the government should take more responsibility to 
protect female victims.  In both instances, the NGOs were 
unable to prevent large crowds of angry protesters and 
purported relatives from removing the women from the 
shelters. 
 
PM Meets with NGOs; Acknowledges Problems 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  On March 15, Prime Minister Hun Sen, Deputy PM Sok 
An, Eng Chhay Eang from the Sam Rainsy Party, Minister Men 
Sam An of the Ministry for National Assembly/Senate 
Relations, Minister Im Chhum Lim of the Ministry of Land 
Management, Minister Mok Mareth of the Ministry of 
 
PHNOM PENH 00000514  002 OF 002 
 
 
Environment, PM advisor Om Yentieng, and a government lawyer. 
 Ten NGOs were represented, including Kem Sokha from CCHR, 
Kek Galabru of LICADHO, Sok Sam Oeun from the Cambodian 
Defenders Project (CDP), Ok Vandeth from Legal Aid, Ms. Ung 
Chanthol from CWCC, Ms. Ros Sopheap from the Gender and 
Development Project, Ms. Hor Phally from a domestic violence 
NGO, Nhek Sarin of Cambodia Star, Nehk Vanna of Youth 
Volunteer Community for Democracy and Pa Nguon Teang of CCHR 
(notetaker). 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  The PM was aware that the topics for discussion 
would be land disputes and women's issues.  Before the NGOs 
had an opportunity to outline the issues of concern to the 
government officials, the PM reportedly pre-empted them by 
acknowledging all the major problems in both sectors.  Kek 
Galabru said that Hun Sen recognizes the same issues as the 
NGOs as requiring government intervention.  The PM accepted 
the recommendations from the NGOs, but it is too soon to know 
how quickly and how strongly they will be implemented. 
According to CCHR's Kem Sokha, the PM reportedly told the 
group that he would order provincial police authorities to 
release from detention protesters whose land has been 
confiscated in the provinces of Takeo, Kompong Speu, Kratie, 
and Ratanakiri. 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  Kek Galabru said the PM showed them a newly signed 
sub-decree that more specifically names the members of the 
National Authority, and follows on the February decree 
establishing the National Authority.  Included in the 
sub-decree are 45 people, including National Police 
Commissioner Hok Lundy.  Galabru said the composition of the 
National Authority contains too many people who have vested 
interests in illegal land grabs, and she is skeptical that 
the National Authority will function properly.  The sheer 
number of people and Ministries involved also does not lend 
itself for efficient bureaucracy, she noted. 
 
¶8.  (SBU)  As to NGO participation in the National Authority, 
Galabru said that Sok Som Oeun and Ok Vandeth are still 
considering whether to join the body or remain outside in the 
NGO working group.  Galabru and the others will form a 
working group and interface with the National Authority on 
cases that come to the NGO's attention.  Galabru said that 
Hun Sen understood the NGO position, but left the door open 
to future participation.  The PM told the group to wait and 
see how well the National Authority functions; if the NGOs 
are interested, they can join in the future. 
 
¶9.  (SBU)  At one point in the conversation, the topic 
reportedly turned to UN Special Representative for Human 
Rights Yash Ghai, and the PM allegedly told the NGOs that he 
would not meet with Yash Ghai in the future.  According to 
Kek Galabru, the PM said the Ghai had no right to criticize 
the situation in Cambodia and provide recommendations to the 
Prime Minister.  Hun Sen said that Yash Ghai was no 
improvement over Peter Leuprecht, the former UN Human Rights 
representative to Cambodia. 
 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶10.  (SBU)  The meeting lasted three-and-a-half hours and was 
very cordial, according to NGO sources.  The high-level 
participation by the government side was particularly 
striking, and it appears the government was trying its best 
to enlist NGO support for their proposed National Authority. 
Nevertheless, the NGOs will likely retain their independence 
for the time being, choosing to work outside the government 
body.  Interestingly, Yeng Virak and the Community Legal 
Education Center (CLEC) -- one of the NGOs most involved in 
land disputes -- was not a participant.  Virak was one of the 
organizers of the Human Rights Day celebration that resulted 
in his and Kem Sokha's arrest.  Since their release, the two 
activists have occasionally criticized each other in the 
press -- Virak never submitted a letter of apology to Hun Sen 
and was critical of Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha's approach to 
reconciliation with the government.  We had heard, however, 
that CLEC might be interested in joining the National 
Authority.  It would appear that they still have not mended 
fences.  End Comment. 
Mussomeli