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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHPF #2048 3210754
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 170754Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7613
INFO RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA IMMEDIATE 1557
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 2199

C O N F I D E N T I A L PHNOM PENH 002048 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, IO/UNP; USUN FOR JOAN PLAISTED 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/17/2016 
TAGS: PREL PHUM UNGA CB
SUBJECT: CAMBODIAN MFA OFFICIAL ON HR RESOLUTIONS 
 
REF: A. A) STATE 187018 
     ¶B. B) PLAISTED 11/14 EMAIL 
 
Classified By: Pol/Econ Chief Margaret McKean; Reason 1.4 (b) (d) 
 
 ¶1.  (C)  On November 16, P/E Chief met with Sun Suon, 
Director of the MFA's International Organizations Department 
that handles UN affairs, to provide demarche points 
concerning the proposed Belarus resolutions (reftel a).  Suon 
noted that normal practice is for the Cambodian Permrep in 
New York to pass copies of "sensitive" resolutions to Phnom 
Penh for guidance and instructions.  Suon then forwards the 
resolutions to FM Hor Namhong for a decision along with a 
recommendation.  Suon added that he had earlier received the 
draft human rights resolutions on Burma and North Korea from 
Cambodian Permrep Chem Widya.  The others, he noted, had not 
been provided to him and therefore the expectation is that 
they will be handled as in past years.  Likewise, Suon had 
not seen anything proposed by Belarus, and thought it 
unlikely Cambodia would support them.  He anticipated Chem 
Widya would be absent from any vote; P/E Chief noted that the 
USG would appreciate Cambodia voting against the three 
Belarus resolutions aimed at the United States. 
 
¶2.  (C)  On Burma, he said that Cambodia would join with 
other ASEAN states and vote yes to any no action motion.  If 
the resolution comes to a vote, however (and he thought it 
likely to happen), Cambodia will vote against the resolution. 
 Suon said he recommended that Cambodia abstain or be absent 
from the vote, but the FM decided that Cambodia would vote no 
to the resolution.  (Note:  Suon's remarks track with 
comments by Cambodian Permrep to USUN outlined in ref b.  End 
Note.)  If the resolution goes to a vote, Suon predicted 
ASEAN would split.  He suggested that Singapore and the 
Philippines would likely vote yes, he was not certain how 
Thailand or Indonesia would vote, and the rest of ASEAN -- 
including Cambodia -- would vote no.  Burma's military, he 
said, was dangerous, unpredictable, and well trained; 
Cambodia believes it preferable to engage, rather than 
isolate them.  P/E Chief pointed out that the PM has been 
more critical of Burma over the past year, and had offered to 
be more supportive of isolating Burma within ASEAN.  Sun Suon 
responded that the PM's position on such issues (i.e., an 
ASEAN neighbor) is not firm. 
 
¶3.  (C)  On the North Korea resolution, Suon mentioned that 
the North Korean Ambassador had demarched him on the 
resolution.  Suon reportedly explained that Cambodia remains 
concerned over the situation in North Korea, and cannot vote 
against the resolution -- a likelier course of action would 
be to abstain or not be present for the vote.  Suon said that 
the North Korean Ambassador indicated he understood 
Cambodia's position and did not press further. 
MUSSOMELI