Phnom penh: Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen has criticized UN Special Rapporteur Emeritus Vitit Mantarbhorn for ignoring the 18 Cambodian soldiers held as prisoners of war by Thailand, and insisted he would not ask Thailand to open the border crossing. Cambodia’s Cambodianess website reported today that Prime Minister Hun Sen used the 33rd National Buddhist Conference at the National Institute of Education to criticize Professor Emeritus Vitit, a Thai national assigned to monitor the human rights situation in Cambodia, for frequently speaking out about human rights in the country but remaining silent on what he sees as violations of international human rights standards.
According to Thai News Agency, Hun Sen said Thai authorities were trying to link the Cambodian soldiers’ release to a territorial dispute, hoping to pressure Cambodia into concessions. He noted that the soldiers had made great sacrifices for their country and believed the dispute would not be resolved quickly as Thailand linked the release of Cambodian soldiers to unrelated demands.
The President of the Cambodian Senate confirmed that he will not ask Thailand to open the border crossing and reiterated that he does not support Cambodia’s action as Thailand has unilaterally closed it. He urged Cambodians to promote domestic production to reduce reliance on imported goods, warning that the prolonged border closure has affected connectivity between Southeast Asia and Asia.