Appeal for the Children of Cambodia

UN Watch Oral Statement. Delivered by Cindy D. Tan, 1 October 2009


Agenda Item 10: Technical Assistance and Capacity-Building. Appeal for the Lost Children of Cambodia.

UN Watch extends its appreciation to the Special Rapporteur and we welcome his report.

Mr. President,

For me, this topic is not academic. I am a child of Cambodia. My parents were forced into labor for four years during the Cambodian genocide. My mother was raped, and my father was burned with cigarettes. My family died in those camps.

To this very day, the legacy of genocide continues to claim victims in Cambodia, and I urge this Council to address their plight.

Every year, two million women and children are sold into sexual slavery. Many are sold for $10. Many are under the age of 5.

Professor Subedi, your report refers to “noteworthy achievements” in combating sexual trafficking. Is this why sexual trafficking is missing from the priorities you defined in your report?

Every year, children become trapped by abject poverty and are forced into hard labor. They suffer from disease and abuse. This is their fate.

Professor Subedi, will you, in your next report, address the urgent situation of child labor?

The Cambodian people are deprived of a fair judiciary and responsible government. Most Cambodians do not believe in the legal system. Most Cambodians do not even know that they have human rights.



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May the will of God be done