WikiLeaks cables suggest serious shortcomings in Cambodia’s willingness to abide by human rights treaties – and China’s continuing influence in the country.
Cambodian authorities assured the United States’ ambassador to the country that it would abide by international refugee protocols, just two days before it broke its obligations and deported a group of Uighur asylum seekers to an uncertain future in China, according to documents leaked by the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks.
Details of Cambodia’s sudden U-turn, and the worriedbackroom consultations among the US Embassy, United Nations and Cambodian officials that preceded it, are contained in a series of diplomatic cables published by WikiLeaks this month. The classified documents highlight how the United States and the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, were caught flat-footed in countering China’s influence in the lead-up to the controversial December 2009 deportation. And, say human rights observers, the cables cast a troubling spotlight on China’s ability to export its human rights agenda to developing countries like Cambodia.
The first Uighur asylum seeker to arrive in Cambodia came in May 2009. Another 21 Uighurs arrived in October and November. Members of the group, which included two children, fled China following clashes between security forces and demonstrators in July that year in Urumqi, the capital of China’s Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region. Media reports suggest some of the Uighurs had witnessed the violence and feared prosecution if they were to be returned to China.
At first, the Uighurs maintained a low profile. But a December 3 report in The Washington Post publicized their presence in Cambodia. The ensuing media coverage, and the pending visit of a senior delegation from China, including Vice President Xi Jinping, alarmed officials at the US Embassy, the cables show.
Worries over China’s potential influence on the situation clouded a December 14 meeting between US Ambassador Carol Rodley and UNHCR officials, according to one leaked document.
‘The Ambassador urged immediate action on the Uighur cases…given the large official Chinese presence in Cambodia, the strong ties between the (Cambodian government) and government of China and the wide latitude for operation of Chinese agents in Cambodia,’ a cable dated the same day stated.
The cable suggests Cambodian officials, too, acknowledged some degree of pressure coming from Beijing. Giuseppe de Vincentis, then the UNHCR’s deputy regional representative in Thailand, reported that Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sar Kheng told him his government was in a ‘difficult position due to pressure from outside forces’ — a reference Rodley interpreted as being China.
Still, in her own meeting with Sar Kheng, Rodley reported being told that Phnom Penh would protect the Uighur asylum seekers, and that preparations to conduct interviews to assess their refugee claims were underway, according to a December 17 cable.
But fears for the Uighurs’ safety proved valid. On the same day Rodley met with Sar Kheng, Cambodian authorities were already preparing to deport the Uighurs, the leaked cables suggest.
A long-standing agreement between the UNHCR and Cambodia meant that decisions on determining the refugee status of asylum seekers in Cambodia were jointly held by both parties. But a new sub-decree signed December 17, when the UNHCR was still attempting to arrange translators just to interview the Uighurs, assigned total control over status determinations to Cambodia. On what appears to be the same day that Sar Kheng assured Rodley the Uighurs would be given due process, Cambodia instead authorized their deportation.
Photo Credit: Richard Weil
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Joe
On the part of Cambodia it was a dirty trick to hand the Uighur refugees back to China. Especially so, since the world is full of Cambodian refugees who were accepted during the troubles in their country and given shelter and a generous new chance in other countries. The Cambodians have very short memories. They are willing to take, but not to give. It is also worth rememberinbg that neither China, nor Cambodia accept refugees, but that is no excuse.
Andrew
Han Chinese occupied East Turkistan in 1940s and changed its name to Xinjiang (New Land), at the beginning their population in China is less than 1%, now over 50%.
Biggest Criminal is Chinese Communist Party in Beijing. Young Uighurs in Xinjiang face a lot of pressure from local police since July 5th, 2009, even they have nothing to do with the ethnic clash. The clash of July 5, 2009 is the result of heavy handed and narrow minded Chinese control over Uighurs on their freedom. China always try to wash people’s brain starting from kindergarten, but this attempt always fails and lead to ethnic segregation due to the egotisms and feudalistic ideas deep inside of the so called majority Han Chinese.
Hawaiian
How do you get all the information that you are claiming in this post? Were you there in the 50s and 2009? Or, had you even left Whatever your country that you are residing in? Stop posting the hollow claim as you always had.
Andrew
Hawaiian, FYI, My dad lived there in 50s and I lived there until the end of 2009. I have all the right to comment on China and its Government. What I am saying is true to the best of my belief and knowledge.
Dugong
Well….. it could be worse… if the white folks have enter xinjiang instead of the chinese, u guys would be exterminated. Read “Red Indians History”. So , just sux it up, the world is a cruel place, might wins. Ask the Americans whose forefathers slaughtered the red indians in north american and the spanish who did the same in south america and the white trash who kill off the aboriginals in australia.
S. Zafar Iqbal
What Andrew is saying is basically correct, and can be verified from the Chinese, British and Russian ( and local Uyghur) records from that period.
The fact remains; however, unfortunately China now occupies and controls the Uyghur country. And it is not going to give up that mineral-and-oil-rich land of immense strategic importance.
It is also a fact that Uyghurs are not Chinese, but Turkic people with their own Turkic language, their distinct culture, a proud history and a distinguished civilization, which deserves to be respected and preserved.
China, as a universally admired great world civilization, and an emerging world power can afford to be magnanimous to these people and treat them with the respect a civilized people deserve.
China will earn world’s respect and admiration and win the international public opinion if it restores the language and culture of these indigenous Uyghur people, and allow them a say in running their own affairs, giving them local autonomy, a self-government and control over their land and its resources within the Chinese sovereignty.
Something for the Chinese leadership to think about.
As for the Uyghur refugees in Cambodia it is sad that none of the neighboring countries that share cultural and historical ties with the Uyghurs have come forward to offer any humanitarian aid or refuge to these unfortunate people.
Thomas
“some of the Uighurs had witnessed the violence and feared prosecution if they were to be returned to China.”
That doesn’t sound right to me! Why would simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time instantly make the fearful? If that’s the case, Cambodia would have had 100’s if not 1000’s of asylum seekers. Sounds like their fear is because they were involved in it!
White Dog
Well, Thomas, White animals always have an answer to every thing.
Cyrus
That is why they are trying to process the asylum if indeed they are guilty of heinous crimes or not.
Murderer? Really it includes children for God’s sake!
xixixi
The adult male Uighurs who sought assylum may well have been criminals. A few thousand Uighur men rioted on that night and killed over 150+ Han/Hui civilians.
There are many criminals that still need to be punished.
duke chan
Who occupies their land? Han criminals must be punished.
Robert H
The biggest criminals are in Beijing.
Dugong
The biggest criminals are the white man. They exterminated the red indians , and the last time i checked, they invaded iraq on the pretext of WMD and found nothing. now they are attackin libya. … it is all about the western world realising that the sun is setting on their civilisation and they are trying to break up the east.
harry
by your “logic” native indians in america has to right to slaughter all the white americans, same goes to the natives in Canada Australia and New Zealand, because they are all marginalized minorities whos land has been STOLEN by greedy white men.
China has more legitimate claim to Xin Jiang than White americans to USA, because USA has only been in existance for 200 years But XInJiang has been a part of CHina since Han dynasty 2000 years ago.
Hypocricy is the virus that is common in China bashing fanatics.
akullen
Hi Harry
“by your “logic” native indians in america has to right to slaughter all the white americans”
According to you Does indians have right to slaughter pakistanis to take back thier land?
“China has more legitimate claim to Xin Jiang than White americans to USA, because USA has only been in existance for 200 years But XInJiang has been a part of CHina since Han dynasty 2000 years ago”
Does India have legitimate claim From Iran to Thailand which was occupied by Maurya Dynasty and Emperor Asoka 2000 years ago?
Andrew Durand
What is the relevance of this when they were not even interviewed or subjected to any lawful process before they were sent back to the country from which they were fleeing? That Cambodia has not yet attained standards of honesty and decency expected of a country or the political strength to resist a tyrant should not really surprise.
Billy Andersson
Beijing labels everybody who does not kneel as terrorist or criminals, speaking your mind is a criminal act in their world for goodness sake. The true criminals sit in Beijing, they have so much blood on their hands that it will never come off.
World Peace
The same goes with the West, when one do not bow to the Western power’s demand the West will resort to military action. Afganistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria are just a few example. Sadam Husein and Bin Ladin is dead because they did not accept the Western demand of them.
As for China, it has every legitimate rights over its own citizens. As for the West, whoever against China, they are friends to the West. No matter how many they killed. In 1980s the US bought lots of weapons to give to the Pol Pot regime that was ousted by the Vietnamese in 1979. The USA supported the Pol Pot regime because that killer was resisting the Vietnamese in the 1980s.
Leonard R.
Why are Uighurs seeking asylum in a poverty-stricken place like Cambodia?
And why is the United States meddling in this?
If the US is worried about asylum for these Uighurs, it should grant them asylum in the United States.
Frank
You are right. Uighurs should be seeking asylum in USA.
There are 17 of them in Gitmo.
nirvana
Because there were a precedent of “Madness” in Camobodia before. Remember the Khmer Rouge? Who sponsored them? China ! Who supported China in this madness? USA and (most of the West)… for nearly 10 years (1979-1989). For nearly 10 years they kept the country’s seat in the UN. These Kmer Rouge criminals are finally under trials now, but noboby really care. So the underlying fear of this story is that History will repeat itself, “Cold War” business as usual. Unless, WE, the Internet-educated people rise up and take the power!
Jin Kazama
@ Leonard R, Cambodia is poor but its that poor, it is an emerging country with the helps of china hense that is why they return the people back to china.
Leonard your not the sharpess tool in the shed, how do suppose US could give them asylum when they are in the hands of Cambodia, ar eyou gonna send in a ship and detain at the US request lol. Good luck this isnt Iraq or middle east buddy. This is Asia and you cant just do as you wish that easy.
Andrew Durand
Because they must seek asylum in the first state they reach which is not subject to the rule of their oppressors. Unfortunately they made the mistake of thinking Cambodia at that time was in that category.
Roland
Well these are examples that a country that bow to China will automatically lose its independence and completely controlled by China. Poor Cambodia, it is now suffering the condemnation of the world.
World Peace
I don’t see that any country that bow the USA come out ahead. Take Cambodia, for example, in 1970 allowed the USA to carpet bombed in the Cambodian territories. As a result, Cambodia lost almost 3 millions of it’s 7.5 millions population. Vietname, from 63 to 75, over 3 millions Vietnamese’s lives were lost. Koreas, 1950s at least 1 million lives were lost. Iraq, millions are being displaced to these days, and almost a million lives are lost and it is an on going battle. Afganistan 2001 to these days, almost 1 million lives is lost and it is an on going battles. Libya, 100s or even 1000s lives lost, and it is still an on going bombardment which killed woman and children indiscriminately. That is just a few in recent years. if you want to pull out the history back to around from 400 years ago, it is not less than a billion people around the world of all colors were killed and enslaved and it is an on going battle to theses days. Physical enslavement is not as hash as mentality enslavement. talking about land grabing, From South America to North America, From Australia to New Zealand, From Hawaii to Africa. Now you tell me who did the most damage to the world? Most of the Natives are being sacked and hunt as a game of sport.