Kun Kim is the head of the Cambodian military. He was once a young commander in the Khmer Rouge! He has a long record of human rights abuses related to land confiscation and violent suppression of dissent and political opposition.
-
-
Näytä tämä ketju
-
He also appears to be very, very rich. He owns enormous, luxurious compounds and multiple luxury cars.
Näytä tämä ketju -
Officially Kum Kim was sanctioned under the corruption prong of the Global Magnitsky act, which is easier to use than the “gross human rights abuses” prong. But make no mistake, Kun Kim was singled out because of his human rights record.
Näytä tämä ketju -
If the US government wanted to go after the most corrupt people in Cambodia, the list would be longer. It would be very long.
Näytä tämä ketju -
The money in Kun Kim and family's accounts in bank accounts worldwide that are held in US dollar denominations will now be almost impossible to use through the international banking system, and some accounts may even be frozen.
Näytä tämä ketju -
Any accounts Kun Kim is holding in financial institutions subject to US law will be frozen. He will be ineligible for visa or entry into the US or its territories.
Näytä tämä ketju -
Of course, there is hypocrisy. The Trump administration is almost daily sabotaging mechanisms in the US and worldwide to promote human rights—cutting aid, undermining the UN Human Rights Council, and weakening its credibility on rights by engaging in abusive conduct at home.
Näytä tämä ketju -
And a slew of credible accusations of corruption have been made about the Trump administration itself.
Näytä tämä ketju -
We can’t deny, however, that today’s designations were appropriate, and that the US was right to impose them. For years, Human Rights Watch has been trying to get the US and other governments to place sanctions on Kun Kim and other officials in Cambodia’s security services.
Näytä tämä ketju -
My colleagues and I, and allies at other local and international human rights organizations, in particular Global Witness, have met with Treasury Department officials numerous times since 2016 and laid out the cases against them.
Näytä tämä ketju -
In June 2018, we put out a major report about Kun Kim and other officials, entitled “Cambodia’s Dirty Dozen,” and we urged the administration to consider sanctioning all 12 – and in particular Kun Kim. https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/06/27/cambodias-dirty-dozen/long-history-rights-abuses-hun-sens-generals …
Näytä tämä ketju -
Many policy makers in Washington supported us from both sides of the aisle. From Marco Rubio and Lindsay Graham to Dick Durbin and Bob Menendez, there is near universal disgust with Cambodian government abuses.
Näytä tämä ketju -
It's a testimony to how awful the Cambodian government is, that their abuses brought together all of Washington to agree on something.
Näytä tämä ketju -
There is much more that needs to be done to pressure Cambodia, which is about to put on trial, for treason, one of the leaders of the political opposition). But this is a step forward, and will help show other countries that they need to sanction Kun Kim and his ilk as well.
Näytä tämä ketju -
Cambodia’s abusive government is now starting to get the message that their conduct is not acceptable. Even dysfunctional, divided Washington has united to condemn their abuses. It’s time for the Cambodian government to change its behavior for the better.
Näytä tämä ketju
Keskustelun loppu
Uusi keskustelu -
Lataaminen näyttää kestävän hetken.
Twitter saattaa olla ruuhkautunut tai ongelma on muuten hetkellinen. Yritä uudelleen tai käy Twitterin tilasivulla saadaksesi lisätietoja.