CAMBODIA

CERD

OBJECTIONS MADE TO STATES PARTY’S RESERVATIONS AND DECLARATIONS

(Unless otherwise indicated, the objections were made upon ratification, accession or succession)

Belarus, 29 December 1983

The ratification of the above-mentioned International Convention by the so-called "Government of Democratic Kampuchea"-the Pol Pot-Ieng Sary clique of hangmen overthrown by the Kampuchean people - is completely unlawful and has no legal force. There is only one State of Kampuchea in the world-The People's Republic of Kampuchea, recognized by a large number of countries. All power in this State is entirely in the hands of its only lawful Government, the Government of the People's Republic of Kampuchea, which has the exclusive right to act in the name of Kampuchea in the international arena, including the right to ratify international agreements prepared within the United Nations.

The farce involving the ratification of the above-mentioned International Convention by a clique representing no one mocks the norms of law and morality and blasphemes the memory of millions of Kampuchean victims of the genocide committed by the Pol Pot-Ieng Sary régime.

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Ethiopia, 25 January 1984

"The Provisional Military Government of Socialist Ethiopia should like to reiterate that the Government of the People's Republic of Kampuchea is the sole legitimate representative of the People of Kampuchea and as such it alone has the authority to act on behalf of Kampuchea.

The Provisional Military Government of Socialist Ethiopia, therefore, considers the ratification of the so-called `Government of Democratic Kampuchea' to be null and void."

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France, 15 May 1984

The Government of the French Republic, which does not recognize the coalition government of Democratic Cambodia, declares that the instrument of ratification by the coalition government of Democratic Cambodia of the [International] Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, opened for signature at New York on 7 March 1966, is without effect.

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Mongolia, 7 June 1984

"The Government of the Mongolian People's Republic considers that only the People's Revolutionary Council of Kampuchea as the sole authentic and lawful representative of the Kampuchean people has the right to assume international obligations on behalf of the Kampuchean people. Therefore the Government of the Mongolian People's Republic considers that the ratification of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination by the so-called Democratic Kampuchea, a regime that ceased to exist as a result of the people's revolution in Kampuchea, is null and void."

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Russian Federation, 28 December 1983

The ratification of the above-mentioned International Convention by the so-called "Government of Democratic Kampuchea"-the Pol Pot clique of hangmen overthrown by the Kampuchean people-is completely unlawful and has no legal force. Only the representatives authorized by the State Council of the People's Republic of Kampuchea can act in the name of Kampuchea. There is only one State of Kampuchea in the world -the People's Republic of Kampuchea, which has been recognized by a large number of countries. All power in this State is entirely in the hands of its only lawful Government, the Government of the People's Republic of Kampuchea, which has the exclusive right to act in the name of Kampuchea in the international arena, including the right to ratify international agreements prepared within the United Nations.

Nor should one fail to observe that the farce involving the ratification of the above-mentioned International Convention by a clique representing no one mocks the norms of law and morality and is a direct insult to the memory of millions of Kampuchean victims of the genocide committed against the Kampuchean people by the Pol Pot Sary régime. The entire international community is familiar with the bloody crimes of that puppet clique.

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Ukraine, 17 January 1984

The ratification of the above-mentioned international Convention by the Pol Pot-Ieng Sary clique, which is guilty of the annihilation of millions of Kampucheans and which was overthrown in 1979 by the Kampuchean people, is thoroughly illegal and has no juridical force. There is only one Kampuchean State in the World, namely, the People's Republic of Kampuchea. All authority in this State is vested wholly in its sole legitimate government, the Government of the People's Republic of Kampuchea. This Government alone has the exclusive right to speak on behalf of Kampuchea at the international level, while the supreme organ of State power, the State Council of the People's Republic of Kampuchea has the exclusive right to ratify international agreements drawn up within the framework of the United Nations.

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Viet Nam, 29 February 1984

"The Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam considers that only the Government of the People's Republic of Kampuchea, which is the sole genuine and legitimate representative of the Kampuchean People, is empowered to act in their behalf to sign, ratify or accede to international conventions.

The Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam rejects as null and void the ratification of the above-mentioned international Convention by the so-called "Democratic Kampuchea"- a genocidal regime overthrown by the Kampuchean people since January 7, 1979.

Furthermore, the ratification of the Convention by a genocidal regime, which massacred more than 3 million Kampuchean people in gross violation of fundamental standards of morality and international laws on human rights, simply plays down the significance of the Convention and jeopardises the prestige of the United Nations."

Note

The German Democratic Republic had acceded to the Convention on 23 March 1973 with a reservation and a declaration...

...

Moreover, on 26 April 1984, the Government of the German Democratic Republic had made an objection with regard to the ratification made by the Government of the Democratic Kampuchea. For the text of the objection, see United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1355, p. 327.

            [Ed. note: as follows:

"The German Democratic Republic does not recognize the so-called Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea and therefore regards its instrument of ratification concerning the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination of [7 March 1966] as being without legal force. The only legitimate representative of the people of Kampuchea is the Government of the People’s Republic of Kampuchea. It has the exclusive right to act in the name of Kampuchea in the international arena, including the right to sign and to ratify international agreements."]

...

(Note 3, Chapter IV.2, Multilateral Treaties Deposited with the Secretary-General)

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Note

Czechoslovakia had signed and ratified the Convention on 7 October 1966 and 29 December 1966, respectively, with reservations. Subsequently, on 12 March 1984, the Government of Czechoslovakia made an objection to the ratification by Democratic Kampuchea [...]. For the text of the [...] objection see United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1350, p. 386.

[Ed. note: as follows:

"The Government of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic as a party to the International Convention on the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination, opened for signature in New York on 7 March 1966, does not recognize any legal effects of the instrument of ratification of the Convention deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations on 28 November 1983 by the so-called government of ‘Democratic Kampuchea’.

"The Czechoslovak Socialist Republic recognizes the Government of the People’s Republic of Kampuchea as the sole representative of the Kampuchean people which alone is entitled to represent and defend the interests of the People’s Republic of Kampuchea in bilateral or multilateral international relations and to act as a party to international treaties and agreements.

"For the above-stated reasons, the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic does not recognize any right of the government of the so-called ‘Democratic Kampuchea’ to act and to assume international obligations in the name of the Kampuchean people."]

...

(Note 8, Chapter IV.2, Multilateral Treaties Deposited with the Secretary-General)