UNITED 

NATIONS

Distr.

GENERAL

CCPR/C/SR.1749

4 December 2000

ORIGINAL: ENGLISH

HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE

Sixty-fifth session

SUMMARY RECORD OF THE FIRST PART (PUBLIC)* OF THE 1749th MEETING

Held at Headquarters, New York,

on Wednesday, 7 April 1999, at 10 a.m.

Chairperson: Ms. MEDINA QUIROGA

CONTENTS

CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS SUBMITTED BY STATES PARTIES UNDER ARTICLE 40 OF THE COVENANT (continued)

          Initial report of Cambodia

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          *                   The summary record of the second part (closed) of the meeting appears as document CCPR/C/SR.1749/Add.1.

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          This record is subject to correction.

          Corrections should be submitted in one of the working languages. They should be set forth in a memorandum and also incorporated in a copy of the record. They should be sent within one week of the date of this document to the Chief, Official Records Editing Section, room DC2-750, 2 United Nations Plaza.

          Any corrections to the records of the public meetings of the Committee at this session will be consolidated in a single corrigendum, to be issued shortly after the end of the session.

The meeting was called to order at 10.05 a.m.

CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS SUBMITTED BY STATES PARTIES UNDER ARTICLE 40 OF THE COVENANT (continued)

          Initial report of Cambodia (CCPR/C/81/Add.12)

1.       At the invitation of the Chairperson, Mr. Sun and Mr. Nay (Cambodia) took places at the Committee table.

2.       Mr. LALLAH said that, in view of the fact that he had formed some personal opinions regarding human rights issues in Cambodia following a recent visit to that country as a member of a United Nations mission, he would not be participating in the Committee's consideration of the report.

3.       Mr. SUN (Cambodia) expressed his delegation's apologies for the fact that Mr. Om Yin Tieng (Chairman, Cambodian National Centre for Human Rights) would be unable to attend the meeting owing to severe illness.

List of issues

Impunity for past human rights violations (article 2)

4.       The CHAIRPERSON read out the questions relating to article 2 of the Covenant: steps taken to investigate crimes against humanity and to punish those who had committed such crimes under the Khmer Rouge regime; prosecutions undertaken under the Law on the Outlawing of the Democratic Kampuchea Group; mechanisms in place to promote the independence, political neutrality and adequate training of the judiciary; protective measures for magistrates subjected to intimidation; and investigation of corruption in the administration of justice.

5.       Mr. SUN (Cambodia) said that, while a tribunal to investigate crimes against humanity under the Khmer Rouge regime had been set up in Cambodia in 1979, it had not been accepted by the international community at that time, and that subsequent attempts to establish such tribunals had been unsuccessful owing to the adverse political and economic situation in the country. Although he regretted being unable to answer the Committee's questions in detail, he assured members of the Committee of his Government's commitment to undertaking such investigations.

6.       Ms. EVATT, speaking on a point of order, said that while she understood the delegation's difficulties owing to the absence of Mr. Om, she was concerned that it was not in possession of sufficient information to answer the Committee's questions.

7.       Mr. POCAR, supported by Mr. BHAGWATI, said that he agreed with Ms. Evatt. While he appreciated the delegation's efforts to comply with the Committee's request for information, he did not wish to place its members in a difficult position and, therefore, suggested that the delegation should consider rescheduling its appearance during the Committee's session in July 1999.

8.       The CHAIRPERSON invited the members of the delegation to postpone consideration of the report and said that the Committee would inform them of the date of their reappearance in due course.

9.       Mr. Sun and Mr. Nay (Cambodia) withdrew.

The public part of the meeting rose at 10.50 a.m.