INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Cambodia On Indigenous People, Nam Resolutions On

Published: Wed 25 Oct 2006 06:15 AM
VZCZCXYZ0003
OO RUEHWEB
DE RUEHPF #1930 2980615
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 250615Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7511
INFO RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 2241
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON PRIORITY 0083
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 2186
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 1547
UNCLAS PHNOM PENH 001930
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, IO
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PHUM CB
SUBJECT: CAMBODIA ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLE, NAM RESOLUTIONS ON
LEBANON
REF: A. A) STATE 169257
B. B) STATE 176793
1. (SBU) Pol/Econ Chief delivered reftel A and B demarches
to MFA Director for the Department of International
Organizations Sun Suon on October 11 and October 24,
respectively. On the indigenous peoples demarche, there is
no New Zealand Embassy in Cambodia and the Australian Embassy
informed us that they were not instructed to raise this issue
with the RGC. Sun Suon noted that this issue has been a
contentious matter for some time, but was not up to date on
the arguments presented in reftel B. Pol/Econ Chief provided
demarche points from reftel A to the MFA official, adding
that they represented agreed-upon language with the New
Zealand and Australian governments. Pol/Econ Chief noted
that the Cambodian hill tribes might view themselves as
indigenous people; Sun Suon said that the RGC would not
recognize any of the country's ethnic minority groups as
indigenous people and would insist the term cannot be applied
in Cambodia. Suon nevertheless promised to pass on our
points and arguments.
2. (SBU) On the NAM resolutions and Lebanon (reftel B),
Suon said that Cambodia normally recommends balanced language
in NAM statements and proposed resolutions, and would do so
in the case of Lebanon. He agreed that the NAM resolutions
are more political than substantive, but added that Cambodia
usually looks to others in ASEAN for consensus on their
position.
MUSSOMELI
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