Dear Editor,  

Having read Tony Guterres’ letter (Post, January 27), I would like to make the following comments.

First, it’s unfair, and too narrow a view, to evaluate Cambodia’s past co-operation with the UN in a few paragraphs. Twenty years of  co-operation have brought many tangible benefits, from a democratic transition to socio-economic development and the building of human resources.

Many of the post-conflict nations where the UN has helped broker peace are still marred by divided armed factions, but Cambodia has developed not only its domestic well-being but has contributed to the international community by turning itself from a recipient country of peacekeeping forces to a dispatching country of such forces.

Second, the United Nations Security Council is not an exclusive club for perfect countries (if there is such a thing  in this world).

UN bodies belong to every member country. As such, they have a fair representation not only in terms of region but also level of development.

It’s common for member states to have different opinions from the UN, and UN bodies are not always right.

The UN consists of many countries that naturally have their own agendas. Who would say UN was sane enough to recognise the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime after 1979?

Finally, having more than 100 countries support Cambodia’s candidature means they recognised Cambodia’s ability to represent the voice and interests of the many vulnerable countries in this world, and its ability to actively participate in maintaining peace and security in the world, based on its experiences in peace-building and national reconstruction.

Sim Vireak

Tokyo

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