Cambodia | Michelle Obama urges students to seek more freedoms

Michelle Obama urged Cambodian students to finish their education and speak up to demand greater freedoms and more equality on a landmark visit to a Southeast Asian country that has been ruled by an authoritarian strongman for decades. The U.S. first lady’s comments on Saturday did not explicitly criticize Cambodia’s human rights record or its government under Prime Minister Hun Sen. But she sent a pointed message, and one that she delivered seated beside Hun Sen’s wife, Bun Rany. Human rights groups praised the remarks as a rare foray into foreign affairs for a first lady. “Even though Mrs. Obama didn’t name names, it’s more than we have heard in a long time from a first lady on a foreign trip,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch. “Now it’s time for President Obama to state publicly what rights benchmarks he expects to see from Cambodia, and press Hun Sen to commit to it.” Mrs. Obama wrapped up a five-day trip to Asia yesterday to promote the U.S.-led education initiative “Let Girls Learn,” which she and the president announced earlier this month. The community-based program, to be run by the Peace Corps, is meant to help millions of girls in the developing world stay in school and overcome economic or cultural pressures that force many to drop out. AP