Thousands of people gathered today to celebrate International Human Rights Day across Cambodia after a week-long series of celebrations across the country.

In Phnom Penh, groups who had planned to gather outside the Council for the Development of Cambodia were forced from the area by para-police and anti-demonstration police. After attempts to gather elsewhere were met with a similar show of force, the group gathered at Freedom Park, where despite a sustained heavy police presence – with about 300 anti-demonstration police positioned around the park – a diverse group of about 1,000 people from unions, communities, other grassroots groups and NGOs joined to celebrate.

Another 12 celebrations took place this morning in eleven different provinces, encompassing marches and processions and public forums. In Kampot, one planned celebration was shut down by district authorities who claimed the group required permission to hold their event.

Altogether, International Human Rights Day celebrations organised by Friends of December 10th over the last week have seen about 11,000 people across Cambodia come together to celebrate human rights and speak out against injustice.