LIBRARY

8 March 2022

More than 3,000 people joined events to celebrate International Women’s Day 2022 across 12 provinces and the capital Phnom Penh. Communities, farmers, unionists, informal workers, land activists, youth, civil society members and others joined events and shared speeches about challenges faced by women in their communities. They spoke out for imprisoned unionists to be released, for an end to gender based violence and discrimination, for women to be able to enjoy their rights to expression and assembly, and more. Many communities also marched, released balloons, led question and answer sessions, and shared solidarity lunches.

While most events were celebrated on 8 March, communities began celebration on 6 March and two further events are planned in Banteay Meanchey and Preah Vihear provinces. In Pursat province, an event was cancelled following threats and intimidation by commune authorities and a district governor.

7 February 2022

LICADHO staff support and show solidarity with employees of NagaWorld by calling for the immediate and unconditional release of eight unjustly imprisoned union representatives. We also call on NagaWorld to enter negotiations to address and end this labour dispute peacefully and reinstate the 365 employees, as well as stop all harassment against the union. Joining a union and peaceful strikes are not crimes.

10 December 2021

Environmental and land rights groups, indigenous communities, and other civil society organisations gathered to celebrate International Human Rights Day in 11 provinces and the capital between the 5th and 10th December 2021.

Despite ongoing intimidation and restrictions from authorities, more than 2,400 people joined together in public forums, discussions, marches and religious ceremonies to call on the government to respect human rights and address long-standing land grabbing cases, as well as to release and drop all charges against imprisoned human rights defenders.

30 November 2021

On each day of this year’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, which runs from 25 November to 10 December, LICADHO is sharing key findings from its new report “Status Update”. The report details the findings of a survey of over 700 people, and shows that Facebook, the Cambodian government and other social media companies must do more to protect human rights online.

11 August 2021

The government has unleashed a campaign to attack, jail and convict Cambodia’s environmental defenders and social activists who have raised warnings over issues like waste management, sand dredging, and deforestation, as well as labour and political rights.

In the run up to International Human Rights Day, LICADHO will advocate each week for the release of human rights defenders and highlight the brave and critical work done by these imprisoned activists. Six of these activists are environmental defenders from Mother Nature Cambodia, who are facing the outrageous charge of plotting against the state, two of whom are also facing additional charges of insulting the king. Others are longtime labour leaders, monks, and members of the youth activist group Khmer Thavrak.

These activists spoke out on issues important to Cambodia and have faced harassment, intimidation and prison sentences as a result.

It is time to drop these charges and release these activists and all human rights defenders now.

1 June 2021

This Children’s Day, LICADHO is releasing a series of quotes from children and their families whose lives have been impacted by the response to COVID-19. They have decided to share their experiences and detail how measures to contain the pandemic have affected their education, as well as their physical and mental health, particularly for children caught in harsh lockdowns.

9 March 2021

This March 8, garment workers, teachers, laborers and farmers from Phnom Penh and five provinces gathered together across Cambodia to celebrate International Women’s Day. Taking care to maintain social distancing measures, check temperatures and wear masks to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, these communities came together to hold local forums and share their experience with the struggles facing women from grassroots communities still fighting to protect their land and their livelihoods.

In Phnom Penh, scores of participants joined in a celebration centered around the theme of “True Democracy Leads to a System of Social Protection and Justice for Women and All”. Accompanied by traditional musicians, a number of union leaders spoke about the challenges facing women in their workforces as well as the broader fight against domestic violence, rising household debt, the ongoing harassment of activists by authorities and the urgent need for social security programs in response to the pandemic.

Not all of these celebrations were allowed to proceed in peace. At least one community faced arbitrary restrictions on the number of participants. Despite the shadow of Cambodia’s latest community outbreak of COVID-19, though, women and the communities who support them continued to demonstrate their commitment to promoting justice, dignity and equality between men and women.

10 July 2020

Four years after political analyst Kem Ley was shot dead while drinking his morning coffee, the Star Mart at Caltex Bokor service station stood empty behind sealed shutters. But despite the authorities’ attempts to restrict all public commemoration of the popular commentator’s murder, former friends, colleagues and human rights defenders gathered in Phnom Penh and Takeo in the days leading up to the anniversary to pay tribute to his memory.

On Wednesday July 8, a group of monks and young activists were physically barred from holding a peaceful prayer ceremony at the site of Kem Ley’s shooting by a human chain of security forces. One young man wearing a t-shirt showing Kem Ley’s face was immediately arrested and made to sign a contract by district police.

The next day, a group of youth activists were blocked from travelling to Kem Ley’s family home in Takeo by heavily armed security forces. And today, scores of military police and security forces were deployed to block a convoy of monks, activists and supporters of the slain commentator from peacefully processing along the same route. Undaunted, they continued their journey on foot.

Rights groups continue to call on Cambodian authorities to create an independent Commission of Inquiry to fully investigate Kem Ley’s murder, and urge authorities to cease all intimidation and harassment of people peacefully commemorating his death.

8 March 2020

From March 5 to March 8, hundreds of people from dozens of different communities came together to celebrate International Women’s Day across Cambodia. In Kampong Speu province, convoys of tractors trekked across the red earth to public forums where women shared stories of finding strength amidst discrimination and struggle. In Koh Kong province, more than 300 people marched in protest of enduring inequality between men and women. And in the capital of Phnom Penh, more than 200 workers and activists gathered in Freedom Park to take part in performances exposing the harassment that many women continue to face every day in their workplaces. In Svay Rieng, Banteay Meanchey, Kampong Chhnang, Thbong Khmum, Battambang, Preah Sihanouk, Siem Reap and Pursat provinces, men, women and children joined arms to demand equal rights for women.

For many of the women involved in demonstrations across Cambodia, land rights continued to play a central role in their struggle. Grassroots communities gathered to discuss the ongoing harassment and intimidation facing women who stand up to protect the land they depend on to survive, as well as ways to strengthen and support women activists fighting for their livelihoods.

But few of these celebrations were free from outside pressure. In Phnom Penh’s Freedom Park, municipal authorities arbitrarily restricted the number of participants to 200 people crowded beneath a single tent. Most gatherings across the country took place under the watching gaze of security forces, and communities in Pursat and Svay Rieng provinces reported being threatened by local security in the days leading up to International Women’s Day. As has become all too common, much of the harassment levelled against local communities by authorities was carried out in the name of the much-condemned Law on Associations and NGOs (LANGO), which gives officials arbitrary power to suppress grassroots organising and events. Despite these challenges, though, women across Cambodia continued to raise their voices against ongoing discrimination and abuse.

10 December 2019

December 10 - Around 6,000 community members and civil society activists participated in events in Phnom Penh and provinces across Cambodia to celebrate International Human Rights Day between December 7 and December 10, 2019.

Several communities reported being threatened by local authorities to not hold events, particularly in Sihanoukville, Kampot, Koh Kong, and Kampong Speu provinces. Some communities went ahead with planned events despite pressure from authorities.

In Phnom Penh, representatives from civil society groups, unions, Buddhist monks and youth groups gathered alongside representatives from various embassies to discuss the importance of human rights at Freedom Park.

7 November 2019

Soldiers, military police and police have mobilised across Cambodia this week ahead of the planned return of former leaders of the Supreme Court-dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party. In many provinces this has included public processions of armed security forces down main thoroughfares, sometimes with children lining the streets to observe the armed forces, as organised by their public schools. Government-aligned media and official Facebook pages have shared videos of armed forces alongside machine gun turrets, grenade launchers, artillery, assault rifles and sniper rifles. LICADHO has confirmed that convoys of security forces have traveled through public streets in Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Kampong Thom, Koh Kong, and Svay Rieng provinces.

This deployment of armed forces takes place amid an unprecedented wave of arrests of former opposition members, with at least 50 people arrested since August 2019.

1 May 2019

More than 2,000 people in at least five provinces across the country marked International Labour Day over the last week, often in the presence of security forces. In Phnom Penh, around 500 mixed security forces were deployed, and workers and civil society members gathered at both Freedom Park and the Council for the Development of Cambodia. Municipal authorities stopped workers from marching to the National Assembly and instead allowed for a limited march around Wat Phnom in the presence of security officials.

8 March 2019

About one thousand people across at least five provinces and Phnom Penh gathered to celebrate International Women's Day this morning.

Mixed security forces physically blocked about 500 participants in Phnom Penh as they attempted to march from Olympic Stadium to submit a petition to the Council of Ministers, and authorities at one point forcibly pushed several women into the stadium grounds before closing the gate and locking them inside.

Authorities attempted to prohibit community-led events in Tbong Khmum and Kampong Speu provinces, but participants went on to hold the events without major issues. Many celebrations around the country were held in the presence of security forces.

10 December 2018

Communities, associations, trade unions and other civil society groups celebrated Human Rights Day in Cambodia between 5 and 10 December 2018.

Despite ongoing intimidation and restrictions from authorities more than 7,000 people in 14 provinces and the capital participated in theatre, music, parades and discussions. They called on the government to respect human rights and tackle long standing violations, not least unresolved land grabbing cases.

5 October 2018

Communities around the country celebrated World Habitat Day between 28 September and 5 October 2018.

This year's theme was “municipal solid waste management” and many organised garbage clean ups as well as discussions on housing and land rights.

More than 2,000 people participated in at least 30 communities.

Authorities shut down some events, claiming they were illegal, and others were cancelled or held indoors due to threats and intimidation.

2 May 2018

Close to a thousand workers and trades unionists celebrated International Labour Day around Cambodia on 1 May 2018 despite restrictions on public gatherings and a ban on the traditionally held march in the capital.

A large area around the National Assembly was cordoned by mixed police forces and the rally in the capital was closely monitored.

Other events in Cambodian provinces were also low key and closely watched by authorities.

11 July 2017

This photo album covers the events that took place in Cambodia on 9 and 10 July 2017 to commemorate the killing of political analyst Kem Ley. Cambodians abroad also paid their respects to Kem Ley, with tributes taking place in Australia and Thailand. On 10 July 2016, Kem Ley was shot twice, in his chest and his head, at the Caltex petrol station in central Phnom Penh. The gunman Oeuth Ang was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in March 2017, however justice has yet to be served due to numerous concerns about the adequacy of the criminal process in both the investigation and the trial.

2 May 2017

The photo album covers the 2017 International Labour Day celebration in Phnom Penh. More than 1,500 workers and activists gathered in central Phnom Penh, facing barricades and mixed police armed with shields, batons and other weapons. After two hours of negotiations, the group of workers stood their ground and rallied for labour rights, freedom of association, the living wage and better working conditions.

13 December 2016

Over 11,000 people across Cambodia joined together in a series of events to celebrate International Human Rights Day 2016.

Celebrations organised by Friends of December 10 across the country saw thousands speak on issues such as free and fair elections, land rights, a living wage for workers, a free and fair judiciary and an end to attacks on fundamental freedoms.

2 December 2016

To accompany publication of the report “Built on Slavery: Debt Bondage and Child Labour in Cambodia’s Brick Factories” LICADHO is releasing this photo album which shows the different elements of the brick-making process and the living and working conditions of the adults and children who make the bricks.