LIBRARY

1 May 2018

Workers and trade unions celebrated International Labour Day around Cambodia today 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 off and guarded by mixed police forces.

A far smaller group than previous years rallied outside the Council for the Development of Cambodia under close surveillance from security forces. More than 600 workers, mainly from the garment and construction industry, held placards calling for workers rights, an end to harassment of trades unions and increased building site safety. Citing security concerns, Phnom Penh Municipality denied the organisers, the Cambodian Labour Confederation (CLC) and their members, the right to march to the National Assembly.

Instead CLC union leaders delivered speeches on the theme of "Challenges of Trade Union Law Enforcement" calling for protection of workers’ rights and an end to union harassment. Several other smaller trades union groups delivered petitions to the Ministry of Labour and the National Assembly. Other events took place around the country in Ratanakiri, Kampot, Kampong Speu and Kampong Chhnang.

22 March 2018

Kampong Speu Provincial Court confirmed the conviction today of Sam Sokha on charges of “insult” and “incitement to discriminate” for posting a video to Facebook in which she throws a sandal at a Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) billboard.

Sokha was convicted in absentia and then deported from Thailand last month despite having registered there with the United Nations refugee agency. Her case was retried on 15 March 2018.

The video clip, posted in April 2017 – just two months before local elections – includes colourful language and criticism of Prime Minister Hun Sen. In the video she is seen throwing a sandal at photos of the prime minister and of Heng Samrin, Honorary President of the CPP and President of the National Assembly.

22 March 2018

Phnom Penh municipal court considered today a charge of “public defamation” brought against Deborah Krisher-Steel, publisher of the now defunct Cambodia Daily newspaper, but after a short hearing adjourned the case until a later date.

The charges were brought by the General Department of Taxation (GDT) following comments accusing the authority of disclosing confidential information about a massive tax bill levelled at the publication.

The newspaper closed its office in Cambodia and laid off staff on 4 September 2017, after receiving a disputed US$6.3 million tax bill.

8 March 2018

International Women’s Day events are taking place around Cambodia today to raise awareness of gender inequality and the impact of land grabbing, violence and other violations of women’s rights.

More than 7,000 members of communities, trade unions and grassroots groups are holding events in at least four provinces and several locations in the capital Phnom Penh. The biggest was a public forum, organised by a trade union confederation, on women workers’ rights at a garment factory in Kampong Speu.

IWD is celebrated around the world every year on 8 March to celebrate the women’s rights movement.

21 February 2018

We, the undersigned organizations and communities, express our grave concern regarding the Royal Government of Cambodia's proposed amendments to the Constitution of the Kingdom of Cambodia, as well as the proposed introduction of a lèse-majesté offense to Cambodia’s Criminal Code. These proposed amendments constitute a severe threat to human rights and fundamental freedoms, and are clearly designed to further criminalize any individual or entity that dares to express legitimate dissent. We are deeply concerned by this cynical attempt to deny the Cambodian people the fundamental freedoms to which they are entitled, and call for the outright rejection of these proposed amendments.

10 December 2017

More than 3,000 Cambodians have been gathering around the country in over a dozen, mainly rural, locations to celebrate the 69th International Human Rights Day - despite ongoing government restrictions on civil society.

Communities and civil society organisations spoke out about land grabbing, natural resource protection and minority rights in a series of events since Friday.

Despite the current climate of fear, communities, grassroots groups and trade unions demonstrated solidarity in private and public events. Several faced restrictions from local and provincial authorities, including not being allowed to march.

15 August 2017

Tep Vanny, one of Cambodia’s most prominent land activists and human rights defenders, will have spent one year in prison on 15 August for defending her community and exercising her human rights. We, the undersigned, condemn her arbitrary imprisonment. We call for her convictions to be overturned, for all ongoing politically motivated and unsubstantiated charges against her to be dropped, and for her immediate release from prison.

8 August 2017

This morning the Court of Appeal upheld the conviction and sentence of land rights activist Tep Vanny on a years-old charge which was reactivated following her participation in the peaceful "Black Monday" campaign last year. Today’s verdict follows an appeal hearing on 27 July in which no plaintiffs were present, preventing cross-examination and – as in the first instance trial in February – no credible evidence was presented by the prosecution.

The appeal attempted to overturn her conviction by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on 23 February 2017 for “intentional violence with aggravating circumstances” in a trial which fell far short of acceptable legal standards. The case itself relates to a 2013 protest in Phnom Penh – over the jailing of another activist – where para-police brutally beat and injured Vanny and other protesters.

27 July 2017

The conviction of land rights activist Tep Vanny over her participation in a peaceful protest was considered by the Court of Appeal today as supporters protested outside almost a year after she was first detained. No plaintiffs or prosecution witnesses were present at the hearing, preventing cross-examination and – as in the first instance trial in February – no credible evidence was presented.

At a 2013 protest in Phnom Penh – over the jailing of another activist – para-police brutally beat and injured Vanny and other protestors. Nonetheless, she was convicted on 23 February 2017 for “intentional violence with aggravating circumstances” in a trial which fell far short of acceptable legal standards, including a lack of cross-examination of the plaintiffs (security guards known as para-police).

The appeal seeks to overturn a two years and six months’ sentence as well as fines and compensation to the plaintiffs amounting to 14 million riel ($3,500). Since her arrest on 15 August 2016, Tep Vanny has spent 346 days in detention. A verdict will be announced on 8 August 2017.

27 July 2017

We, the undersigned, call on the Court of Appeal to overturn the unjust conviction of Ms. Tep Vanny on charges of intentional violence with aggravating circumstances based on her peaceful activism at a 2013 protest, for which she received a draconian sentence of two years and six months’ imprisonment on 23 February 2017. The Court of Appeal will hear Ms. Tep Vanny's appeal against conviction tomorrow. On 15 August 2017, Ms. Tep Vanny will have spent one year in detention; her imprisonment is a clear attempt to silence one of Cambodia’s most fearless and outspoken defenders of human rights ahead of the national elections in July 2018.

8 July 2017

One year after the murder of Kem Ley, we, the undersigned civil society groups, believe that justice has not yet been served for the late political analyst and the family, friends and colleagues he left behind.

The well-known political analyst and anti-corruption campaigner was shot dead at point blank range on 10 July 2016 while drinking coffee in a Phnom Penh petrol station. There has been no transparency in the murder investigation, and there are still many unanswered questions in the case.

3 July 2017

As Cambodia’s human rights situation continues to backslide, exposing and speaking out against state-perpetrated abuses is ever more crucial. In the last two years, however, human rights defenders and other critical or independent voices have been among the main victims of Cambodia’s fractious political situation.

In this latest in a series of briefing papers, LICADHO sets out threats facing those who stand up for human rights in today’s Cambodia. Long-standing tactics used to silence human rights defenders – judicial harassment by a politicized court system; state-sponsored violence; and intolerance of peaceful protest – have been reinforced by new incapacitating laws and targeted digital surveillance. Although the examples presented in this paper are by no means exhaustive, taken together they provide a snapshot into the kinds of abuses that human rights defenders have been routinely subjected to in Cambodia over the last two years.

9 May 2017

We, the undersigned Cambodian and international civil society organizations, condemn the removal by district and commune police authorities of banners calling for the release of six human rights defenders. Banners were removed from the offices of the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC), the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO) and Mother Nature in Koh Kong’s Smach Meanchey commune on 2 May 2017, as well as from three residences in Koh Kong province’s Srae Ambel district on 3 May 2017.

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.

1 May 2017

This morning a mixed group of over 1500 trade unionists, workers, farmers, tuk tuk drivers and youths rallied in central Phnom Penh to celebrate International Labour Day and call for respect for workers’ rights, freedom of association, freedom of expression and the living wage.

The peaceful gathering was met with heavy deployments of para-police and riot police carrying batons and tear gas guns. The rally was obstructed by barricades and cordons of mixed forces for over two hours before eventually being permitted to march a short distance towards the National Assembly before again being blocked and prevented from marching the final 200 metres.

Representatives of the gathered groups delivered speeches in which they publicly stated their demands before submitting a petition to a representative of the National Assembly. Earlier in the rally, the authorities attempted to prevent speakers from using microphones. Many participants wore red headbands and emblazoned with the slogan “Our Rights” while others carried banners demanding respect for their rights.

27 March 2017

Sor Sorn and Nat Sreynak, both from Borei Keila community, were arrested this morning as they prepared for a Black Monday campaign gathering in front of their houses. Both were detained in 7 Makara police station until 7:15PM after nearly 11 hours in detention.

The two women, who were both wearing black t-shirts, were singled out and arrested by police and para-police at Borei Keila community at about 8.45 as they prepared for a gathering to call for the release of incarcerated human rights defenders, including Boeung Kak Lake community representative Tep Vanny who was arrested during another Black Monday event on 15 August 2016. Since the campaign began in May last year, there have been at least 38 arbitrary arrests of Black Monday participants, who have mostly been detained for hours before being released without charge. Today marked Sor Sorn's fifth arrest, and Nat Sreynak's second arrest, for participating in a peaceful Black Monday gathering.

12 March 2017

Four youths were arrested and detained for three hours today after police and para-police shut down a private screening of an Al Jazeera documentary on the murder of political analyst Kem Ley.

The documentary screening was due to be held in the private office of the Khmer Student Intelligent League Association (KSILA), an organisation of youth activists and analysts. There were about 15 people waiting to watch the documentary when about 50 armed police and para-police surrounded the office and arrested the four youths. Moung Sony, Soung Neakpoan, Vorn Channout and Heng Samnang - all members of KSILA - were released at about 6pm, only after signing an agreement promising not to screen the film again without permission from authorities.

5 March 2017

We, the undersigned international and Cambodian civil society organizations, strongly condemn the brazen attacks carried out against Cambodian human rights defenders over recent weeks, in what appears to be a deliberate strategy by the Cambodian authorities to punish and deter any expression of dissent ahead of the upcoming commune and national elections, scheduled for June 2017 and July 2018 respectively.

23 February 2017

We, the undersigned civil society groups, condemn today’s unjust conviction and sentencing of Tep Vanny and the latest outrageous violence perpetrated by para-police against her supporters outside Phnom Penh Municipal Court.

22 February 2017

This morning, political prisoner Kong Raya was released from CC1 after serving his full 18 month prison sentence for “incitement to commit a felony” under Articles 494 and 495 of Cambodia’s criminal code.

The 26 year old former President of the Cambodian Student Network was initially arrested in August 2015 on the basis of a Facebook post calling for “colour revolution” – a term the government commonly uses to characterise peaceful movements as acts of violent revolt. His arrest came less than a month after Prime Minister Hun Sen called on police and armed forces to take action over any group or individual attempting a “colour revolution”.

He was convicted and sentenced on 15 March 2016 after months of pre-trial detention, a verdict subsequently upheld by the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. His conviction was the first in a spate of crackdowns on online expression.