LIBRARY

17 February 2017

Political analyst Kim Sok was charged with incitement and defamation and brought to CC1 prison this afternoon in relation to a five-day-old complaint brought against him by Prime Minister Hun Sen.

He was charged and sent to pre-trial detention by Phnom Penh investigating judge Rouss Phiset following hours of questioning by prosecutor Seang Sok. The case is the first of two lawsuits the Prime Minister brought against Kim Sok in relation to comments made by the political analyst about the murder of Kem Ley, who was killed last July. The second lawsuit - also alleging defamation and incitement - was lodged after Kim Sok took to the radio to explain his earlier comments. A conviction for incitement carries a jail sentence of six months to two years. The Prime Minister has also asked for compensation in both complaints, totalling USD$502,500.

A crowd of about 250 people gathered outside Phnom Penh Municipal Court in support of Kim Sok this morning.

15 February 2017

Boeung Kak Lake representatives Tep Vanny, Bo Chhorvy, Kong Chantha and Heng Mom faced a hearing this morning to appeal convictions handed down to them last September by Phnom Penh Municipal Court in relation to a 2011 protest. Appeal Court judge Nhoung Thol will announce the verdict on 27 February. Neither plaintiff was present at the hearing, preventing cross-examination, and evidence presented was limited.

In their first trial, all four women were found guilty of obstruction of a public official with aggravating circumstances and insult and sentenced to six months' imprisonment. Since then, Tep Vanny has remained in pre-trial detention in CC2 prison – where she has now been for half a year – for separate charges relating to a protest held by Boeung Kak Lake community in 2013 in front of the Prime Minister's house. Bo Chhorvy, Kong Chantha and Heng Mom were not arrested as the sentences will not be enforced until all appeals are exhausted. None of the evidence presented at the original trial or the appeal hearing sufficiently proved the guilt of the four women.

About 40 community members and supporters from land communities and civil society groups gathered outside the court during today's hearing.

7 February 2017

Two human rights defenders have been summonsed as suspects in relation to violence that occurred when para-police blocked a peaceful World Habitat Day march in October 2016. During the altercation, both men – LICADHO’s Monitoring Manager Am Sam Ath, who was monitoring the event at the time, and Boeung Kak Lake community representative Chan Puthisak, who was documenting the march – were badly beaten by para-police in targeted attacks against them.

3 February 2017

The trial of land activist Tep Vanny was suspended just 45 minutes after it began this afternoon by judge Long Kes Phearum, who cited his own sickness and a chaotic situation for the adjournment. Tep Vanny requested for the trial to proceed.

Vanny has been in pre-trial detention since last August on charges of intentional violence with aggravating circumstances, relating to a protest held by Boeung Kak Lake community in 2013 in front of the Prime Minister's house. About 80 supporters, including community members, NGOs and monks, gathered outside the courtroom for her trial this afternoon. This case is just one of three historic cases which were re-activated in August 2016 while Vanny was awaiting trial on separate charges relating to a Black Monday protest.

As of today, she has been detained for 172 days. There is no date set for the trial resumption.

25 January 2017

Land activist Tep Vanny has been denied bail following a Supreme Court hearing conducted by judge Kim Sathavy last week.

Vanny has been in pre-trial detention since last August on charges of intentional violence with aggravating circumstances, relating to a protest held by Boeung Kak Lake community in 2013 in front of the Prime Minister's house. As of today, she has been detained for 163 days. Her trial is due to be held on 3 February. 

21 January 2017

Two months after the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention’s (WGAD) ruled that the ongoing detention of ADHOC staff members Lim Mony, Ny Sokha, Nay Vanda, and Yi Soksan, and NEC Deputy Secretary-General, Ny Chakrya is arbitrary, we, the undersigned civil society organizations, reiterate our call upon the Cambodian authorities to implement the decision of the WGAD and immediately release them. Nearly nine months after the five were first detained, Cambodia has taken no action to cease or remedy its unlawful treatment of the five, and remains in a continuing state of non-compliance with its binding legal obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Our organizations condemn in the strongest terms the failure of the Cambodian authorities to implement the recommendations of the WGAD.

18 January 2017

Land activist Tep Vanny faced a 45-minute Supreme Court bail hearing this morning as community members from across Phnom Penh gathered outside in support. Supreme Court judge Kim Sathavy will announce the bail ruling on 25 January.

Vanny has been in pre-trial detention since last August on charges of intentional violence with aggravating circumstances, relating to a protest held by Boeung Kak Lake community in 2013 in front of the Prime Minister's house. This case is just one of three historic cases which were re-activated in August 2016 while Vanny was awaiting trial on separate charges relating to a Black Monday protest.

As of today, she has been detained for 156 days.

18 December 2016

FIDH, OMCT, CCHR, ADHOC and LICADHO welcome the recent Opinion adopted by the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) that recognises the arbitrary nature of the detention of human rights defenders Ny Chakrya, Ny Sokha, Yi Soksan, Nay Vanda, and Lim Mony. Our organisations call upon the Cambodian authorities to implement the Opinion of the WGAD by releasing the five human rights defenders immediately and providing them appropriate compensation.

15 December 2016

We, the undersigned civil society groups, condemn in the strongest terms the upholding of the unjustified conviction of the former Head of the Human Rights and Monitoring Section of the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) and current Deputy Secretary-General of the National Election Committee (NEC), Mr. Ny Chakrya, in a verdict handed down by the Court of Appeal today.

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.

10 December 2016

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.

9 December 2016

An International Human Rights Day celebration in Kampot province was shut down this afternoon by provincial authorities, who also threatened to halt a further two events planned for tomorrow.

About 80 community members attempted to gather this afternoon to discuss human rights in a public forum in Svay Ang, in Kampot. A group of local authorities, led by a Chhouk district official, ordered the villagers to halt the forum and dismantle the meeting tent after Kampot’s governor claimed the group required permission to hold their event. Authorities also said that another two celebrations planned for tomorrow in Kampot would not be allowed.

Thousands of Cambodians have gathered and marched to celebrate International Human Rights Day throughout Cambodia over the past week, organised by Friends of December 10th. Celebrations will culminate tomorrow, with 14 events planned in Phnom Penh and various provinces.

6 December 2016

From December 2 until December 10, a series of 35 events across Cambodia will see thousands of people in 17 provinces and Phnom Penh celebrate International Human Rights Day 2016.

Events will largely take place in rural Cambodia, where grassroots groups including communities affected by land conflicts, youth networks, associations, and monks as well as unions and NGOs around the country will hold a series of celebrations under the theme of ‘Justice2016’. In Phnom Penh and four of Cambodia’s provincial towns – Siem Reap, Battambang, Sisophon and Sihanoukville – larger events will see groups from surrounding communities coming together to celebrate in solidarity.

4 December 2016

International Human Rights Day celebrations kicked off this weekend with a march in Kampong Chhnang and gatherings in Phnom Penh.

In Kampong Chhnang, about 250 people from Lor Peang, Samrong, Buntheay Meas, Savong and Boeung Kak communities from around the province - which have all been affected by land conflicts - were joined by monks, NGOs and other groups for the five-kilometre march, which ended with a public forum on human rights. In Phnom Penh, about 100 people from Boeung Chhouk and Damnak Trayoeung communities also gathered to celebrate with community-wide forums on human rights, including calling for the release of imprisoned human rights defenders.

The celebrations were among the first in a series of events celebrating IHRD across the country which will take place over the next week.

25 November 2016

We, the undersigned civil society organizations, are outraged by actions taken by authorities to disrupt, prevent and halt voter registration education and dissemination activities undertaken by youth volunteers in Phnom Penh and the provinces during Water Festival, an annual Cambodian celebration (13, 14, 15 November 2016). Over 60 youth volunteers, including from PEP-Center, YRDP, KYSD, NICFEC, CPWP and SEPY, faced numerous challenges during the three days’ activities.

7 November 2016

This afternoon, marking his 450th day in jail, Phnom Penh Municipal Court convicted opposition senator Hong Sok Hour of forgery and incitement charges, handing down a seven-year prison sentence.

In August 2015, Hong Sok Hour was charged with forgery of public documents, use of forged public documents, and incitement to commit a crime after posting a video containing images of an altered version of a reproduction of the 1979 treaty between Cambodia and Vietnam on Facebook. During his trial, which began in October 2015 and resumed just two weeks ago after more than a year's postponement, Hong Sok Hour’s defence lawyers were prevented from publicly presenting exculpatory evidence by trial judge Ros Piseth. He has now been detained in CC1 prison since his arrest in August 2015 by special forces on the orders of Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Exiled opposition president Sam Rainsy has also been charged as an accomplice in the same case, but not brought to trial.

17 October 2016

On Sunday, 16 October, thousands of people joined a 90-kilometre funeral procession, from Phnom Penh to Takeo, to mark 100 days since the assassination of political analyst Dr. Kem Ley. He was shot dead in a busy Caltex petrol station cafe in central Phnom Penh on 10 July 2016. Over the past three months since he was murdered, there has still been no independent and credible investigation into his murder.

The procession started from Wat Chas, a pagoda in Phnom Penh, where over the previous two days thousands of people had travelled to pay respect.

10 October 2016

We, the undersigned civil society groups, are outraged by this morning’s unjustified use of violence by district para-police officers during a march to peacefully celebrate World Habitat Day, and we strongly condemn this reprehensible attack.

10 October 2016

This afternoon, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court sentenced opposition CNRP MP Um Sam An to two years and six months’ imprisonment with a four million riel ($1,000) fine after convicting him of incitement to commit a felony and incitement to commit discrimination under Articles 495 and 496 of the Cambodian Criminal Code.

During the trial hearing, Um Sam An and his lawyers made repeated complaints that the trial amounted to a violation of his constitutional rights to parliamentary immunity and freedom of expression before leaving the court in protest. Trial judge Heng Sokna completed the hearing in their absence.

The case relates to online expression and Facebook posts made by Um Sam An over one year ago in relation to the ongoing political dispute between the ruling party and the opposition over Cambodia’s border with Vietnam. The authorities interpreted the continued existence of the Facebook posts one year later as evidence of a “flagrant offence” – bypassing Um Sam An’s parliamentary immunity.

22 September 2016

We, the undersigned civil society organisations, condemn in the strongest terms today’s unjustified conviction of former Head of the Human Rights and Monitoring Section of the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association ADHOC) and deputy secretary-general of the National Election Committee (NEC), Mr. Ny Chakrya, by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court. After a four and a half hour trial, Judge Khy Chhay deliberated for a mere 15 minutes before deciding to convict Mr. Ny Chakrya on charges of defamation, malicious denunciation, and publication of commentaries intended to unlawfully coerce judicial authorities, under Articles 305, 311 and 522 respectively of the Cambodian Criminal Code. Mr. Ny Chakrya was sentenced to six months in prison and given a fine of six million Riel (approximately $1,500).