LIBRARY

1 May 2014

Today's planned union gatherings in Phnom Penh to mark International Workers’ Day look set to face severe restrictions by authorities. LICADHO will be livestreaming developments as they happen.

30 April 2014

This morning, razor wire, caged trucks and fences were set up to prevent people from accessing Freedom Park for tomorrow’s International Workers’ Day events and during the election campaign which starts on 2nd May. Also this morning, Mu Sochua, CNRP law-maker elect, together with 150 supporters and representatives from land communities tried yet again to enter the park. Sam Rainsy, CNRP leader, made a quick visit to Freedom Park before going to Wat Phnom, and then returning to the barricaded park to give a short speech. Between 400-500 police were stationed at Freedom Park to prevent people from entering.

Sochua’s scheduled attempt to enter Freedom Park was publicly announced on Monday. When Sochua and her supporters were blocked from entering the park, they placed lotus flowers on the razor wire and burned incense.

24 April 2014

On 25 April 2014, the trials of the 23 men arrested during the government’s suppression of labor strikes in early January will take place at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court. The hearing of two further individuals, who were arrested during violent clashes between garment workers and armed forces on 12 November 2013 will also take place at the Municipal Court.

LICADHO will be livestreaming events as they happen from inside and outside the court.

21 April 2014

This morning, security guards attacked Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) youths, local and foreign journalists, and NGO workers, as they gathered for Mu Sochua's latest attempt to enter Freedom Park. LICADHO provided medical treatment to seven people following the unprovoked assault. Two had open wounds which required stitches and one had a severely bloodied ear. Mu Sochua herself was carried from the park by security guards and received minor injuries.

This is elected CNRP law-maker Mu Sochua's sixth attempt to enter the park since the Phnom Penh municipality banned public gatherings in early January. Her previous attempts have also been brought to a swift end by security forces. She is conducting the protests to draw attention to the lack of freedom of expression in the country.

31 March 2014

This morning independent radio station owner Mam Sonando was prevented from leading a march from Freedom Park to the Ministry of Information. Sonando had called his supporters to protest the Ministry of Information’s refusal to give him a license for a TV channel and more frequencies for his Beehive Radio station. Before Sonando’s arrival, his supporters were violently dispersed by a large number of security forces, resulting in two men being beaten and sent for medical treatment. One man was briefly detained. He was released after signing an agreement not to participate in future demonstrations. Amid violent shoving by authorities, Sonando gave a short speech to his supporters calling for freedom of information and urging non-violence.

Cambodia currently has no independent TV stations as the Ministry of Information has systematically refused to grant TV licenses to non-CPP (Cambodian People’s Party) affiliated individuals.

30 March 2014

Today, around 2000 Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) supporters marched from Wat Botum to the CNRP headquarters passing the Russian Embassy, the Ministry of Information, the Cambodian People’s Party headquarters and National Election Committee office. The march was unplanned and was prompted by the authorities' denial of permission to hold a "People's Congress" in Freedom Park. Since this morning, several roadblocks, checkpoints and a heavy police presence have prevented people from gathering in Freedom Park.

CNRP will hold the congress to discuss the ongoing political deadlock over the results of last year's election. The congress follows this morning's memorial ceremony which took place at Wat Botum.

30 March 2014

This morning, more than 1500 people, including Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) supporters, Kem Sokha and Sam Rainsy, and some monks, gathered in front of Wat Botum to hold a memorial ceremony for the injured and killed in March 1997 grenade attack. The gathering was the first organized event by CNRP in Phnom Penh since state security forces’ lethal clampdown on freedom of assembly in early January, and the largest public gathering since the Cambodian government put a ban on assembly in January.

Participants encountered several roadblocks, checkpoints and a heavy police presence around Wat Botum and Freedom Park, and many were prevented from attending the ceremony.

This morning’s ceremony will be followed by a ‘People’s Congress’ at CNRP headquarters this afternoon. The congress will discuss the ongoing political deadlock.

19 March 2014

If 2012 was the most violent year ever documented in terms of authorities using lethal force against individual human rights defenders (HRDs), 2013 saw the Cambodian authorities turn that force towards public protests.

8 March 2014

Today, March 8, 2014, factory workers, unions, and other members of civil society are planning to gather at the Freedom Park for a public forum on minimum wage and Women's Right. Follow our livestream as events unfold.

3 March 2014

This morning, civil society groups gathered once again to call for the release of 21 detainees, including garment workers and human rights activists, arrested in early January.

The group, including land communities, monks, youth networks, unions and NGOs, chanted, banged drums and sang outside Wat Ounalom for about an hour from 8am. The gathering was disrupted after authorities confiscated the drum and loudspeakers; a smaller group of about 200 participants, mainly from land communities, moved to Daun Penh district office to ask for the return of their confiscated equipment. They were confronted by security guards outside the office, leading to a minor clash which saw two women injured.

12 February 2014

This audio book compiles key observations from 173 staff and partners who visited over 100 polling stations. There are 19,009 polling stations in Cambodia. As such, this is not intended to be a comprehensive analysis of election day irregularities, but instead offers a snapshot revealing the need for further investigation.

The findings and recommendations were first published in August 2013 in a written briefing paper.

10 February 2014

Cambodians nationwide and people across the globe demonstrated unity today with the 23 workers and rights defenders arrested in last month’s violent clampdown on striking garment workers, where at least four died and 38 were hospitalized, 25 of which suffered from bullet wounds.

10 February 2014

Today, groups, communities, and monks are releasing balloons in 57 places in Phnom Penh and the provinces in support of 23 rights defenders and workers arrested last month. After two were released on bail on February 8, the remaining 21 are set to appear at a bail hearing tomorrow at the Appeals Court. These actions are happening in conjunction with today’s global day of action for the arrested rights defenders and workers, which will see international unions IndustriALL, Global Union and ITUC mobilizing workers around the world to protest at Cambodian embassies in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Canberra, Berlin, Brussels, Geneva, Hong Kong, Manila, Jakarta, London, and Seoul.

This morning, 100 land activists delivered a petition calling for their release to the Ministry of Justice. Several NGO representatives attempted to deliver a joint civil society petition with 197 signatures to the Vietnamese embassy but their petition was not accepted. At 10am, the Pochentong airport area community will release balloons at their community center.

At 11:30am, in over 40 locations throughout Phnom Penh, groups will gather to release 23 balloons. A larger group will release balloons in front of the Royal Palace. Other groups will simultaneously release balloons in Siem Reap, Poipet, Kampong Som, and Kampot.

9 February 2014

LICADHO has compiled a timeline summarizing the series of event leading to and following the January 2-3-4, 2014, lethal clampdown on labour and political demonstrations in Cambodia's capital.

7 February 2014

This morning about 100 civil society members and monks gathered at Preah Ong Dongkau on Riverside to call for the release of 23 detained workers and rights workers in anticipation of their bail hearing, set for Tuesday, February 11.

23 monks prayed for the release of the 23 men, who were arrested during the garment protests in early January, as the group released birds and balloons into the air. This gathering comes ahead of a planned Global Day of Action which will see global unions including IndistrALL Global Union, UNI Global Union and the ITUC mobilising workers around the world to protest at Cambodian embassies on February 10, the day before the bail hearing, to demand the release of the 23.

1 February 2014

This afternoon, about 80 people, including 20 monks, gathered on Veng Sreng street, the site of the Jan 2 and 3 clashes, to call for a release of the 23 imprisoned workers and human rights defenders and for justice for those injured and killed during the violence.

The ceremony took place in front of Canadia business park, where the two days of violence resulted in more than 40 people hospitalized and four people confirmed dead.

29 January 2014

This morning, unions, associations, communities and other civil society groups submitted petitions to six embassies and two UN offices calling for the release of the 23 human rights defenders and workers arrested earlier this month, an end to violence against protesters, an inquiry into the violent clashes of Jan 2 and 3 and reparations to victims of the clashes.

Shortly after their first stop at the embassy of Singapore, the group of about 80 people was briefly obstructed by about 15 municipal guards and a line of riot police. Once they were allowed to continue, the protesters successfully submitted the petitions to the UNDP and UNFPA offices and the embassies of Brunei, Myanmar, Indonesia, Philippines, and China. The petitions have 197 civil society signatories so far.

28 January 2014

Today, the United Nations will conduct a Universal Periodical Review (UPR) of Cambodia to look into some of the key human rights issues affecting the country, from systematic attacks against human rights defenders to labour trafficking and obstacles against basic freedoms such as right to assembly and expression. LICADHO, by itself and with partners, has contributed to this process by submitting a number of documents.

28 January 2014

The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), a Bangkok-based regional human rights NGO representing 47 member organisations from 16 countries across Asia, registered its strongest condemnation of the Cambodian government’s violent suppression of demonstrators, rights observers and media personnel at a mass rally held in Phnom Penh on 26 January 2014 which left at least 8 people injured.

27 January 2014

Violent suppression of peaceful protests continued today as municipal security guards, civilians wielding electric batons as well as military police and riot police blocked Mam Sonando supporters from protesting in Freedom Park and at the Ministry of Information, leaving at least ten people injured including six hospitalised.

Mam Sonando, owner of Beehive radio station, and approximately 1,000 supporters were prevented from entering Freedom Park by municipal security guards and civilians carrying electric batons early this morning. The guards and civilians attempted to block their route from the park to the Ministry of Information, where protesters demanded that Beehive - one of the few independent broadcasters in Cambodia - be allowed its own TV station and nationwide broadcasts. Arriving at the Ministry at about 10am, they were met by locked gates and about 800 military police and riot police. Soon after, more security forces emerged from nearby City Hall, blocking Monivong Boulevard to the crowd. Authorities warned supporters and journalists to vacate the area. Within minutes, more than 1,000 security forces advanced in formation on the group. In a 20-minute period, forces detonated smoke grenades and used electric batons on the supporters and bystanders, severely beating and shocking at least eight people. At least two civilian thugs carrying slingshots similar to those used in previous protests were beaten by some in the crowd. At about 10.30am, protesters re-grouped outside the nearby US embassy and were forced away by riot police, pushing a small group to march towards Independence Monument on Norodom Boulevard. At about 11am, about a hundred riot police armed with guns dispersed the crowd for a final time, chasing protesters from the Boulevard.