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.

8 February 2017

About 200 people gathered outside Phnom Penh Municipal Court this afternoon to support human rights defenders Chan Puthisak and Am Sam Ath as they were questioned by a prosecutor in relation to violence which occurred last October when para-police broke up a peaceful World Habitat Day march.

LICADHO Monitoring Manager Am Sam Ath and Boeung Kak Lake community representative Chan Puthisak were both questioned for about an hour and a half as people from local communities and other grassroots groups, NGOs and media gathered outside the court. The two human rights defenders had been summonsed as suspects before prosecutor Ngin Pich in relation to the violence on World Habitat Day, which had left both men badly injured by para-police.

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.

14 January 2017

This morning, Din Puthy, CNRP's deputy chief of operations in Poipet, was released on bail from Banteay Meanchey prison.

He was charged with intentional violence with aggravating circumstances on December 24, and had been imprisoned since then. The charges stem from accusations of hitting immigration police officer Chhean Pisith with his car, despite video footage and witness accounts casting serious doubt on the claims. Appeals judge Nuon Ratana ruled for his release on bail following a closed hearing in Phnom Penh yesterday.

6 January 2017

This audio book contains the edited highlights of two radio shows exploring how the Cambodian justice system responds to cases of rape. The shows were originally broadcast during the 2016 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence Campaign. In the two clips, a young rape victim and the father of a rape victim describe their experiences of the Cambodian justice system and there is a discussion of the main findings of LICADHO’s most recent report on rape “Getting Away With It – 2016 Update” which reviews the outcomes of cases investigated by LICADHO in 2015.

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.

8 December 2016

This morning, elected opposition commune council chief Seang Chet was released from prison after yesterday receiving a royal pardon from King Sihamoni. The pardon came 48 hours after his conviction by the Phnom Penh court of first instance and means he will no longer have to serve a five year sentence for ”bribery of a witness” in a politically-motivated case led by the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU). He had already spent 228 days in detention.

The release follows an apparent easing of political tensions between the ruling and opposition party leaders after a similar pardon was granted to acting opposition leader Kem Sokha on 2 December after spending over six months at the opposition’s headquarters under defacto house-arrest.

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.

2 December 2016

On the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, LICADHO publishes its report “Built on Slavery: Debt Bondage and Child Labour in Cambodia’s Brick Factories” which presents evidence of the widespread use of contemporary forms of slavery in Cambodia’s brick manufacturing industry. It finds that despite the existence of comprehensive and long-standing legislation criminalizing the use of debt bondage and prohibiting child labour, competent authorities are making no efforts to eradicate them and are in fact enabling their survival.

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.