LIBRARY

3 August 2005

The Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC), a coalition of 18 NGOs, is deeply concerned by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court's guilty verdict for Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun, accused of the murder of Chea Vichea, Free Trade Union leader and Sam Rainsy Party activist. They were each sentenced to 20 years in prison and ordered to pay $5,000 compensation each to the plaintiff.

CHRAC considers the verdict, returned on August 1, 2005 by Judge Kong Set, as unfair and based on political bias rather than on independent and reasonable judgment.

29 July 2005

Civil Society Organizations are deeply concerned on the decline of the rights and function of Member of Parliament (MP) mainly the freedom of expression. Civil Society Organizations have noted that political Parties influence has been increased, mostly political leader over the MP in 1st legislation started from the parliamentary membership withdrawal of H.E.Mr. Sam Rainsy from FUNCINPEC 3 senators; H.E.Mr. Chhang Song, H.E.Mr. Phay Siphan and H.E.Mr. Pou Savath; of Cambodian People Party (CPP), and the recently attempt for parliamentary membership withdrawal of H.E.Mr. Khem Veasna from Sam Rainsy (SRP).

20 July 2005

The Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC), a coalition of 18 local NGOs, is deeply concerned by today's forced and violent repatriation of 100 Montagnards in Cambodia to Vietnam. The CHRAC condemns the deportation including the extensive use of electric batons which was used against the Montagnards by Cambodian police while loading them onto buses to begin the deportation from a center in Phnom Penh. This was despite the fact that the Montagnards did not act violently, but only tried to passively resist being taken away.

6 July 2005

The coalition of civil society organizations has noticed that the Senate and the National Assembly, who adopted the proposed law on election of members of the senate, plan to elect senators as a result of the votes of members of both the national assembly and commune council. The coalition of civil society organizations, however, strongly regrets that recommendations of the coalition, electoral stakeholders, and political parties are not included in the Senate Election Law.

5 July 2005

The Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC), a coalition of 18 NGOs, is strongly disappointed by the decision made on June 30 by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court's prosecutor to condemn Mr. Suon Visal and his colleagues for "counterfeiting a seal and letterhead."

CHRAC believes that the accusations made by the prosecutor run counter to legal principles because they lack criminal action; the new stamp was made with majority support of the Bar Council and Mr. Suon Visal had informed all relevant authorities about this new stamp. He therefore did not commit any crime.

29 June 2005

Cambodia should establish an independent body to receive and investigate complaints of torture and other abuses committed by police officers, according to LICADHO.

"Torture is all too common in Cambodia and it is time for meaningful action to prevent and punish this brutal practice," said Kek Galabru on June 26, the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. "Establishing an independent agency to investigate such abuses committed by the police is long overdue."

22 June 2005

The Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC), a coalition of 18 NGOs, is deeply concerned about the development plans of the Wuzhishan Company's land concession in Mondulkiri Province. As currently described, their plans will violate the historic land, customs, traditions, and daily life of Phnong tribe communities in seven communes. In particular, the company's intention to clear more than 10,000 hectares of land to plant pine trees represents an illegal action that seriously impacts the livelihood of the tribes in the communes of Dakdam and Sen Monorum of Oraing District.

3 June 2005

Civil society is deeply saddened to hear that the Government now claims it cannot contribute its $13.3 million share to the Khmer Rouge Tribunal (KRT) three-year budget. It declares that it can only give $1.5 million leaving a short fall of $11.8 million. It is interesting to note that the $4.4 million per year required from the Government to run the KRT amounts to only 0.5% of the Annual National budget of $792 million. This seems like a ridiculously small price to pay for the possible achievement of justice and reconciliation for victims of the Khmer Rouge regime and for Cambodia as a whole.

26 April 2005

We welcome the Royal Government of Cambodia and the International Community’s determination to ensure the fairness, credibility, independence and impartiality of the Extraordinary Chambers (EC). In order to achieve this, CHRAC and other members of civil society have made multiple requests on the above topics, yet many of our questions remain unanswered. The International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH), ADHOC and LICADHO held a meeting and discussed these issues with members of civil society on 2 - 3 March 2005 and again reiterated these requests in a press release on 15 April. CHRAC respectfully requests again today, as the second training course for judges and prosecutors begins, that the Royal Cambodian Government (RGC) and International Community (including the United Nations), kindly respond to the concerns of civil society.

26 April 2005

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) and the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO) will hold a media conference in Phnom Penh on April 28, 2005, on the occasion of the publication by the Observatory of its worldwide 2004 Annual Report on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders.

28 March 2005

The Cambodian Human Rights Actions Committee (CHRAC), a collation of 18 human rights NGOs, strongly condemns the means of enforcement of the Banteay Mean Chey Provincial Appeals Court’s decision in a controversial Poipet land case. Enforcement lead to violence against villagers that resulted in six deaths. As well, six others are seriously injured three, 3 people have disappeared, and 29 people were arrested and released the same day.

20 March 2005

The Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC), a coalition of 18 local NGOs working on human rights issues, expressed concern about reports that the Cambodian government is investigating and considering the closure of the Highlanders Association, an association of indigenous community people in Ratanakiri.

“We this is a threat to freedom of association, a fundamental right enshrined in the Cambodian constitution,” said Mr.Sok Sam Oeun, Chairman of CHRAC. “It’s disappointing to see pressure being put on a community-based organization, that advocates for indigenous minority rights.”

10 February 2005

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and its member organisations in Cambodia, ADHOC and LICADHO, express their deepest concern at the recent crackdown on main opposition leaders in Cambodia.

On February 3, the National Assembly of Cambodia lifted the parliamentary immunity of three MPs belonging to Sam Rainsy Party (SRP), the main opposition party, thereby allowing criminal suits against them.

7 February 2005

Civil Society Coalitions including COMFREL, CHRAC, YCC, NICFEC, Star Kampuchea, NGO Forum on Cambodia, and others such as CSD, CCHR, Open Forum of Cambodia, CLEC and Advocacy and Policy Program of Pact Cambodia strongly concern on the safety and the violation of parliamentary rights of H.E Cheam Channy regarding the arrest by the Military Court on Feb 04.

We note that the arrest is not based on a specific legal procedures and sufficient element of crime, the prosecutor immediately issued an order of arrest the MP just a few hours after his immunity was suspended. On the other hand, the case is not flagrante delicto that the arrest is instantly needed to be done.

3 February 2005

LICADHO has found that roughly a third of Cambodia's prisoners are pre-trial detainees, of whom some are incarcerated months or years beyond the statutory limit of six months. Due to challenges to the judicial system, as well as problems with completing investigations within the pre-trial detention period, pre-trial detainees often remain incarcerated months and even years beyond the statutory limit. According to statistics gathered by LICADHO in the 18 prisons it monitors, the number of persons held in pre-trial detention beyond the statutory limit varies however, it has been as high as 225 (September, 2001) and as low as 70 (November, 2003).

24 December 2004

According to CHRAC’s investigation, police from the Ministry of Interior’s Department of Anti-Human Trafficking and Juvenile Protection Department (DAHTJP) raided the Chai Hour II hotel on December 7, 2004. The police acted under the direction of Phnom Penh deputy chief prosecutor Mr Siem Sok Aun, who had issued a search warrant for the hotel following a complaint and a request made by the DAHTJP. After searching the premises, the deputy prosecutor and the police arrested and detained 7 suspects (5 men and 2 women), who were later released without approval from the deputy chief prosecutor.

CHRAC understands that the initial actions taken by the DAHTJP were correct and under the direction of the prosecutor Mr Siem Sok Aun. Therefore, CHRAC urges the Ministry of Interior to review whether the subsequent release of the 7 suspects complied with correct legal procedure.

6 December 2004

The Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC) is deeply concerned about arbitrary restrictions placed on freedom of assembly and expression in Cambodia, and also the level of violence against peaceful public marchers, demonstrators and labor strikers. In the interests of protecting these freedoms, in order to promote democratic public debate vital to good governance, CHRAC makes the following recommendations: ...

5 December 2004

Cambodian NGO workers will march through Phnom Penh on Monday December 6 to demand an end to nearly two years of arbitrary restrictions by government authorities on marches, demonstrations and other peaceful public gatherings.

30 November 2004

As part of the international 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence 2004, the Cambodian Committee of Women (CAMBOW), in cooperation with Ministry of Women’s Affairs, will organize an educational drama on domestic violence in Phnom Penh and produce a video case-study to be shown in all 24 Cambodian provinces in order to raise awareness of domestic violence and demonstrate the need for the adoption of the draft Law on Domestic Violence.

5 August 2004

LICADHO urges the government to fully investigate alleged crimes - including payments of thousands of dollars to Cambodian government employees - connected to the adoptions of Cambodian children to the United States.