LIBRARY

1 June 2021

The government must begin treating children’s rights and well-being as a central issue in its ongoing efforts to contain the pandemic. Children’s lives have been radically altered by the extended closure of all in-person learning and drastic lockdown measures, and more must be done to support and defend their rights and needs.

This Children’s Day, LICADHO is releasing a series of quotes from children and their families whose lives have been impacted by the response to COVID-19. They have decided to share their experiences and detail how measures to contain the pandemic have affected their education, as well as their physical and mental health, particularly for children caught in harsh lockdowns.

12 May 2021

As stated above, we, the undersigned people and civil society organizations working to promote women’s human rights and gender equality in the Kingdom of Cambodia are dismayed that relevant authorities failed to take proper and effective measures in accordance with legal principles in cases of sexual gender-based violence and sexual harassment. As a result, justice has not yet been delivered to the victims and survivors. This has seriously impacted the effectiveness of law enforcement in the Kingdom of Cambodia, and serves as a breeding ground for increased violence and sexual harassment against women and girls. The measures taken so far to dismiss and demote powerful officials from their positions do not provide justice for women survivors, and only reinforce the culture of impunity. Perpetrators of domestic violence, sexual harassment and attempted rape must be punished according to the law. It is already distressing that a woman has to live with the harm caused by gender-based violence. When she comes forward and speaks out about those experiences, with the only purpose being to seek justice for herself and other women and girls, she must be supported.

3 May 2021

On the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day, we - the undersigned non-governmental organizations – recall that freedom of expression includes the right to a free and independent media as well as the rights to hold opinions and to seek, receive or impart information and ideas of all kinds. The press plays a fundamental role in ensuring a healthy and prosperous democracy. We are, therefore, deeply concerned about the continued deterioration of the media environment in Cambodia and urge the Royal Government of Cambodia (“RGC”) to cease the ongoing harassment of independent media outlets and journalists for exercising their fundamental right to freedom of expression, to end the rampant impunity against attacked and murdered journalists, to immediately repeal repressive legislation undermining fundamental freedoms – including press freedom - and to ensure that any future legislation is drafted in line with Cambodia’s human rights obligations and through a transparent and consultative process with civil society.

17 April 2021

We, the undersigned civil society organizations, are deeply concerned about the heightened risks of gender-based violence that the COVID-19 pandemic poses. We call on all relevant officials of the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) to increase their vigilance and take action to prevent all forms of violence against women, children and LGBT+ individuals that may occur during mandatory quarantine and in areas under lockdown.

On 9 April, the RGC put some areas of Phnom Penh in lockdown, including Khan Meanchey, Khan Sen Sok, and Khan Por Senchey. The government also recently decided to place Phnom Penh in lockdown for two weeks effective from midnight on 14 April Lockdown measures similarly began today in several communes of Siem Reap city. All people are request to implement the “3 dos, 3 don’ts” to control of the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

6 April 2021

We, the undersigned groups, are calling on the government to direct all microfinance institutions (MFIs) and banks in the country to suspend all loan repayments and interest accrual for at least three months in order to give borrowers the opportunity to stay home and stay safe during the current COVID-19 outbreak without needing to fear losing their land or homes if they cannot repay their debt.

11 March 2021

We, the undersigned civil society groups, are dismayed at reports that a police officer faced disciplinary action for posting on her personal Facebook account a picture of herself nursing her baby while in uniform. Sadly, this occurred only a day after International Women’s Day, exemplifying the challenges that must be overcome in order for women’s rights to become a reality in Cambodia.

19 February 2021

We, the undersigned civil society groups, are seriously concerned about the sub-decree on the establishment of the national internet gateway (NIG) issued on Monday, 16 February, and call on the government to immediately repeal this sub-decree.

9 February 2021

We, the undersigned groups, urge the Ministry of Environment to stop their campaign of harassment against local forestry activists and community members. On Friday morning, local officials working for the Ministry of Environment arrested five forestry activists who were wrapping trees in Buddhist cloth and collecting evidence of widespread illegal logging occurring inside Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary.

The five were detained without charge for three nights in the Kratie provincial police station and environmental department office before being released on Monday morning. The activists were released only after thumb-printing a contract ordering them not to undertake further conservation activities inside the protected area, or to share footage, photos or information with other organisations, without permission from authorities.

14 January 2021

We, the civil society groups, unions and communities listed below, express our deepest condolences and concern over the arrest and detention of three land community representatives, as well as the recent indictment of more than 50 land community representatives. We ask the court to drop the charges and release them.

10 December 2020

On Human Rights Day, we the 67 undersigned civil society organizations, call on the Royal Government of Cambodia (“RGC”) to respect the democratic principles and human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (“UDHR”) and the Constitution of the Kingdom of Cambodia (“the Constitution”), and fulfil its human rights obligations. We further call on the RGC to immediately end the targeting of activists, human rights defenders, journalists, political opposition supporters, and other critical voices that has tarnished 2020, and unconditionally release all of those arbitrarily detained.

9 December 2020

Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO) call on the Royal Government of Cambodia to take urgent action to safeguard the right to health of people in detention, prison officials and the wider community by conducting rigorous testing of those in prisons for COVID-19, implementing effective hygiene and physical distancing measures in prisons and taking immediate steps to reduce prison overcrowding.

8 December 2020

Madam Minister,

We, the undersigned Cambodian civil society groups, are concerned about the recently announced plan to close the Embassy of Sweden in Phnom Penh at the end of 2021. We urge the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to reconsider their decision, or to seriously consider appointing a senior political or human rights officer from the Ministry based in Phnom Penh, to ensure strong continued engagement in human rights.

19 November 2020

As the 9th United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights convenes in Geneva, Equitable Cambodia, Inclusive Development International and the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO) renew our long-standing call for redress for the Cambodian communities who were forcibly displaced by the Thai sugar company, Mitr Phol.

9 September 2020

We, the undersigned civil society groups, condemn the arrests of seven young activists over the past few days, and call for all charges against those imprisoned to be dropped immediately. We urge the government to end its campaign of fear and repression against peaceful youth and environmental human rights defenders, and ensure the rights of the Cambodian people to peacefully advocate for themselves, their families and their communities are respected.

30 August 2020

On the occasion of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, our organizations call on the governments of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam to adequately investigate all cases of enforced disappearances in their respective countries, determine the fate or whereabouts of the victims, and ensure the victims’ families have effective access to justice and receive adequate reparations.

18 August 2020

We, the undersigned civil society groups, strongly condemn the Cambodian authorities' use of violence against peaceful demonstrators and the recent arrests of more than a dozen activists.

Over the past few weeks, authorities have waged an increasingly brutal crackdown on peaceful protests that began after the arrest and imprisonment of union leader Rong Chhun at the start of August. Since Chhun’s arrest, six more individuals have been sent to pre-trial detention after advocating for his release. Authorities have also beaten and arrested relatives, most of whom are women, of former members of the dissolved opposition party who were protesting against their family members’ arrests.

13 August 2020

We, the undersigned national and international organizations and communities, call on the Royal Government of Cambodia (“RGC”) to immediately discard the repressive draft Law on Public Order and uphold its obligations under international human rights law. The draft law contains an extensive array of provisions that effectively criminalize the legitimate everyday activities of many within the Kingdom of Cambodia (“Cambodia”), in violation of their rights to freedom of expression, association, assembly and other protected human rights. If enacted, the draft law will become yet another piece of repressive legislation in a legal framework that severely undermines human rights.

3 August 2020

We, the undersigned civil society groups, strongly condemn the nighttime arrest of Rong Chhun and call on the Royal Government of Cambodia and the Phnom Penh Municipal Court to immediately drop all charges against the union leader and release him from pre-trial detention.

Cambodian Confederation of Unions president Rong Chhun was arrested by police at his home late on Friday night after the government’s Cambodia Border Affairs Committee publicly called on authorities to take action against the unionist for his comments following a visit to the Cambodia-Vietnam border on July 20. Chhun – a member of the non-governmental Cambodia Watchdog Council – had given a radio interview just hours before his arrest denying that he had been spreading false information about alleged community land loss along the border in a public statement the week before.

31 July 2020

Today, Cambodian plaintiffs representing more than 700 farming families won a landmark appeal allowing them to move forward with their class action against Asia’s largest sugar producer, Mitr Phol.

The transboundary class action Hoy Mai & Others vs. Mitr Phol Co. Ltd. is the first of its kind in Southeast Asia. It was filed under Thai laws permitting a class action to be brought by foreign plaintiffs for abuses committed by a Thai company overseas.

31 July 2020

We, the undersigned youths, civil society groups and grassroots communities, are very concerned by the Royal Government of Cambodia granting Koh Kong S.E.Z Col, Ltd, a company publicly known as being owned by Ly Yong Phat – a powerful tycoon widely known for his involvement in human rights abuses, land rights violations and the destruction of natural resources – the license to develop Koh Kong Krao island in Koh Kong province. The authorization given to this company will potentially be a serious threat to natural resources on the island and biodiversity in the sea, including deforestation, wildlife extinction, illegal buildings constructed on the beach, water pollution in the sea, loss natural beauty of the island and loss the benefit for Cambodian people, etc.

For example, in the case on Koh Rong Samloem island, there is illegal construction on the beach land and polluted water draining into the sea. Another case is Songsaa island; after the development, most Cambodian people cannot afford to stay on the island, because the price of accommodation is too expensive. Therefore, we are very concerned about the planned development of the island by the company, and call for the government to remove the development license for Koh Kong Krao island from the company and to take all effective measures to preserve the national resources and biodiversity in the sea surrounding the island.