LIBRARY

21 July 2008

A coalition of a wide range of civil society organizations, namely the Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC, 21 NGO members), the Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (COMFREL, 10 NGO members), and the Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (NICFEC, 7 NGO members), have great concern over the general political situation and the practice of democracy in the Kingdom of Cambodia, especially during the electoral campaign period of the 4th term of the National Assembly Elections, which will take place on July 27, 2008.

The above mentioned civil society organizations have noted that during this electoral campaign period, starting from 26 June 2008 up to now, political violence particularly against non-ruling party activists at both the national and the local level, has threatened the freedom to fully participate in the upcoming elections. The latter is an important element of our democracy, and it is guaranteed by the Constitution of the Kingdom of Cambodia. We have identified numerous cases of political violence occurring during the past three-weeks of this election campaign period, such as political intimidation, and the killing of journalists as well as non-ruling party activists; leading to a deterioration of the general security situation in the country which in turn is creating fear among the general public.

2 July 2008

In a bid to clean up the streets of Phnom Penh, the government has been removing the homeless, beggars and sex workers and dumping them in two detention centers supposedly for rehabilitation and education. The reality however is that these people are being unlawfully detained and forced to live in appalling conditions where meals consist of a small plastic bag of rice and a bucket in the middle of the room serves as a communal toilet.

28 June 2008

The government should order the immediate and complete closure of two Social Affairs centers in which men, women and children have been unlawfully detained, and ensure an end to any further arbitrary arrests and detentions, LICADHO said today.

"These two centers, and any others like them, must be closed because their main purpose is to detain people completely unlawfully," said LICADHO director Naly Pilorge. “This is an institutionalized program of unlawful detention by the government which is morally and legally indefensible."

One of the centers is in Prey Speu, Chom Chao commune of Phnom Penh and the other is on the site of a former Khmer Rouge prison and execution camp on Koh Kor, an island in Saang district of Kandal province. Both centers are run by the Phnom Penh Municipal Social Affairs Department.

28 June 2008

Koh Kor Social Affairs Center, an institutionalized program of unlawful detention by the government. Photos taken by LICADHO on June 17 & 19, 2008.

9 June 2008

The Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC), the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR), and the Cambodian League for the Defense and Promotion of Human Rights (LICADHO) condemn the arrest and detention on Sunday of Moneaksekar Khmer editorin-chief Dam Sith, which we believe was politically-motivated.

On Sunday morning, June 8, national military police officers wearing civilian clothes arrested Dam Sith at a Phnom Penh car-washing shop. After several hours at the national military police headquarters, he was sent to Phnom Penh court where he was charged with defamation and disinformation and sent to Prey Sar prison for pre-trial detention.

Dam Sith was charged following a complaint against him by Minister of Foreign Affairs Hor Namhong, regarding an article published in Moneaksekar Khmer on April 18. The article reported on a speech made by Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) president Sam Rainsy, at a Khmer Rouge victims' commemoration on April 17, in which he made comments about several government ministers. Hor Namhong subsequently filed a court complaint against both Sam Rainsy and Dam Sith.

6 June 2008

On June 6, 2006, more than 1000 families were violently expelled from their homes in Sambok Chap village in inner city Phnom Penh. The residents were forced onto trucks and taken to be dumped in an open field at Andong, 22km from central Phnom Penh - their new 'home'. There was no shelter, electricity, running water, schools, health services or readily-available employment nearby.

Today 6 June 2008 marks the two year anniversary of the eviction, the site of their former homes in Sambok Chap - slated for commercial development by a private company - remains bare and unused, while the evictees continue to live in squalor at the Andong relocation site.

5 June 2008

LICADHO appeals to the government to allow the immediate reopening of radio FM 105.25 in Kratie province, without any censorship or other restrictions on its broadcasts.

The Ministry of Information last week closed down the new radio station, which had broadcasted for only 13 days, because it sold air time to political parties.

"The abrupt closure of this radio station reflects very poorly on the government's commitment to allowing democratic debate prior to the July national elections," said Kek Galabru, LICADHO’s president. "It also highlights how freedom of expression and information is tightly controlled on Cambodia's radio and television stations, particularly in rural areas."

4 June 2008

In the past week the number of villagers coming to Phnom Penh to highlight land grievances shows the continuing dire situation of land-grabbing in Cambodia.

"People are still coming to Phnom Penh from all over the country, desperate for government officials to listen to their land problems and resolve them," said Kek Galabru, LICADHO's president. "This shows that land-grabbing is still rampant and that villagers are unable to get their grievances heard anywhere else."

Last week in just a short period of 48 hours, five groups of villagers from five provinces came to Phnom Penh because of unresolved land problems.

29 May 2008

The number of villagers coming to Phnom Penh to highlight land grievances - with people from five provinces arriving in the capital within the past 48 hours - shows the continuing dire situation of land-grabbing in Cambodia.

"People are still coming to Phnom Penh from all over the country, desperate for government officials to listen to their land problems and resolve them," said Kek Galabru, LICADHO’s president. "This shows that land-grabbing is still rampant and that villagers are unable to get their grievances heard anywhere else."

12 May 2008

Sophal* was only six when he became a child brick factory worker. The rest of his family has spent over five years working in the brick factory. Together, the family of five earns less than US$25 per month. The work is hard, and the children often get sick. The job involves repetitive lifting, carting and drying of clay, and hauling brick blocks in and out of hot furnaces.

On May 7, World Vision Cambodia (WVC) and LICADHO launched a joint research report "Child Labor in Brick Factories - Causes and Consequences" at a workshop in Battambang city. The research, conducted in July 2007, aimed to identify causes and consequences of child labor in brick factories in the surrounding areas of Battambang city.

8 May 2008

Radio Free Asia (RFA) Journalist Lem Piseth has yet again fled the country to Thailand after deaths threats were made against him last month.

Since early April 2008, Lem Piseth had been investigating a drug trafficking and murder case with alleged links to high ranking officials. On April 10, 2008 Lem Piseth's daughter discovered six AK47 bullets placed in front of their rented house in Battambang. The bullets were placed at the front gate only three and a half meters from his bedroom.

8 May 2008

As part of the campaign against the worst forms of child labor for the wellbeing of Cambodian children, LICADHO and World Vision Cambodia have commissioned the research team, led by Dr. Poch Bunnak, to conduct a study on children working in brick factories. The study was conducted in July 2007 to identify the causes and consequences of child labor in brick factories in Battambang and Sang Ke districts, the surrounding areas of Battambang
provincial city.

Data were collected using interviewer-completed questionnaires from three main sources (132 child workers, 43 parents, and 15 brick factory owners or managers) from 26 brick factories. It is estimated that between 400 and 500 children work daily in these brick factories during the high labour-demand season.

1 May 2008

Cambodia's media is often described as one of the freest in the region, but in reality journalists describe an environment in which the pursuit of truth is undermined by political bias, fear and corruption.

Most of Cambodia's media outlets are aligned to a political party and most favor the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP). Bribes are so commonplace they are not even considered corruption. Formal censorship exists and self-censorship is widespread through Cambodia's media.

A new survey shows that many Cambodian journalists have been attacked - physically or legally - and most feel vulnerable. Threats and fear have a direct influence on their work, and their reporting has a direct influence on the public's perception of their country, especially around election periods.

1 May 2008

Cambodia's news media is often described as one of the freest in the region, with no official censorship and a "flourishing press".

But if we look beyond just the quantity of newspapers and magazines, and listen to journalists and editors describe their working environment, we find a media closely controlled by politics, money and fear.

Almost all Cambodia's media is aligned to a political party, with the vast majority favoring the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP). The situation varies depending on the media - television is totally owned or controlled by the government or CPP, radio has a few opposition-aligned stations and some important independent voices, while most newspapers act as mouthpieces for one party or another, with the exception of the foreign-language press.

27 March 2008

The Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC), a coalition of 21 NGO members, the Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (CMFREL) and the Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (NICFEC) are very concerned over the ongoing politically motivated arrests by using court system as a political tool for intimidation, amid the forthcoming national elections to be held on 27 July 2008.

On 18 March 2008 at around 9 am, Mr. Tuot Sarorn, Tuol Pong Ro Commune Chief, Baray district, Kampong Thom province was arrested by a group of police officers led by Baray District Police Inspector without an arrest warrant although police officials affirmed that the arrest was based on a warrant issued by the Kampong Thom provincial court.

On 19 March 2008, Mr. Tout Sarorn was sent to Kampong Thom provincial police commissariat and to the court. Additionally, three other members of Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) Mr. Thorn Rithy (Deputy Chief of SRP Kampong Thom provincial office), Mr. Men Vannak and Mr. Hour Sarak, are also searched for arrest.

25 March 2008

Pring Pov, the Kep policeman who has been unlawfully detained for more than one month by the Ministry of Interior, was sent by police to Monivong Hospital yesterday. The Cambodia Human Rights and Development Organization (ADHOC) and the Cambodian League for Defense and Promotion of Human Rights (LICADHO) are deeply concerned for his health and once more call for his immediate release.

Pring Pov, a district police officer in Kep municipality, was arrested without court warrant on February 18, 2008, and has subsequently been detained in a cell by the Order Police at a Ministry of Interior compound in Phnom Penh. He has been beaten and kept in handcuffs for at least some of that time, according to credible information received by ADHOC and LICADHO.

17 March 2008

There are over 640 women currently detained in prisons all over Cambodia and on a day that is meant to celebrate women everywhere and promote the rights of women, LICADHO, partner NGOs, comedians and musicians spent the day remembering these vulnerable members of society.

On Saturday March 8 LICADHO and partner NGOs celebrated International Women's Day by distributing food, drinks, clothes and materials to female prisoners, children living in prison and female prison guards across 20 prisons in Cambodia. These donations are greatly needed in a prison system which must subsist on a budget of 1,500 riel (USD$0.38) per prisoner per day to cover the costs of food, water, electricity, clothing and medical care.

14 March 2008

Commissioned artwork used in LICADHO's latest Cambodian prisons condition illustrates the everyday life of incarcerated mother with their child.

11 March 2008

The Cambodian League for the Defense and Promotion of Human Rights (LICADHO) is gravely concerned by the unlawful detention and alleged torture of a man in the custody of the Ministry of Interior.

Mr Priep Pov, a Damnak Chang’aeur district policeman from Kep Municipality, was arrested without court warrant in Kep on February 18. Transferred to Phnom Penh on the same day, he has since been detained for three weeks at a compound used by the Ministry of Interior's Order Police and the Intervention Police units. He has been beaten and kept shackled with handcuffs by foot and hand for at least some of that time, and is in poor health, according to credible information received by LICADHO.

8 March 2008

As of February 2008, there are 562 women living in 18 out of Cambodia's 26 prisons. Of these women, 4 were pregnant and 43 women brought their children to live with them in prison or had given birth to children while in prison, for a total of 50 children living with their mothers in prison.

Life in Cambodian prisons is a harsh reality for any individual. Limited access to food and clean water, overcrowding of prison cells, routine denial of quality medical services and violence towards prisoners from prison officials and other inmates is a part of everyday life. Life in prison becomes even more difficult when you are pregnant, or if you bring your children to live with you in prison.