LIBRARY

18 September 2006

The deteriorating human rights situation in Cambodia demands firmer action from the United Nations and the country's biggest foreign donors, according to three rights NGOs.

The Cambodian government's failure to meet its human rights obligations is highlighted by the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC), the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO), and the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), in a submission to the highest UN rights body, the Human Rights Council. The Council is holding its second session in Geneva from 18 September till 6 October, 2006.

"Impunity and corruption continue to be rampant, thousands of poor Cambodians are losing their homes to land-grabbing, and free speech has deteriorated to the extent that Members of Parliament can face criminal charges for expressing their opinions," said Kek Galabru, President of LICADHO. "The human rights situation just seems to go from bad to worse."

18 September 2006

The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), together with its member organizations, the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) and the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO), wish to draw the Human Rights Council's attention to the Cambodian government's severe lack of commitment to and fulfillment of its human rights obligations.

This paper covers warning signs of abuses prior to upcoming elections, repressive new laws and lack of meaningful legal and judicial reforms, forced evictions, and lack of transparency, independence and competence in the judicial system.

14 September 2006

In the Cambodian context, any NGO law - regardless of its particular content - poses a threat to the work of human rights defenders and other NGOs. While human rights defenders are most at risk because of their role in criticizing government actions, the objectives of all NGOs and development agents - both foreign and domestic - can be compromised.

This paper highlights the experience of six Asian countries with laws similar to the proposed Cambodian NGO law is outlined below.

7 September 2006

Wednesday September 6, 2006 marked the three-month anniversary of the detention of two villagers - Chan Ra and Chhen Sovan - from Sambok Chab village and Hem Chhun, a journalist from Khmer newspaper Samrek Yuthetor (Scream for Justice). The three had been arrested and detained in connection to the Sambok Chab eviction which, on June 6 2006, culminated in an excessive display of force by the authorities to empty the village.

Assembling inside a pagoda nearby Phnom Penh's Prey Sar prison, family members of the three men, surrounded by over 200 supporters, spoke to the media and the crowd.

5 September 2006

Two of the villagers, Mr. Chhen Sovan, and Mr. Chan Ra, were arrested during the eviction of the residents of Sambok Chab, Sangkat Tonle Bassac, on June 6, by hundreds of armed policemen. The third person, Mr. Hem Chhun, who worked as a reporter for the newspaper Samrek Yuthetor, was arrested on July 7 close to the site in Dangkao District of Phnom Penh where the villagers were relocated. The three persons have been accused by the Phnom Penh authorities of having incited a riot at Sambok Chab Village on May 30 that lead to the destruction of private and public property. The authorities have accused the journalist of being the "mastermind" behind this violent event.

The AFEC rejects violence as a means of expressing opinions. However, the alliance points out that the riot was a spontaneous act by about 100 desperate villagers facing eviction and the destruction of their homes. The event took place after the dismantling of some of their houses had started and a girl had been wounded by falling debris. There is little indication of any kind of an organized plan or premeditation on the part of the villagers who participated in the riot.

11 August 2006

A slideshow presentation on Human Rights situation in Cambodia 2006.

4 August 2006

The Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC), a coalition of 21 NGO members, regrets the decision made by Kandal Provincial Court to charge and detain three garment factory workers; Lach Sambo, Sal Kimsan and Yin Khun who have been working for Genuine garment factory since 4 July 2006.

From 23 to 29 June 2006, 1000 workers at the Genuine garment factory, located in Kantok commune, Angsnuol district, Kandal province, held a strike to demand for the factory boss to withdraw complaints and allow to return union leader Lach Sambo and other two workers; Sal Kimsan and Yin Khun. All three were terminated by the boss in relation to a non-existent criminal case.

2 August 2006

The Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC), a coalition of 21 NGO members, calls for the prompt release from prison of Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun, who were one year ago yesterday convicted -- despite a severe lack of evidence -- of murdering trade unionist Chea Vichea.

On August 1, 2005, Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun were convicted by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court of murder and sentenced to 20 years. CHRAC continues to believe that the trial verdict was grossly unfair due to the lack of forensic evidence presented against the men. CHRAC also notes that numerous organizations and individuals, including Former King Norodom Sihanouk as well as the family of Chea Vichea, have publicly declared the innocence of Born Samnang and Sok SamOeun.

1 August 2006

On August 1, 2006 at 11:00am approximately 80 family members, friends, monks, union workers and NGO workers, gathered in front of the Police Judicial (PJ) Prison to call for the release of Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun. August 1 marks the one year anniversary of their conviction at what was widely considered a show trial for the assassination of union leader Chea Vichea.

26 July 2006

On Friday, July 21, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court convicted six police officers of voluntary manslaughter for the death of Duong Sopheap, who died after being detained at the Phnom Penh Municipal Police's Minor Crimes Office in June 2005. All six, who were arrested by Ministry of Interior officers six months after Duong Sopheap's death, were sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Following the unprecedented sentences given last week to the six police officers for their roles in the torture and death of a woman in police custody, LICADHO urges greater action to investigate and prosecute other similar cases of torture in Cambodia.

25 July 2006

Following the unprecedented 12-year prison sentences given last week to six Phnom Penh police officers for their roles in the torture and death of a woman in police custody, LICADHO urges greater action to investigate and prosecute other similar cases of torture.

"For the first time in years, if not decades, police officers have been convicted and sentenced to long prison terms for their involvement in torture," said Kek Galabru, LICADHO's president. "But one prosecution alone does not indicate a meaningful change in the official attitude toward the use of torture - the authorities must also prosecute other similar cases if they are serious about eliminating torture in Cambodia."

11 July 2006

The Alliance for Freedom of Expression in Cambodia (AFEC) is very worried about the fact that persons from within or close to the Cambodian government are using Article 62 of the UNTAC law on "disinformation" against journalists who criticized them. The recent complaint against two Cambodian journalists have been filed only a few weeks after that the National Assembly has taken the prison terms out of Article 63 of the UNTAC law on criminal defamation recently. The AFEC is afraid that there was no change of attitude behind this minor legal reform.

10 July 2006

On July 6, 2006, more than 250 family members, villagers from Sambok Chab, NGOs workers and union workers gathered in front of Prey Sar prison to demand the immediate and unconditional release of three detainees. The three had been arrested and detained in relation to the Sambok Chap village eviction which ended on June 6, 2006 in an excessive display of force by the authorities. The event was organized by several NGOs and was initiated by the Alliance for Freedom of Expression in Cambodia (AFEC).

4 July 2006

The Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) and the Cambodian League for the Promotion & Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO) condemn the forced evictions by police authorities of 168 families living near Preah Monivong Hospital in Phnom Penh.

According to residents, three people suffered injuries caused by violence committed by the police while evicting some of the families on the morning of July 2, 2006. One person was reportedly removed from the scene by police and instructed to thumbprint an agreement to leave his house, and the police threatened other residents and demolished their houses regardless of whether they consented to leave or not.

29 June 2006

The Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC), a coalition of 21 NGO members, is concerned about the eviction of 168 families who have been living in Preah Monivong Hospital.

CHRAC observed that the Ministry of Interior sent its forces of more than 200 personnel equipped with arms, tear-gas guns, electric shock batons and shields to surround and force people to move from their houses to a new location situated in Ang Snuol district, Kandal province, more than 30 km away from Phnom Penh. The armed forces prevented people from entering or leaving the area to communicate with each other, and disconnected water and electricity. In particular, they prohibited human rights monitors and journalists from monitoring the eviction process.

19 June 2006

Today, a historic moment will take place as the newly created United Nations Human Rights Council convenes its first-ever session in Geneva, Switzerland, from 19- 30 June. On this occasion, the Cambodian Human Rights and Development (ADHOC), the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO), and the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) submitted the written statement to the Council to appeal for urgent actions on deteriorating human rights situation in Cambodia.

14 June 2006

At the early hour of 4 am on June 6, 2006 around 700 police and military police in full riot gear circled Sambok Chap village and erected roadblocks - as far as 1km away - to prevent access to the village. In a show of determined force rarely seen in the capital, the police build up would be the final push by the authorities to forcefully evict the remaining residents of Sambok Chap village on the banks of the Tonle Bassac River.

The eviction of Sambok Chap village by the Sour Srun Company began on May 3, 2006, and was authorized by the Phnom Penh municipality. Within a month, more than 1300 families would be moved from this central location to 2 relocation sites, some 20km out of central Phnom Penh.

7 June 2006

The Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC), the Housing Rights Task Force (HRTF) and the Resettlement Action Network (RAN) are deeply troubled by the actions of the Phnom Penh municipality for using excessive force to evict and dismantle houses of the residents of Sambok Chab village, and in their arrest of nine persons including residents, journalists and NGO staff.

On 6 June 2006, approximately one thousand police and military police forces gathered in Sambok Chab village heavily armed with rifles, electric batons, tear gas and riot gear. They threatened human rights monitors and local and international journalists, and then confiscated their cameras and prevented them from recording police actions. The Phnom Penh Municipality chose to use violent means against the poor people rather than using a non-violent, transparent approach.

1 June 2006

Beneath the veneer of political stability and economic development, the people of Cambodia continue to suffer.

Cambodians are increasingly subject to a wide range of human rights abuses - often committed by State personnel such as police and military - with little recourse to justice in Cambodia's notoriously corrupt and politicized courts. Land conflicts arising from private claims or large economic land concessions are evicting thousands of families from their homes every year, depriving them of education, health services and other essentials while fuelling poverty and discontent.

Cambodia's police and judiciary, universally deemed as rife with corruption and impunity, fail on a daily basis to provide any semblance of justice for victims of human rights abuses.

1 June 2006

The situation for human rights defenders in Cambodia deteriorated markedly in 2005. Human rights advocates, community activists and trade union leaders have been among those targeted for their work defending basic human rights. The intimidation they faced included physical and verbal assaults, malicious lawsuits and criminal charges, arrests and detentions. These were symptomatic of a year marked by attacks on civil society and increasing intolerance towards criticism of the Government.

While physical violence towards human rights defenders has decreased over recent years, there has been a shift towards other forms of coercion and intimidation with a veneer of legality.