Statements
Statement | Renewed Surge in Land Disputes Must be Addressed Not Denied
19 February 2015
The Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO) strongly expresses its concern at the surge in land disputes documented by its offices in 2014, which resulted in a threefold increase in the number of families newly affected by land conflicts during that year when compared to the previous year.
Statement | Civil Society Groups Condemn Use of Visa Denial to Curb Activism
17 February 2015
We, the undersigned civil society groups, condemn the recent decision to deny a visa renewal for prominent environmental activist Alejandro Gonzalez-Davidson. Mr Gonzalez-Davidson has been at the forefront of a campaign by local Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Mother Nature, to halt the controversial development of a hydroelectric dam in Areng valley, Koh Kong province.
Statement | Childhood Behind Bars - Growing up in a Cambodian Prison – Dara’s Story
15 February 2015
Today, LICADHO releases its second and latest report in a series of case studies assessing the impact on children of growing up in Cambodian prisons. As of January 2015, there were 39 children between the ages of one month and four years living with their mothers in 18 Cambodian prisons monitored by LICADHO. Approximately half of them were born while the mother was imprisoned and almost all have never experienced or do not remember life beyond prison walls.
Statement | Civil Society Organizations Call on the Government and Political Parties to Respect Freedom of Expression
5 February 2015
We, the undersigned civil society organizations, wish to express serious concern regarding the potential introduction of new measures banning staff of civil society organizations from giving media interviews or making statements deemed to have “insulted” political parties during election periods. Such restrictions would amount to violations of the right to freedom of expression.
Statement | Civil Society Groups Condemn the Ongoing Detention of 11 Activists
26 January 2015
We the undersigned civil society groups condemn the indefensible verdicts issued this morning by the Court of Appeal in the cases of ten land activists and one monk.
Statement | Rights at a Price: Life Inside Cambodia’s Prisons
20 January 2015
Ahead of the appeal hearing this week for 10 land activists and one monk, all wrongfully convicted and imprisoned following unfair trials, LICADHO is publishing a new report about the current state of Cambodian prisons and the human rights implications for those held in them.
The report “Rights at a Price: Life inside Cambodia’s Prisons” details the ongoing, systematic abuse, discrimination, exploitation and corruption within Cambodia’s prison system and notes that despite steps towards reform, many challenges remain, including prison overcrowding, poor infrastructure, lack of appeal transportation, weak implementation of the law and lack of knowledge amongst prison officials.
Statement | Veng Sreng Anniversary: Still no Justice for the Dead, Missing and Injured
1 January 2015
One year on from the state violence of early January 2014 which led to the deaths of at least four men and the hospitalization of dozens, the disappearance of a teenage boy and the wrongful imprisonment of 23 union leaders, activists and workers, we the undersigned civil society organizations condemn the lack of progress made in investigating these human rights violations and in punishing those responsible.
Statement | LICADHO Condemns Politically Motivated Allegations Against CNRP Officials and Supporters
22 December 2014
Eleven officials and supporters of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) have recently been summonsed to appear for trial at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on December 25, 2014, to answer charges of either leading or participating in an “insurrectionary movement.” LICADHO strongly condemns the continued criminal proceedings on these politically motivated allegations and takes this opportunity to release a detailed timeline of events since July 15, 2014, showing the course of criminal proceedings against opposition party members and supporters alongside political negotiations between the ruling Cambodia People’s Party (CPP) and the opposition CNRP.
Statement | LICADHO Calls for the Release of the 19 Men and Women Wrongfully Imprisoned in Prey Sar’s CC1 and CC2 Prisons
8 December 2014
On Wednesday, Cambodia will celebrate International Human Rights Day. LICADHO takes this opportunity to recall attention to the 19 men and women who have been wrongfully imprisoned following a recent spate of arrests in Phnom Penh. LICADHO condemns these imprisonments and the continued abuse of the judicial system by the ruling party and well-connected individuals.
Statement | Death in Prey Speu Highlights Detention Center Abuses
7 December 2014
The Cambodian government should promptly close all centers arbitrarily detaining people outside the criminal justice system, LICADHO and Human Rights Watch said today. The abusive nature of these centers was highlighted by the death on November 26, 2014, of a man who was arbitrarily detained and denied medical treatment at the Prey Speu center outside Phnom Penh.
Statement | Monks to Lead International Human Rights Day March
2 December 2014
Over 600 human rights activists, led by monks, will march along six national roads towards Phnom Penh between December 5 and December 10, 2014, to celebrate the 66th International Human Rights Day (IHRD). Joining them will be participants from communities affected by land disputes, associations, networks, unions and NGOs, as well as villagers from rural and urban communities along the designated routes.
Statement | “Good Wives”: Women Land Campaigners and the Impact of Human Rights Activism
23 November 2014
To mark the start of the global campaign, 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence, LICADHO has published a report exploring how the lives of women campaigners are changed by their activism. It reveals the high price women pay, suffering not only serious economic and emotional impacts but also often domestic violence and family breakdown.
Statement | Groundless Charges against Venerable Loun Sovath Need to be Dropped
23 November 2014
We, the 16 endorsing non-governmental organizations, urge the Cambodian authorities to drop the charges against renowned human rights defender Venerable Luon Sovath. He is facing trial on 25 November 2014 in a flawed and protracted judicial process that clearly aims to silence him. Venerable Sovath is internationally known as the "multi-media monk," and his efforts to voice the human rights abuses against vulnerable communities and human rights defenders in Cambodia have been recognized globally.
Statement | Civil Society Groups Condemn Arrest and Detention of the Boeung Kak Lake Seven
12 November 2014
We, the undersigned civil society groups, condemn the arrest, detention, and conviction of the seven Boeung Kak Lake community representatives following protests outside Phnom Penh City Hall on the morning of November 10, 2014.
Statement | Oddar Meanchey Authorities’ Continued Illegal Conduct Towards Equitable Cambodia’s Staff
16 October 2014
We, the undersigned civil society groups, condemn the actions of the Oddar Meanchey authorities who have, since September 2014, been engaged in the obstruction, harassment, intimidation, and assault of rights workers. Most recently, a four-person team from Equitable Cambodia (“EC”) was in the province to conduct field research on the impacts of forced evictions resulting from economic land concessions granted for the development of sugarcane plantations. The plantations are owned by the Mitr Phol Group, one of Coca-Cola’s top three global suppliers. Research data collected will be provided to the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (“NHRCT”), which is investigating Mitr Phol’s operations in Cambodia.
Statement | Joint Legal Analysis of the draft Law on Unions of Enterprises
18 September 2014
Today, CLEC and LICADHO release a legal analysis of the latest draft of the Law on Unions of Enterprises (Trade Union Law) obtained at the end of May, this year. As unions yesterday began a nationwide campaign for a $177 per month minimum wage, the draft Trade Union Law underlines the government’s intent to interfere with and infringe upon union formation and activities.
Statement | Civil Society Groups Condemn the Groundless Detention of Equitable Cambodia Staff
12 September 2014
We the undersigned condemn the continued intimidation and harassment of human rights defenders in Cambodia. We call upon the competent authorities to investigate those responsible for ordering the groundless detention of Equitable Cambodia Staff Meg Fukuzawa and Lida Sok.
Statement | Rights groups call for an end to enforced disappearances in ASEAN
30 August 2014
Today, on the occasion of International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, we, the undersigned organizations, urge ASEAN member states to end acts of enforced disappearances in Southeast Asia.
Cases of enforced disappearances continue to occur in the region. Victims include human rights defenders as well as ordinary citizens. Enforced disappearances also continue to target vulnerable groups, such as children. Three new cases of enforced disappearance that took place over the past year clearly illustrate this worrying pattern.
Statement | Response to Phnom Penh Sugar Company’s Allegations Against Equitable Cambodia Executive Director Eang Vuthy
21 August 2014
On August 18, 2014, the Phnom Penh Sugar Co. Ltd., took out advertisements in several major Cambodian newspapers accusing Equitable Cambodia’s Executive Director, Mr. Eang Vuthy, of making false and misleading statements about Oknha Ly Yong Phat, and causing “irreparable damage” to the Senator’s reputation as well as that of his business, Phnom Penh Sugar.
While the Senator may currently have no involvement in the management or ownership of Khon Kaen Sugar Company’s in Koh Kong province or Mitr Pohl Sugar Company’s in Oddar Meanchey province, there is strong evidence that Ly Yong Phat was involved with each of these companies and with the forcible eviction of thousands of villagers.
Statement | LICADHO Calls for Immediate Family Access to all Three CNRP Youth Leaders Currently Detained in Prey Sar’s CC1 Prison
20 August 2014
LICADHO calls for immediate family access to all three CNRP youth leaders currently detained in Prey Sar’s CC1 prison. Khin Chamreun, Neang Sokhun and San Kimheng have now been in pre-trial detention for 18 days and have not been permitted any family visits.
