Rampant impunity severely impacts the development of democracy and human rights in Cambodia, says CCHR while highlighting ongoing cases of impunity in the country.
UPDATE from CCHR: On the International Day for Democracy, CCHR calls on the RGC to put an end to impunity (15 September 2014)
The Cambodian Center for Human Rights (“CCHR”) is highlighting ongoing cases of impunity in the Kingdom of Cambodia (“Cambodia”) ahead of the International Day to End Impunity on 23 November 2013. Rampant impunity severely impacts the development of democracy and human rights in Cambodia. Perpetrators of crimes often go unpunished and victims of these crimes never see justice. More often than not, those who evade justice are well-connected individuals who are targeting those very people fighting for justice and human rights in Cambodia.
The cases highlighted by CCHR vary from murders of human rights activists and journalists which are never investigated, to cases where security forces that have beaten civilians go unpunished, to several well-connected officials that have evaded justice despite being convicted. Although there are many more cases of impunity in Cambodia, CCHR is focusing on the following exemplary cases in its 2013 campaign:
The continued impunity for the killer of unionist Chea Vichea;
The botched investigation into the murder of environmental rights activist Chut Wutty;
The un-investigated murder of journalist Hang Serei Oudom;
The lack of investigation into the killing of Mao Sok Chan;
The lack of investigation into the beating of protesters and journalists at Wat Phnom;
The lack of sanctions for Deputy Police Chief Phuong Malay;
The clear lack of political will to arrest Chhouk Bandith; and
The clear lack of political will to arrest Chea Ratha.
Campaign materials and case files for each of these cases are available for download on CCHR’s website. CCHR encourages people to share these with friends, on social media or even to print them out and use them to spread awareness at events. CCHR will also host a screening of the documentary “Who Killed Chea Vichea” on Saturday, 23 November 2013, at 2.30pm at CCHR’s office.
CCHR Cambodia Freedom of Expression Project Coordinator Sorn Ramana comments:
“Impunity is rampant in Cambodia. Too often do we see perpetrators of human rights abuses walk free, without even so much as a slap on the wrist. We hope that by bringing more, sustained attention on these cases will lead to more actions on the part of the authorities to bring the true perpetrators to justice. To mark the International Day to End Impunity, we call on the Royal Government of Cambodia to take all necessary measures to bring to an end the culture of impunity including by implementing measures to ensure that the judiciary is independent, impartial and effective, and by conducting immediate investigations into cases of human rights violations.”
CCHR
