Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR)

Excessive use of force against demonstrators was an all too common occurrence in 2013, CCHR has found. These findings are sadly illustrated by the violence that occurred on 2 January 2014 during a series of protests organised to demand a higher increase in the minimum wage for garment factory workers.

To mark the International Day to End Impunity, CCHR has released a legal analysis of the criminal charges leveled against a former governor and a police chief, in connection with the 2012 shooting of three Cambodian factory workers.

On 22 November 2013, the Supreme Court of Cambodia granted temporary release to Yorm Bopha, a land rights activist who has played a prominent role in her community’s struggle against forced evictions in the Boeng Kak area of Phnom Penh.

Rampant impunity severely impacts the development of democracy and human rights in Cambodia, says CCHR while highlighting ongoing cases of impunity in the country.

Press freedom groups join the Hong Kong Journalists Association to condemn the banning of Hong Kong reporters from covering Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings in Indonesia in early October.

On 18 October 2013, what started out as a protest at Wat Phnom in honour of 29-year-old father of four Mao Sok Chan who died in clashes not so long ago turned into a violent confrotation with security forces.

While it is understandable that Cambodia wants to uphold peace during this tense time, this should not be at the expense of citizens’ rights to peacefully demonstrate when there is no reason to believe that they would be jeopardising security, safety or public order by doing so.

Gravely concerned at the Cambodian authorities’ repeated use of excessive force to suppress the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression, five NGOs call on Cambodian and foreign governments to take immediate action to prevent the human rights situation from deteriorating further.