The timeline below offers a visual representation of some of the key human rights violations and restrictions which have occurred in the Kingdom of Cambodia from 2013-2023, and follows our previous timeline covering 1993-2012 which can still be accessed here. The incidents recorded on the timeline from 2013-2023 represent human rights violations by the Royal Government of Cambodia as well as third parties, cover a wide range of issues including extrajudicial killings, convictions of human rights defenders, land grabs, forced evictions, restrictions of the rights to peaceful assembly, association and expression, torture, arrests, arbitrary detention and legislative and institutional developments relevant to human rights. The information is gathered from the Khmer and English media, CCHR’s own Fundamental Freedoms Monitoring Project, and from the commentary and analysis of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) working on these issues. Each entry is accompanied by a short description and provides links to media articles reporting on the event or to the work of CSOs active in the field. It should not be forgotten that the cases included in the timeline are those that have garnered the attention of the media or CSOs, and are as such particularly emblematic or high-profile. The timeline is therefore only representative of a small fraction of the actual number of human rights violations occurring in Cambodia.
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Phnom Penh
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
The Phnom Penh Appeal Court upheld the sentence former CNRP activist Voeun Veasna to one year in prison and to a fine of $500. Voen Veasna was arrested in November 2021 in Thailand and handed to Cambodian authorities after making comments on social media. He was charged with incitement and originally sentenced in February 2022 by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court.
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Kampong Speu
Violations of Free and Fair Elections Principles
The CPP youth members have been distributing gifts as pre-election donations to citizens in Kampong Speu province, which political observers commented could have an impact on those who suffer from financial problems and lack of education. While the practice has not been uncommon in previous elections, there are concerns that the culture of pre-election bribery leads to the corruption of fair elections and prevents parties from an equal completion as not all parties can compete with the CPP's resources. A CPP spokesman has defended the provision of gifts and money to people before the commune council elections and has called it an internal matter as opposed to bribery.
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Phnom Penh
Violations of Free and Fair Elections Principles
The Candlelight Party accused authorities of Phnom Penh's Toul Sangke I commune of destroying a party banner they had just put up in the commune. They also issued a policy to prevent the party from lighting candles in public places, which they had already notified the authorities about and followed proper formal procedures. Upon receiving this notification letter, the commune chief issued a rejection the same day, claiming that allowing the party to put up on the sides of this road would cause problems in the future for the authorities to adjust waterways in the area. The party also alleged having faced other issues with their party banners and intimidation and harassment by authorities of their candidates in the commune council elections.
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Koh Kong
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
Pal Kep, Candlelight Party commune chief candidate in Koh Kong's Stung Veng commune, reported facing intimidation by the ruling party to deter him from running in the commune election in June. He claims six lawyers have filed a court complaint against him over accusations of defamation, incitement to commit a felony, forging of documents, and election violations, for which he was summoned for questioning by the prosecutor of the Koh Kong Provincial Court on 11 May.
VOD | Khmer Times | RFA | VOD
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Phnom Penh
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
About ten members of the Friday Women group held a new peaceful gathering in front of the US Embassy in Phnom Penh to deliver their petition seeking the embassy's support in calling on the Cambodian Government to release their jailed husbands, fathers, and sons - all ex-CNRP members - released. There was a clash that involved pushing between the Friday Women and Daun Penh's security forces, who attempted to prevent them from holding banners and photos of their jailed relatives, claiming that their gathering violated public order. Two of the Friday Women members were reportedly injured following the clash.
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Phnom Penh
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
The Supreme Court upheld the verdict rendered by the Tboung Khmum provincial court in September 2020, convicting Kong Sam An, a former CNRP member, for plotting and incitement to cause social unrest (Articles 453,494, and 495 of the Criminal Code) and sentencing him to eight years and six months in prison. Court documents state that Sam An was arrested in 2020 for organizing protests calling for the release of prominent union leader Rong Chhun and other political prisoners with youth and environment activists at Phnom Penh's Freedom Park. Sam An was also accused of participating in the return plans of former CNRP Sam Rainsy in November 2019 through social media.
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Phnom Penh
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
The Supreme Court upheld a lower court verdict convicting Mother Nature Cambodia co-founder Alejandro Gonzalez-Davidson in absentia for incitement and sentencing him to 20-month of imprisonment and a fine of $1,000. Mr. Gonzalez-Davidson was not present as he has been systematically denied entry to Cambodia since his deportation in 2015.
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Preah Sihanouk
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
Mech Dara, a reporter for Voice of Democracy (VOD), reported having been arrested by the immigration police in Preah Sihanouk for taking pictures and videos of their operations as they cracked down on crime in the city. The police asked to see his press card and confiscated his belongings, including his mobile phone. He was then detained by the General Department of Immigration's Investigation and Enforcement Department and ordered to delete the photos and videos he had taken. Dara also claimed that the police had threatened to handcuff him when he refused to obey. Dara was detained for two hours on the grounds that he had taken pictures without permission and was released after pretending to delete the images and videos.
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Kandal
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
Three employees from SYSG Garment factory in Kandal have alleged they were fired during the week of 18-22 April for forming a local factory union in March. They said their management made it clear they were unhappy with their decision to form a union. They filed a complaint with the Labor Ministry for being illegally fired for unionizing, and asked to be reinstated. The President of the Independant Trade Union Confederation agreed that the workers should not have been fired.
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Phnom Penh
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
Seam Pluk, the founder of the opposition Cambodian National Heart Party (CNHP) was arrested on 27 April 2022 and sent to Prey Sar prison after he failed to appear before the court to testify over the alleged forging of documents for his party registration. He was charged with forgery and use of forged documents under Articles 626, 627 and 628. The CNHP’s application was rejected by the Interior Ministry last year, on the grounds that some thumbprints for the registration were fake. More than 20 CNHP officials have been charged with offences pertaining to fraud and forgery. Pluk claims that the charges against him are political in nature and has denied the allegations made against him and the CNHP.
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Phnom Penh
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
Five activists from the Khmer Student Intelligent League Association and the Mother Nature Cambodia and Khmer Thravak groups - Chhoeun Daravy, Chhem Sreykea, Yong Sokhlai, Phuon Keoreaksmey, and Eng Malai - were stopped from riding their bicycles from the Independence Monument to the Ministries of Justice and Environment in Phnom Penh in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of environmental activist Chut Whutty's murder. They were first followed by the district security and police officers and were then prevented from starting their bicycle ride at War Botum park. Security personnel reportedly shoved the activists to prevent them from leaving the area. One of the activists reported that authorities had also ordered them to take off the shirts with Chut Wutthy's picture and the helmets with leaves that they were wearing. Authorities also attempted to take the camera of a VOD reporter.
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Kampong Chhnang
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
Three journalists and a driver were arrested on the grounds of illegally interfering with public functions and breaking into a residence for visiting a shop to confirm whether the accusations of selling duty-free motorcycles were true. When visiting the shop on 9 April, the owner had confirmed to them that some of the motorcycles were duty-free despite having license plates, explaining why some of the former customers who had bought these motorcycles were later arrested by the police for being duty-free even though they had license plates. The arrests were in response to a complaint filed by a motorcycle owner who claimed that the journalists had made a mistake in their reporting and "illegally interfered with public affairs."
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Phnom Penh
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
Ms Eng Malay, a human rights activist, incurred grave injuries after a man riding a motorcycle crashed into hers from behind at a roundabout and laughed and fled. She considers this attack to be a result of her continued activism. She was treated and examined by LICADHO’s human rights doctor. She was recently released from prison in November 2021 after serving more than in a year in prison for participating in protests in 2020 calling for the release of Rong Chhun from prison.
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Pursat
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
Hem Chhil, a commune council candidate of the Candlelight Party (CLP) , was arrested along with his 15-year-old son while pumping a pond to catch fish on his land, which the authorities considered illegal. However, it is not illegal to use tools while fishing in a pond ownded by an individual, it is only illegal if it is a protected or restricted area. This arrest is not seen as legitimate but rather as the direct targeting of the CLP candidates leading up to the June 2022 commune elections.
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Phnom Penh
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
Sat Pha, CNRP supporter and Cambodian activist has been on the run since 16 April after she received a death threat for allegedly joining street protests calling to drop the charges of human rights defender, Seng Theary. The threat was in the form of a handwritten note and said ‘You, contemptible, dont be bold or you will be disappeared.’ Pha was released from prison in November 2021 after having served a year in detention for the protests conducted on the Paris Peace Agreements Day in front of the Chinese Embassy in October 2020. She has been appealing to NGOs and the United Nations to seek political refugee status in Thailand. It was reported on 21 April 2022 that she safely arrived in Thailand and is planning of seeking asylum.
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Kampong Speu
Land rights and forced evictions
On 11 April 2022, a resident of Kampong Speu's Trapeang Chour commune claimed that soldiers used violence against community members attempting to protect the Metta community forest from clearing by the military. This is the latest in a string of reported violence enforced by the soldiers on the community members. A resident reported having been beaten by soldiers in early March. Another said that in late March, soldiers had fired warning shots eight times at Monk Prom Thomacheat, prominent co-founder of the banished Mother Nature Cambodia environmental group, for helping locals protect the woods. Residents who witnessed the shooting had their phones confiscated by the soldiers to prevent them from filming the incident. Residents said they had been camping out in the forest to protect it from the military, but now community members were scared to patrol the woods following the recent violence. Land in the Kampong Speu's Metta community forest was privatized and granted to the military's armored vehicle unit for clearance and settlement by military families on 20 August 2021 without any notice to the local community.
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Takeo
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
Choeun Sarim, a Candlelight Party candidate for Phnom Penh's Chhbar Ampov district, was killed in a road accident while traveling on his motorcycle from Takeo province to Phnom Penh. However, Sarim's wife reported that his skull had been crushed by a blow from behind. She also said that Sarim had already been assaulted and threatened in the past due to this political activism.
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Kandal
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
Citizen journalist Suon Vutha claimed that traffic police threatened him after he took videos of them taking bribes to close their eyes on breaches of the traffic law at a checkpoint in Kandal's Loeuk Dek district. Vutha was detained for questioning for over an hour. Police officers asked to see his "mission letter" and ID and ordered him to delete the videos of the bribery he had taken and to sign an agreement to stop, which Vutha did in order to be released.
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Phnom Penh
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court issued a warrant for the arrest of Seam Pluk, the founder of the Cambodian National Heart Party (CNHP), after he failed to appear before the court for questioning over accusations of thumbprint forgery to register the party. Seam Pluk went into hiding following the warrant and faces between six months and three years imprisonment if found guilty. Other CNHP activists are also facing charges after being summoned by the court. The CNHP party claims that the accusations of thumbprint fraud are politically motivated and were made to prevent the party from running in the upcoming elections. Seam Pluk appealed to the ruling party to seek a political compromise to have his court case dropped, which was rejected.
Khmer Times | Khmer Times | RFI | VOD
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Phnom Penh
Violations of Free and Fair Elections Principles
Though the election is over a year away, Prime Minister Hun Sen has been using official appearances to tell crowds why they should vote for him in 2023. This violates Cambodian law which prevents government officials from using their positions or the state’s budget, materials, transportation to serve party interests, and which provides for a two-week campaigning period prior to the start of the election. However, the NEC claims that it cannot address electoral campaign violations outside the official 14-day campaign period. The CPP’s spokesperson dismissed claims that this was a violation of election rules, all while confirming that the Prime Minister's visits to public places were meant to garner support for the ruling party. He said: "We won’t exploit public appearances while on official government duty, but we are taking advantage of the opportunity because we have achieved results".
