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 and judicial threats against journalists and or human rights defenders
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court resumed one of several trials against CNRP members on 22 January. 21 former CNRP members, including exiled Sam Rainsy, Mu Sochua, and Eng Chhai, have been charged with plotting an attack against the government, incitement and inciting military personnel to defy orders. During the proceedings, many defendants attempted to recant previous statements, insisting they were coerced under duress during the investigation, and forced to confess and thumbprint confessions. Presiding Judge Piseth denied allegations the investigating judge or court officials altered statements while the National Police rejected claims of coercion.
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Mondulkiri
Convictions of human rights defenders
The Mondulkiri Provincial Court ordered environmental activist Kroeung Tola to pay 40 million riel ($10,000) to O’Raing district governor, Siek Mony, and four million riel ($1,000) to the state for defamation. On 31 January 2020, Kroeung Tola posted on Facebook about the encroachment of 300 hectares of protected forests in the O’Raing district, accusing district governor Siek Mony of being involved in the encroachment and of conspiring with other officials to encroach on the protected lands. Mony denied the claims, saying there were baseless as Kroeung Tola did not provide clear evidence of the alleged corruption.
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Takeo
Torture, arrests and illegal detentions
A Takeo fisherman was beaten by fisheries patrol officers and is now near death at his home, witnesses claimed. However, the Fisheries Administration official said that the fisherman almost drowned after jumping into the water and getting struck by a propeller and that authorities rescued him. The fisherman was fishing with two other fishermen allegedly using illegal fishing equipment; financial hardships in the area have pushed many to using banned fishing equipment to catch fish. The Deputy Angkor Borey district police chief stated that the injuries on the man’s body do not appear to be from a boat motor because he has injuries all over his head, his sides, and his back and that an investigation into the case will be conducted.
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Siem Reap
Physical and judicial threats against journalists and or human rights defenders
On 12 January 2021, the Siem Reap Provincial Court announced formal charges of "rape" and "defamation" against Luon Sovath, a former activist monk. Luon Sovath, a prominent human rights activists, fled Cambodia after the charges were brought last year. The rape charges are linked to videos posted on Facebook, where Sovath allegedly had intimate conversations with a woman and her three daughters in Siem Reap. Lovath denies the allegations calling them politically motivated. The Facebook account where the conversations were posted was created shortly before the allegations were made and there have been no subsequent posts on the account. One of the women who was allegedly one of the voices in the video denied having any sexual relations with Lovath. After the allegations were made, Lovath was defrocked. He currently resides in Switzerland and is waiting to be granted asylum.
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Phnom Penh
Physical and judicial threats against journalists and or human rights defenders
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court tried Soung Sophorn, the president of the Khmer Win Party. Sophorn was arrested and charged with incitement to commit a felony and cause social unrest under Articles 494 and 495 of the Criminal Code in August 2020, after he took part in protests calling for Rong Chhun's release. An official verdict on the case is expected on 10 February 2021.
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Phnom Penh
Land rights and forced evictions
25 families who have been told to move and dismantle their homes to make way for a development project were set to have a meeting with the Phnom Penh Governor on 14 January to discuss their case and request his help in resolving their dispute. Instead, authorities and the commune chief threatened them against joining the meeting, telling them to accept the original offer given to them. The families are worried they will face forced eviction any day now.
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Kandal
Violence against activists
Two unidentified assailants on a motorbike attacked a youth social activist in Kandal Province’s Saang district, injuring him and causing him to get six stitches in his head. The youth activist, Thol Samnang, claimed that the two assailants came up behind him as he was riding his motorcycle, threw stones at his head, and then quickly sped off. The activist believes the attack is politically motivated and in retaliation for his attendance at Rong Chhun's trial on 15 January 2021.
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Phnom Penh
Physical and judicial threats against journalists and or human rights defenders
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court held a hearing for Rong Chhun, who was arrested and charged with incitement to commit a crime under Article 494 and 495 of the Criminal Code for reporting on Cambodia-Vietnam border issues. After a full morning of questioning, the hearing was set to continue on 3 February 2021.
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Phnom Penh
Physical and judicial threats against journalists and or human rights defenders
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court conducted a hearing in one of the mass trials against former-CNRP activists on charges of plotting to overthrow the government and incitement under Article 453, 494, and 495 of the Criminal Code. Around 60 former-CNRP activists were summoned to this trial, yet only 11 were able to attend the hearing, two of whom were already held in detention. The remaining defendants were tried in absentia. The Phnom Penh Municipal Court asked the majority of the questions to the two detained defendants. The questioning lasted for three hours and largely focused on social media communications between Kak Komphea and Heng Chan Sothy, two former officials of the party, and leaders of the party. The two defendants denied the accusations that they were organizers of the failed return of Sam Rainsy back in 2019.
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Phnom Penh
Torture, arrests and illegal detentions
Relatives of former-CNRP activists detained at Prey Sar prison claim that they are seriously malnourished. The wife of one detainee stated that her husband is abnormally thin and has lost a lot of weight due to a lack of food provided to the detainees in prison.
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Preah Sihanouk
Physical and judicial threats against journalists and or human rights defenders
Authorities arrested Eng Van, a community representative in Stung Hav District. According to another representative from the same community, Eng Van, along with 40 other families, has been involved in a land dispute with a civil servant since 2008 over a 5-hectare plot of land where the families have lived since 1992. The families accused the civil servant of stealing the property titles to the land and filed a lawsuit against him. Preah Sihanouk Provincial Police Commissioner claimed that the authorities arrested Van on a court-ordered arrest warrant. The authorities sent Eng Van to the Preah Sihanouk Provincial Court for questioning. No information was made available on the charges against her.
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Oddar Meanchey
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
Two workers in Oddar Meanchey province posted a pre-recorded video message on Facebook alleging that the authorities had provided inadequate food and supplies during their quarantine. After the video was posted, the officials visited the workers and questioned them directly about the allegations they made. The two workers then had to make a public apology to authorities, health officials, and the government for posting the video.
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Mondulkiri
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
An indigenous representative, Kreung Tola, who is active on land and forestry issues, was summoned for questioning on 11 January 2021 at the Mondulkiri Provincial Police station for making a Facebook post which criticized the preservation of natural resources in the area. Although the questioning was originally planned for 4 January 2021, Tola appeared before the Provincial Police station on 11 January 2021 where he met with authorities and was made to issue an apology statement online.
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Phnom Penh
Land rights and forced evictions
32 families from the Boeung Samrong community clashed violently with Prek Pnov district authorities when the authorities went to demolish the homes of 10 families. The land occupied by the families was reclassified in April 2019. While some families from the community had allegedly agreed to the government’s compensation scheme, 32 had refused. As a result of the dispute, one resident was left with severe head injuries and another resident with severe neck injuries. The homes were officially dismantled on 18 January 2021.
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Siem Reap
Land rights and forced evictions
The Siem Reap provincial authorities have threatened legal action against those who have not dismantled their homes on land that is planned to be used for drainage systems as part of a project to build 38 new roads in the province. The project has required hundreds of families to dismantle their homes since its announcement in September. According to the announcement, the people who have not yet dismantled their homes have ten days to do so, or the authorities would take legal action and dismantle them with no responsibility for damage or loss of property.
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Kampot
Physical and judicial threats against journalists and or human rights defenders
On 21 November, a CNRP official in Kampot provinces Chhouk district, Ngai Yong, was arrested without a warrant and was released 5 hours later. The reason for the arrest was unclear and suspected to be politically motivated. Ngai Yong explained that he was handcuffed and taken to the police station for questioning about weapons, however the police stated the questioning was in relation to gambling.
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Battambang
Physical and judicial threats against journalists and or human rights defenders
Battambang provincial police arrested former CNRP activist Prak Chhon at his home in Rukkiri district in connection with a forestry crime. Prak Chhon is the CNRP second deputy in Stok Pravek commune. Prak Chhon was placed in custody at the Battambang Provincial Police station. The Rukkiri District Deputy Police Inspector later stated that the arrest was made on a warrant issued by the Battambang Provincial Court for “aggravated theft” in the Prey Tralach forest community for an incident dating back to 6 October 2016.
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Phnom Penh
Physical and judicial threats against journalists and or human rights defenders
Two monks, Bor Bet and Sim Sovandy, fled to Thailand to avoid arrest, reporting fear of becoming targets of the government after they joined a protest for the release of prominent union leader Rong Chhun in August. The monks state that the authorities had been “hunting” them after they refused to join the ruling party and have been trying to force them to disrobe. The monks have also faced pressure from Buddhist officials and authorities to join the ruling party.
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Mondulkiri
Land rights and forced evictions
Around 190 Bunong indigenous peoples in Mondulkiri province expressed concern over land sales in the Tring and Pupe mountain areas which could result in a loss of cultural sites and their ancestral identities. Representative of Pou Lung village, Chean Vanna, said that on 16 November the community applied for collective land title but to no avail. She then wrote a letter to the commune, but it was rejected, as was a letter to the town hall. These letters included the thumbprints of 190 Bunong villagers who oppose the buying and selling of land in these areas, as they are traditionally used by the indigenous population to enjoy, cultivate crops, and herd cattle, but now portions of the land has been sold and they are unable to use it.
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Koh Kong
Physical and judicial threats against journalists and or human rights defenders
On 18 November 2020, the Koh Kong Provincial Court questioned three Koh Kong community representatives, Mrs. Phav Nhing, Mrs. Khon Phon, and Mrs. Seng Lin, who have been accused of "defamation" and "incitement to commit a felony" under Articles 305 and 495 of the Criminal Code. The three are accused for their involvement in a complaint submitted by numerous Koh Kong community members on 25 December 2019, to the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction. The complaint accused Mrs. Chhay Vy the sister of the former Commune Chief of Chhikor Leu Commune of selling state land, and urged for the government's intervention. After being questioned the three Koh Kong community representatives were placed under judicial supervision.
Phnom Penh Post | RFA | VOD