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
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
Phnom Penh Municipal Court summonsed Rainsy and five other prominent members of the CNRM to appear in a case that alleges a plot to overthrow the legitimate government. The six individuals are to “be questioned for founding the CNRM, inciting to cause chaos in society, affecting national security and attempting to overthrow the legitimate government of Cambodia”. They are due to appear at the Court on various dates in May. None of the individuals are currently in the country.
PPP | Fresh News | PPP
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Cambodia
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
The head of the Coalition of Cambodia Farmer Community, which promotes land ownership and advocates for the rights of farmers, has complained of intimidation after attempting to visit farmers near the country’s border with Vietnam. The president of the organization said the organization was blocked by the authorities during visits to Takeo, Tbong Khmum and Svay Rieng provinces since last month, which he felt was a violation of the controversial law on NGOs, which the government passed more than two years ago.
VOA | PPP | Khmer Times | VOD | RFA
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Phnom Penh
Physical and judicial threats against journalists and or human rights defenders
The Court of Appeal upheld the lower court’s decision to continue the detention of two former Radio Free Asia reporters Oun Chhin and Yeang Sothearin, who remain jailed on espionage charges for allegedly sending reports to the United States. The reporters had filed an appeal to nullify their detention because they said the procedure by the judicial police was wrong.
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Banteay Meanchey
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
A man from Banteay Meanchey Mey Voeun, was arrested a day after returning from work in Thailand and sent to pre-trial detention for allegedly insulting Prime Minister Hun Sen in a video clip he posted to Facebook in February 2016.
PPP | Khmer Times | PPP | LICADHO
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Phnom Penh
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
The Phnom Penh Municipal Police Chief ordered the authorities in the city to tighten their grip on a broad cross section of groups, including CSOs and communities with “opposition tendencies” attempting to cause “social instability and political turmoil”. He called for greater participation from the authorities in preventing gatherings and other protests related to strikes, human rights, land disputes and respect for the Labour Law.
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Phnom Penh
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
Phnom Penh police officials and security guards barricaded all roads leading to the Appeal Court where the proceedings of the Kem Sokha case were happening, preventing journalists, CNRP supporters and rights groups from accessing the hearing. As crowds started to gather near Wat Botum Park on Sothearos Boulevard, Daun Penh district security guards continually tried to push back CNRP supporters and officials and prevented them from giving interviews to the media.
PPP | Khmer Times | VOD | RFA | Khmer Times
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Banteay Meanchey
Land rights and forced evictions
Long Sokunthy, a land activist representing more than 300 persons in a land dispute with tycoon Sam Sophanarith in O’Beichoan, O’Chrou District, Banteay Meanchey province, was arrested while protesting for a dispute resolution and held in pre-trial detention. She was later charged with trespassing and criminal damage, and sentenced to one year in prison.
Khmer Times | PPP | LICADHO | Khmer Times
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Phnom Penh
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
Former CNRP commune councillor in Pailin, Chhun Sithy, was sentenced to one year in prison for incitement to disturb social security and insulting a public official over videos he posted on Facebook last year. Sithy was arrested in October less than 24 hours after posting a video on Facebook rejecting Prime Minister Hun Sen’s call for Cambodia National Rescue Party officials to defect to the ruling party. At the time, prosecutors said Sithy was being charged over that video. However, Sithy’s lawyer, Pheng Heng, said the court seemed to conflate the clip with previous videos that Sithy posted on his Facebook showing Cambodian People's Party officials arguing with opposition officials at the local commune hall.
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Phnom Penh
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court tried a public defamation case against Deborah Krisher-Steele, deputy publisher of the shuttered Cambodia Daily, for accusing tax officials of leaking a copy of the paper’s $6.3 million tax bill. The trial took place in absentia. The hearing was to continue on 12 April 2018, but as of writing, no further developments had taken place.
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Phnom Penh
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
The Supreme Court upheld the Appeal Court’s verdict that sentenced former opposition leader Sam Rainsy to 20 months in jail for defamation and incitement, after Rainsy called Kem Ley's muder an act of state-sponsored terrorism. A fine of 10 million riel was also upheld.
PPP | Khmer Times | PPP
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Svay Rieng
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
Four villagers from Svay Rieng province have been summoned by authorities for questioning over alleged connections to the CNRM and the purported intentions to lead a ‘color revolution.’ The call for questioning comes one day after those individuals delivered petitions to the Kingdom’s capital over a land dispute.The four villagers delivered the petition alongside hundreds of others.
PPP | Khmer Times | RFA | PPP | Fresh News Asia | RFi
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Takeo
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
Four representatives of the Coalition of Cambodia Farmers Community (CCFC); who had attended a workshop with members of local community to discuss problems faced by farmers, were interrogated by police in Takeo province yesterday. Members of the NGO were accused of failing to get the appropriate permission for the gathering. They were questioned as to whether their NGO was affiliated with an opposition “movement”.
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Tbong Khmum
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
Provincial authorities interrupted a gender equality event, hosted in honor of international women's day by the NGO Cambodian Famers Community (CCFC); despite the NGO having received permission for the celebration to take place.
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Kratie
Land rights and forced evictions
Violent clashes between villagers and public authorities occurred on National Road 76 near Pir Thnu Commune, Snuol District, Kratie Province. Villagers were calling for a resolution of the decade long land dispute with Mermot Rubber Plantation Company, which was about to start demarcating the land. Some news outlets reported that some individual died, with the public authorities denying any death took place. Several protesters were harmed, while others were arrested and temporarily detained. CSOs, including OHCHR, were precluded from investigating the events and accessing the site, and some villagers reported being intimidated by the authorities and advised not to talk to CSOs about the events.
Khmer Times | RFA | PPP | Fresh News Asia | RFI | WMC | PPP | Khmer Times | VOA
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Tbong Khmum province
Torture, arrests and illegal detentions
Investigating Judge Ky Rithy extended the provisional detention of Kem Sokha, former Cambodia National Rescue Party leader, arrested in September 2017, be further extended by a period of sixth months, giving the reason that further investigation would be carried out. Pheng Heng, one of the defence team lawyers for Mr Sokha, said that the defence would appeal the decision. Kem Sokha was eventually released on bail and put under effective house arrest in September 2018.
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Phnom Penh
Legislative and institutional developments relevant to human rights
Interior Ministry’s Immigration Department announced it would continue a program revoking documentation from thousands of ethnically Vietnamese residents, many of which have lived in Cambodia for generations, effectively rendering many stateless.
PPP | PPP | Khmer Times | Reuters
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Phnom Penh
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
The Supreme Court upheld an 18-month prison sentence against former Cambodia National Rescue Party senator, Thak Lany, for accusing the Prime Minister of being behind the 2016 killing of analyst Dr. Kem Ley. At time of print, Thak Lany was in exile.
WMC | Khmer Times | PPP | VOA | Fresh News
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Kandal
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court questioned four members of the Workers from the Friendship Union Federation (WFUF); including its leader, after they were arrested on 14 February for starting a protest in a garment factory in relation to the dismissal of two of them, which is under review by the Arbitration Council. The interview took place without the accused’ lawyer being informed about it and without him being able to access his clients’ file, which contravenes Cambodian law.
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Phnom Penh
Legislative and institutional developments relevant to human rights
The Senate amended the Criminal Code to a lèse majesté (“insulting the King”) provision, which carries a sentence of one to five years in prison and a fine of $500 to $2,500. This is in violation of international human rights law, which precludes criminal convictions for defamation. On 25 May 2018, the Ministry of Information instructed all media outlets that the distribution or reposting of material that is insulting of the king, in print, online, or otherwise, would constitute lèse majesté. If you publish the insult [to the sovereign] on your platform, it will only help the original derogatory intent of the accused.
PPP | Khmer Times | Reuters | PPP
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Phnom Penh
Physical and judicial threats against journalists and or human rights defenders
The spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, Khieu Sopheak, announced that the police had found pornographic images, which violated Cambodian morality, on the computer of former Radio Free Asia reporter Oun Chhin. These images were released by news outlet Fresh News Asia. The Ministry's reaction came shortly after a RFA broadcast announcing that two former RFA reporters, Oun Chhin and Yeang Socheameta, had been detained in Phnom Penh for three months without proper grounds (see entry 14 November 2017). Oun Chhin was eventually charged with producing pornography in March 2018. The two journalists were released on bail on 21 August 2018.
Fresh News | Khmer Times | PPP