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.
-
Phnom Penh
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
An activist, Yim Sinorn, arrested for insulting the King was made a government official after securing his release with a public apology to Prime Minister Hun Sen's party. He was detained in March and charged with insulting the monarch and incitement to commit serious unrest in his social media comments.
-
Phnom Penh
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
Cambodian prosecutors initiated criminal action against the opposition Candlelight Party with four of its members charged and detained for fraud. Each of the members are charged with forgery related to the preparation of candidate lists in the 2022 commune election.
-
Phnom Penh
Land rights and forced evictions
The Cambodian People's Party hit back at the main opposition Candlelight Party for misusing April 17 Day (the fall of Phnom Penh to the Khmer Rouge in 1975) to call for an end to intimidation, threats and violence against its activities ahead of July's National Election.
-
Prey Veng
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
A provincial court ordered the arrest of four senior Candlelight Party officials on fraud charges for submitting fake documents to the Ministry of Interior for last year's local commune election candidate lists. Four other Candlelight Party officials have been arrested on similar charges in recent weeks.
-
Phnom Penh
Violence against activists
Two attacks on opposition activists have prompted leaders of the Candlelight Party to renew calls for police investigations into suspected police violence, which is increasing ahead of July's parliamentary elections. The spokesman for the CPP, Sok Ey San, denied that there have been politically motivated attacks. In some cases, police have just needed more time to gather evidence, he said.
-
Phnom Penh
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
The Union of Civil Society Organizations (UCSO) has expressed its displeasure over alleged actions of Lee Sothearayuth, Secretary-General of the Candlelight Party (CP). A statement said, "The CP may be at a dead end with leaders who shame women and who lack good morals to lead the country." CP spokesperson Kimsour Phirith said that he considered the UCSO attack a political scandal set up to tarnish the CP's image.
-
Preah Sihanouk
Land rights and forced evictions
In 2020, Boeng Thom Angkep, a lake nearby the hills of Ream National Park, was granted to an elite family to develop. Now, Cambodian fishers are worried about when they might have to leave their homes. Weekly the authorities cross the footbridges that link the stilt houses to the shore to take photos and warn that demolition could start at any time. Licadho has investigated the evictions of 787 Preah Sihanouk families between 2017 and 2022, only a fraction of the true number.
-
Banteay Srei
Land rights and forced evictions
Since November, 2022 approximately 6,000 families have been relocated from their homes near the historic Angkor temples to a new site more than 30 kilometers away in Banteay Strei district's Run Ta Ek commune. In an effort to clear settlements, the government says damage to the environment could harm the temple's World Heritage Status. The government has repeatedly claimed these resettlements are voluntary.
-
Phnom Penh
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
Prime Minister Hun Sen has "asked" foreign countries to choose between Cambodia or an "outlawed" group" -- a clear reference to the disbanded opposition CNRP. "If you [foreign countries] choose the outlawed group, you can consider ending the diplomatic mission to Cambodia."
-
Phnom Penh
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
Prime Minister Hun Sen threatened to fire the relatives of a popular Cambodian online activist based in France who has been highly critical of the government. Sorn Dara recently criticized Hun Sen for promising free admission to people and participants during the upcoming Southeast Asia Games -- a move thought to be a way to curry favor with voters ahead of July's election.
-
Phnom Penh
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
A top Cambodian opposition leader, Kem Sokha, on Thursday appealed against his treason conviction for trying to topple long-ruling Prime Minister Hun Sen's government. The court earlier in March found Kem Sokha guilty of conspiring with foreign entities to overthrow Hun Sen's government.
-
Phnom Penh
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
NagaWorld strikers continue to question the authorities in the case accusing strikers of incitement to cause social chaos. The allegations come after the defendants in the case were acquitted without clear evidence against the union representatives.
-
Phnom Penh
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
The Court of Appeal denied bail for Candlelight Party vice president Thach Setha, who asked to be released due to a heart condition. Setha was arrested on January 16 for allegedly issuing five bad checks in 2019 and having failed to show up to court for questioning in 2021. Spokesperson of the Candlelight Party said that if the case was only about financial claims, the court would have accepted an agreement offered by the party to pay the plaintiff back.
-
Phnom Penh
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
Twenty-six former Voice of Democracy (VOD) employees who applied for government jobs following the closure of the online news outlet by the government for "serious" misreporting have been given jobs in various ministries. VOD's license was revoked by the government on February 13 causing the staff members to be out of work.
-
Siem Reap, Phnom Penh
Land rights and forced evictions
Around 100 villagers representing thousands of families from seven Siem Reap communities facing land conflicts delivered petitions to relevant ministries in Phnom Penh requesting land titles and solutions from provincial and national authorities this week. The community representatives said 4,206 families have been negatively affected by land disputes and allege the government failed to provide land titles (including to families living inside the Angkor Archaeological Park). Government agencies have barred families from fish farming and other activities needed to support their livelihoods.
-
Phnom Penh
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
An opposition activist, Yim Sinorn, who was jailed after posting comments on Facebook about the government and Cambodia's constitutional monarch was released on Tuesday after he apologized to Prime Minister Hun Sen and King Norodom Sihamoni on a video and statement from prison.
-
Phnom Penh
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
Ex-opposition leader Kem Sokha plans to submit an appeal this week against his treason conviction and the Phnom Penh Municipal Court 27-year home confinement sentence. The court gave a 30-day deadline to submit an appeal following the March 3 verdict. The case would then go to the Appeals Court in Phnom Penh and potentially later to the Supreme Court.
-
Phnom Penh
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
Voice of Democracy, one of Cambodia's last remaining independent media outlets, sees no hope of reopening after being shut down by Prime Minister Hun Sen. Shortly after the closure, Hun Sen told a crowd at a local university that it cannot be revived despite protests by UN experts and press freedom advocates.
-
Phnom Penh
Restrictions on freedom of expression assembly or association
The Information Minister has warned media outlets that they will lose their licenses if they publish fake news. He announced the news when addressing the Independence Press Alliance (IPA) seminar in Phnom Penh on Friday. IPA honorary president Sar Sokha said fake news leads people to make the wrong decisions as well as creates chaos in society.
-
Phnom Penh
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
Three Candlelight Party activists were sentenced to two years in prison and fined five million riel ($1,231) by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on charges of forgery linked to the registration of the now-defunct Cambodia National Heart Party (CNHP) in 2021. A fourth defendant was also fined and sentenced to prison and has been in pre-trial detention since April, 2022, and another nine defendants (at least five of whom are Candlelight activists) were convicted on forgery charges but are not currently in prison.
