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Land Grabbing and Poverty in Cambodia
Social Land Concessions continue to be established illegally in fact, not a single one has been completed in accordance with the relevant laws and perversely have been used to steal land from the poor rather than provide it to them. The Cambodian military continues to be involved in evictions, in contravention of the law, as well as heavily implicated in landgrabbing for their own benefit.
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Restrictions on the Freedom of Expression in Cambodia Media
Cambodia does not have a free media in the true sense of the word. Freedom of expression in law requires freedom of expression in practice. And maintaining freedom of expression requires the proper investigation of abuses when they occur. But as this briefing paper shows, intimidation by the powerful and well-connected continued during the 15-month period under review (January 1, 2008 to March 31, 2009), as did a lack of investigation of cases in which journalists were attacked or threatened in the course of doing their jobs.
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Land Grabbing and Poverty in Cambodia The Myth of Development 2009
The excuse invariably trotted out by the government whenever another group of people are forcibly evicted from the homes they have occupied for years, and sent to a distant relocation site lacking the basic amenities for living, or lose the farmland that has sustained their families for generations, is that this is necessary for development.
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Preah Vihear, Kingdom of Cambodia – Legal Analysis of the Events of 3 April 2009 that Resulted in the Destruction of a Village and Damage to the Preah Vihear Temple
A short report produced by CCHR to analyze the international legal implications of the events of 3 April 2009 at the Temple of Preah Vihear, which saw the village known as Psar Cheung Prasat completely destroyed and the Preah Vihear Temple damaged by the armed forces of the Kingdom of Thailand.
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Housing and Land Rights Issues in Cambodia
This document is prepared as an Annex to the Parallel Report and focuses on land and housing rights issues. Violations of housing and land rights are widely viewed as the major human rights concern in Cambodia. This document is intended to assist the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) in its review of Cambodia during its 42nd Session, 4 to 22 May 2009. The document was prepared for the purpose of providing recommendations to the State party and other actors as well as facilitating civil society input into this procedure.
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Facts and Figures Displaced Families
The resolution affirmed that forced evictions constitute a gross violation of human rights and urged governments to discontinue the practice. In terms of specific obligations, the Commission recommended that the government body evicting the persons must consult with affected persons prior to eviction.
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Joint Submission by Non-Governmental Organizations for the Universal Periodic Review of Cambodia’s Fulfillment of its Human Rights Obligations and Commitments
A joint submission on freedom of expression and assembly in Cambodia produced by a coalition of NGOS coordinated by the Alliance for Freedom of Expression in Cambodia and assisted by the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC); for submission to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva to be included in its summary of stakeholder information for the Universal Periodic Review of Cambodia’s Fulfilment of its Human Rights Obligations and Commitments.
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Document Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions
The absence of secure tenure and resulting forced evictions represent clear violations of the Cambodian Government’s housing rights obligations, notably under article 11 of ICESCR. The absence of a comprehensive legislative framework and the failure of other mechanisms to guarantee tenure security, including an independent and effective court system, constitute a failure of the Government to fulfill its housing rights obligations. The arbitrary and often violent evictions that occur in the absence of suitable procedural protections such as genuine consultation, the provision of adequate compensation and the opportunity for legal remedies, constitute a violation of the immediate duty to prevent illegal forced evictions. Furthermore, the Government is failing in its obligation to protect against forced evictions by third parties, including private individuals and companies.
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Prison Conditions in Cambodia 2008
Living conditions faced by male prisoners and mothers living with their children in prison. This report aims to profile female prisoners and their experiences in the prison system and to provide an insight into the crimes they committed and the conditions they live in. Each case study is based on true accounts from prisoners, where names and details have been changed to protect the identity of the prisoners. This report also provides supplementary statistical information for relevant issues collected over the period 2007 and 2008.
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The Duch Trial at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia
With the first trial at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) beginning this week, the Open Society Justice Initiative released a primer intended to help journalists better understand the court, its first trial, and the many challenges it faces.
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2008 Human Rights Report
Prison conditions did not meet international standards. Conditions remained harsh and at times were life threatening. Government efforts to improve them continued to be hampered by a lack of funds and weak enforcement. Human rights organizations cited a number of serious problems, including overcrowding, medical and sanitation problems, food and water shortages, malnutrition, and poor security.
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