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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Kampong Chhnang
Physical and judicial threats against journalists and or human rights defenders
The Kampong Chhnang Provincial Court indefinitely postponed the announcement of the pending verdict against Sok Oudom, the owner of radio station and website Rithysen who was arrested in May 2020. Oudom was charged with “incitement to commit a felony” under Articles 494 and 495 of the Cambodian Criminal Code in relation to his journalism on a local land dispute. The court officials did not state a reason for the postponement of the verdict, but merely said that the verdict would be postponed indefinitely. Oudom remains in pre-trial detention.
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Phnom Penh
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court issued a summons for 68 former-CNRP members and activists who they accuse of conspiracy and incitement, acts that were allegedly committed last year in relation to the return of exiled former CNRP leader, Sam Rainsy. This comes after the Court already issued a summons for the same crimes on 5 November 2020 for 60 other former CNRP members. The order instructed those named to attend a hearing on 26 November and to stand trial for plotting and incitement to commit crimes in an attempt to overthrow the current government. Nearly 130 CNRP leaders and activists have been summoned to attend trial at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court. The Court also prohibited any gatherings of activists and former CNRP members outside of its headquarters in Meanchey district. The Court stated that if these members do not show up, they will be held liable under Article 523 of the Cambodian Criminal Code “discrediting judicial decisions”.
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Phnom Penh
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
Authorities blocked a group of supporters of the former CNRP party from gathering outside the former CNRP headquarters in Phnom Penh. The authorities claimed to be unrelatedly looking for weapons, and barricades and security checks were set up around the headquarters in the morning, preventing CNRP supporters from entering the property. The CNRP supporters had gone to the headquarters to commemorate the three-year anniversary of the party’s dissolution. Many supporters report being afraid to attend the commemoration for fear of being arrested, and one former CNRP activist, Lonh Sumsoma, claims that he was followed home by men on motorbikes.
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Oddar Meanchey
Land rights and forced evictions
Oddar Meanchey provincial police arrested four residents from Anlong Veng district for allegedly using machinery to illegally clear state land, but the four deny these allegations and state that the land they were clearing was their own land. One of the men, Chim Vanna, stated that 142 families have lived on the land since 2000 and have cultivated nearly 458 hectares of it. Disputes over this land began in 2016, and villagers in the past have protested and asked for intervention from the Ministry of Land Management to protect their right to the land but no resolution has been rendered.
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Tbong Khmum
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
A CNRP activist, Su Yean, was questioned at Tbong Khmum Provincial Court. Yean was arrested on 22 October 2020 in Tbong Khmum for organizing people to attend the 23 October protest, marking the 29th anniversary of the signing of the Paris Peace Agreements. Earlier in October, Yean also distributed t-shirts which stated “Thank you for peace, but respect Article 2 of the Constitution”. Article 2 refers to the territorial integrity of Cambodian borders, a sensitive political issue. Yean was brought to court to be questioned on charges of “incitement to commit a crime” under Articles 494 and 495 of the Cambodian Criminal Code for "disturbing social security on social media". The authorities would not allow family or supporters to go into the court room during the hearing to prevent them from reporting to journalists.
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Phnom Penh
Physical and judicial threats against journalists and or human rights defenders
The Supreme Court denied the bail appeal for detained union leader Rong Chhun, who was charged with incitement to commit a felony under Article 495 of the Criminal Code over statements he made regarding the Cambodia-Vietnam border in August. In the hearing, Rong Chhun’s lawyers argued that the charges were inappropriate, and that he was not a flight risk. Rong Chhun further requested the court not to be politically influenced - a statement the court rejected. The prosecutor claimed that Rong Chhun should not be granted bail because he could cause further social unrest if he was released.
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Koh Kong
Land rights and forced evictions
Five representatives of a group of 197 families involved in a land dispute in Koh Kong’s Sre Ambel district with Heng Huy Agriculture Group were required to testify at the Koh Kong Provincial Court on charges of "defamation" and "incitement to commit a felony" by causin social chaos under under Articles 494 and 495 of the Cambodian Criminal Code. After the questioning, the Court did not detain the protestors but put them under judicial supervision. Under the judicial supervision measures, the individuals must appear at the police station once a month and must not touch the disputed land until a final decision in the case has been rendered. The families have been protesting in Phnom Penh since mid-2019 alleging that Heng Huy Agriculture Group has encroached on their land since 2007 and seeking help from the Ministry of Land Management to resolve the land dispute.
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Preah Sihanouk
Land rights and forced evictions
On 11 November 2020, more than 60 individuals reportedly went to clear houses in the Ou Tracheak Chet village, Samrong Commune in Preah Sihanouk province on orders from the Forestry Administration and other authorities. The authorities came to clear houses without notice while most residents were away from their homes for work, however 30 residents were able to block the machinery from clearing the houses. The Ou Tracheak Chet community has been embroiled in a long dispute over their land for the past several years, and have applied for formal land titles, which they have not yet received.
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Phnom Penh
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
Prum Chantha, the wife of detained former CNRP official Kak Kompear, reported that Phnom Penh authorities were regularly monitoring her and have tried to force her to join the ruling party in exchange for her husband’s release from Prey Sar prison. She explained that authorities have sent five plain clothed officers to her home every day since October, and on 9 November 2020, the officers threatened her for protesting and told her she should join the CPP in exchange for her husband’s release. She said that these men have also been following her on her motorbike.
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Tboung Khmum
Torture, arrests and illegal detentions
Srey Siet, the wife of former CNRP executive Su Yean who was arrested on 22 October 2020, stated that the authorities beat her husband during interrogations. Srey Siet alleges that prior to her husband’s arrest, six plainclothes officers beat her husband, put him into a car and took him to the Tbong Khmum provincial police station, where he was beaten again as part of his interrogation before being taken into custody in Kampong Cham Provincial Prison.
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Phnom Penh
Physical and judicial threats against journalists and or human rights defenders
Political analyst Kim Sok, who fled Cambodia in 2018 due to concerns for his safety, has been summoned by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court in relation to charges for defamation and incitement in a court order dated 3 November 2020. The charges are in connection to criticisms of the government the political analyst made on his Facebook. Kim Sok is currently living in asylum is Finland with his daughter to escape persecution, and has previously spent 18 months in prison for a defamation conviction for insulting the Prime Minister.
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Phnom Penh
Legislative and institutional developments relevant to human rights
The Ministry of Interior instructed the Ministry of Religions and Cults to cease registering local religious associations and non-governmental organizations (“NGOs”) and advised these organizations should re-register with the the Ministry of the Interior to in accordance with Law on Associations and Non Governmental Organizations (“LANGO”) which has been widely criticized for failing to comply with international human rights standards.
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Phnom Penh
Violence against activists
Sok Bolyma, the wife of a detained former CNRP activist was attacked by three unknown assailants as part of what she views as a staged traffic accident meant to warn her from campaigning for her husband's release from prison. Bolyma stated that three men drove a motorbike into hers while she was riding down the street in Phnom Penh. Following the accident, the three assailants immediately left the scene and she was left with a seriously injured foot. The Phnom Penh Municipal Police spokesman San Sok Seiha called Tuesday’s incident “purely a traffic accident” and blamed Sok Bolyma for careless driving.
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Phnom Penh
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
The Supreme Court upheld a warrant for arrest of Heang Kimsroeun, vice-president of the Khmer United Great Nation Party (KUGNP) and Thol Sophanna, a youth group leader, on charges of incitement to commit a crime under Articles 494 and 495 of the Criminal Code for insulting the Supreme Council for Consultation and Recommendations on Facebook in October 2019. The authorities sent the arrest warrant to the wrong address on 20 April 2020 and the pair appealed it. However, the Supreme Court upheld the arrest warrant stating that Kimsroeun had no legal documents, such as an identity card or family book, as proof that he has a residence.
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Phnom Penh
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
A group of people, mostly women, assembled near the Chinese Embassy on Paris Peace Agreeements Day hoping to submit a petition to the embassy calling for China to respect the spirit of the Paris Peace Agreements. Dozens of uniformed officers were deployed in the area. The protesters were blocked by local authorities and police, who forcefully prevented them from submitting the petition to the embassy. Three individuals were arrested when gathering around the embassy. Six journalists covering the protest were interfered with and threatened for attempting to record the situation. CCHR’s monitoring team were warned by authorities that they would have their phones confiscated if the team filmed the arrests or crackdown on the protesters, and then the authorities chased the monitoring team away from the scene.
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Phnom Penh
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
Three former CNRP activists who were arrested for their participation in the assembly at the Chinese embassy in Phnom Penh on 23 October 2020 – Lim San, Ton Nimol and Yoy Srey Mom - spent two days in questioning at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, who charged them with "incitement to commit a felony" under Articles 494 and 495 of the Criminal Code. The three were sent to pre-trial detention at Prey Sar prison. The defense lawyer for the protesters stated he is trying to immediately obtain bail for the protesters because they are all old in age and have health problems.
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Tbong Khmum
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
Tbong Khmum provincial authorities arrested two former CNRP executive officials, Su Yean and Vann Sophat, without a warrant. Su Yean’s wife stated she witnessed six plain clothed policemen arrest Yean while he was riding a motorbike, claiming that during the arrest the police beat him and pushed him into a car before driving away. Vann Sophat was arrested at his home the same day. It is not known where the men are currently located or what their charges are.
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Phnom Penh
Violence against activists
Two unknown assailants on a motorcycle ambushed and attacked former CNRP activist and now vegetable vendor, Din Warren in Phnom Penh on his return from a coffee shop, where he reportedly had coffee with other former CNRP members, causing severe head injuries. Warren was sent to urgent care at Preah Keto Mealea Hospital where doctors were required to perform cranial surgery. Din Warren’s family believe the attack was political, and stated they have filed a complaint to the authorities for failing to investigate the case. One week later, he remained unconscious in hospital.
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Battambang
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
Police arrested two former CNRP executive, Kong Bunheang and Hang Seng, without a warrant, and sent them to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court for questioning. The pair were later charged with "insulting the King" under the lese majeste provision in Article 437 of the Criminal Code, which carries a sentence of one to five years imprisonment and a fine of two to 10 million riels. Bunheang and Seng were sent to pretrial detention in Prey Sar prison, despite both men being elderly and suffering from serious health conditions.
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Phnom Penh
Convictions of human rights defenders
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court convicted FBTV journalist Sovann Rithy on charges of "incitement to commit a felony" under Articles 494 and 495 of the Criminal Code. Rithy was arrested in April after posting a Facebook post quoting comments made by Prime Minister Hun Sen in relation to the financial impact of COVID-19. The court sentenced Rithy to 18 months imprisonment, with the remainder of his sentence suspended taking into account time spent in pre-trial detention, and he was released from prison.