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
Violence against activists
Hoeun Sinath, a land activist in Tboung Khmum's Sre Prang community known for defending villagers' rights against land abuses committed by private companies, was attacked by three unknown assailants while attending a workshop in Phnom Penh. The perpetrators, who were on motorbikes, hit him in the head while he was shopping for food with friends, causing a serious injury to his left cheek. The victim said he filed a complaint with the Phsar Doeum Thkov police station on the day of the attack. However, the police chief stated that he had not yet received it as he was busy working outside.
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Phnom Penh
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
Candlelight Party Vice President Son Chhay was convicted of defamation by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court in two separate lawsuits filed by the National Election Committee (NEC) and the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) after he publicly criticized the June 5 commune elections over irregularities and the NEC's lack of independence. In the lawsuit brought by the CPP, Chhay was sentenced to pay three billion riel ($750,000) in damages to the ruling party as well as 8 million riel ($2,000) in fines. In the lawsuit brought by the NEC, he was sentenced to pay nine million riel ($ 2,250) in fines. The opposition leader stated that he was not given a chance to speak at his trial. Furthermore, no witnesses were called during the two-day hearing. The defense called the verdict unfair as Chhay based his statements on reports from Candlelight Party's local officials, civil society, and other political parties that found irregularities during the elections.
cambojanews | Cambodianess | VOD | rfa | VOA | VOA
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Phnom Penh
Restrictions on freedom of expression assembly or association
A royal decree removed Khmer Will Party President Kong Monika and two other party members, Tol Prasath and Y Mouyly, from the Supreme Consultative Council. The decree did not provide any reasons for the decision and was criticized by the Khmer Will Party's president for violating the Council's rules and being politically motivated. The removal of the three opposition members came after the Khmer Will Party announced its intention to merge with the Candlelight Party ahead of the 2023 general elections.
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Kompong Thom
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
The Prey Lang community network claimed that 16 of their activists were stopped by six armed provincial environmental officials while returning to their village after attending a tree planting program and community meeting in Kampong Thom. They reported being detained and questioned for over an hour and ordered to sign an agreement to stop their activities before being released. The activists believe the provincial authorities suspected they were patrolling to collect evidence of forest crime in the area as most of the questions asked by the authorities were to find out if they had patrolled the Prey Lang area. Kampong Thom's provincial deputy governor denied the detention of the Prey Lang activists.
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Kampong Speu
Land rights and forced evictions
A group of indigenous Souy families reported that on 5 September 2022, a company formerly chaired by a nephew of the Prime Minister, started clearing their farmland in Traing village, Trapaing Chor commune, Kampong Speu province. The following day, about 20 families blocked the company from further clearing their land. A few days later, the six families affected by the 4 to 6 hectares of cleared land submitted a letter to the company to request compensation. The affected Suoy community stated that the company started its land clearing activities in the area at the end of 2020 after buying residents' land but that their farmlands are not part of the land the company purchased.
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Phnom Penh
Physical and judicial threats against journalists and or human rights defenders
The Phnom Penh Appeal Court upheld the convictions of 20 ex-CNRP activists over a contended attempt to overthrow the government. They were tried by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on conspiracy and incitement charges in March 2022 as part of a politically motivated mass trial and sentenced to five years in prison for their involvement in exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy's alleged plot to return to Cambodia in 2019. Eight activists were unable to attend the hearing due to health problems. Their lawyer stated he would take the case to the Supreme Court.
RFA | VOD Khmer | VOA Khmer | Cambodianess | Khmer Times
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Phnom Penh
Restrictions on freedom of expression assembly or association
About 400 members of eight unions and two civil society groups were met with violence while attempting to submit a petition against union-busting affecting garment union and the Nagaworld's casino union to the Ministry of Labor and the Council of Ministers' office. Security guards blocked, shoved, and hit them while the group was walking toward the Council of Ministers. According to a NagaWorld union member, at least two people lost consciousness, and others were injured when the authorities tried to stop them. Phnom Penh police denied the incident, blaming the unionists for the violence.
VOD | CambojaNews | VOD Khmer | RFA
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Phnom Penh
Restrictions on freedom of expression assembly or association
In September 2022, the authorities continued to use violence against NagaWorld strikers. Although around 50 workers were allowed to reach the casino complex without interference on 1 September 2022, the strike turned violent again on 11 September 2022. That day, NagaWorld unionists and strikers were brutalized by the authorities while petitioning government institutions with other unionists and civil society organization representatives to intervene in union-busting cases, causing two strikers to faint and leaving others with injuries. The Phnom Penh police denied the use of violence against the strikers and that they were only present to maintain public order. On 16 September, the strikers, mainly women, were again subjected to violence by security forces. One female striker reported being violently hit and pushed against the barricades, injuring and knocking her down. Another striker reported seeing the authorities hitting and dragging strikers, leaving many with minor injuries. Security forces and barricades continued to be deployed on 18 September as the strikers continued their peaceful strike to demand a fair resolution to their labor dispute with NagaWorld. On 30 September 2022, while the strikers were continuing their gathering near the casino, a striker reported that the son of one of the company's owners came out of the building, grabbed the striker's phone, and smashed it to the floor.
VOD Khmer | RFA Khmer | VOD Khmer | RFA Khmer | RFA Khmer | VOD Khmer | Camboja News
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Phnom Penh
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
The Phnom Penh Court of Appeal rejected a request for release from Cambodian American human rights activist Theary Seng to enable her to await her appeal trial at liberty. Theary was convicted for plotting and incitement as part of the mass trials of ex-CNRP members held in June 2022 and sentenced to six years in prison. She was not allowed to be present during the hearing despite her wish to attend, and the appeal judges provided little explanation for their decision.
CamboJa News | VOD | VOA News | VOD Khmer | Thmey Thmey
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Tbong Khmum
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
Family members of 14 jailed CNRP activists claimed that their imprisoned relatives were beaten up by other prisoners at the Tbong Khmum prison shortly after, where they had recently been transferred. The beatings reportedly stemmed from an argument with the prison guards after the latter told them that some items they brought into the prison were not allowed. As a result, the prison officers allegedly allowed the other prisoners to beat them. One of the political prisoners suffered a broken rib after being hit. The Interior Ministry denied the families' accusations, claiming that they had been fabricated to make Cambodia look bad in the eyes of foreigners. A Friday woman member also reported that prison staff had prevented her from bringing items for the jailed CNRP activists, asking her to make purchases at the prison shop.
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Preah Sihanouk
Convictions of HRDs
Chen Baorong, a human trafficking rescuer from the Cambodia-China Charity, was convicted for incitement to discriminate, false declaration, unlawful interference in the discharge of public functions, and unlawful use of a certificate of the profession and sentenced to two years in prison by the Preah Sihanouk Provincial Court. He was also ordered to pay a four million riel ($1,000) fine. Chen was arrested in March 2022 alongside his assistant, a doctor, and an alleged trafficked victim after the latter claimed that their blood was forcibly harvested after he refused to work in a scam compound in Sihanoukville, a story that attracted the attention of foreign media but that the Cambodian authorities deemed fabricated.
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Preah Sihanouk
Land rights and forced evictions
The authorities demolished around 200 huts in the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and threatened to arrest those who tried to protest. Provincial officials argued that the huts were built on privately owned land and that the authorities had already asked them to leave the area in 2021. Residents said they believed the state owned the land and would be allocated the land they had settled on.
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Tbong Khmum
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
The NEC ordered Sok Srey Nuon, the second deputy head of Tbong Khmum's Preah Theat commune from the Candlelight party, to pay a $1.250 fine to the Tbong Khmum Provincial Election Commission in the defamation case against her suit filed by the ruling party. The complaint came after she posted a picture on Facebook suggesting that the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) tried to persuade voters to vote for the party with money before the commune council election. Sok Srey Nuon said the decision was unfair as she had deleted the post and made a public apology to end the case following mediation with the Provincial Election Commission. However, the CPP decided to file a complaint with the NEC, which ordered her to pay the fine within thirty days. Sok Srey Nuon said she couldn't afford to pay the fine and was worried that she would be arrested.
Khmer Times | RFI | RFI
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Phnom Penh
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
The Ministry of Information revoked the license of the website www.sbtpost.com owned by San Bunthoeun, one of the Prime Minister's bodyguards, after the Prime Minister expressed his exasperation over the "bad language" he used in a Facebook live video Bunthoeun on 20 August 2022. The Ministry justified the revocation by stating that Bunthoeun had committed immoral acts and made public insults that "affected morality, society, and honor," a behavior that "tarnished the dignity of professional journalists." The Prime Minister also ordered the removal of Bunthoeun from the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, which the Ministry of Defence confirmed in a statement shortly after.
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Preah Vihear
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
Samarakot News journalist Sou Senghak reported that he and his wife were physically assaulted by an army commander after accidentally witnessing the illegal transportation of timber in Preah Vihear's Choam Ksan district, an area purportedly known for illegal logging and timber transportation activities. He filed a complaint with the gendarmerie shortly after. However, the commander called him days after, asking to settle the matter outside the court. Both parties agreed to end the lawsuit, and the newspapers also decided to remove an article published about the incident. The commander explained that he attacked Sengkha because he mistook him for another journalist accused of extorsion.
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Phnom Penh
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
The Phnom Penh Court of Appeal upheld the convictions of seven youth activists and two CNRP activists for their participation in protests demanding the release of prominent union leader Rong Chhhun in 2020. Khmer Thavrak activists Chhoeun Daravy, Hun Vannak, Keut Saray, Tha Lavi, Eng Malai; Khmer Student Intelligent League Association (KSILA) activists Prohm Mony and Moung Sopheak; and CNRP activists Chhuo Pheng and Chum Puthy, were all convicted for incitement and sentenced to 20 months in prison by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court in October 2021, with part of their sentences suspended. While they were released from jail in November 2021, they were placed under judicial supervision for two years. The Phnom Penh Appeal Court did not provide any legal reasoning for its decision. Another CNRP activist, Kong Sam An, was also convicted alongside them but was not part of the appeals process.
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Kampong Thom/Prey Veng
Acts of Discrimination
A group of newly elected opposition councilors from the Candlelight Party claimed they were being discriminated against by the ruling party administration in Kampong Thom, making it difficult for them to fulfill their new duties. They notably reported not being given official uniforms or office spaces to conduct their work and lamented the lack of cooperation from ruling party commune chiefs. Candlelight Party commune officials in several communes of Prey Veng province reported similar issues. They stated that ruling party officials had not assigned them any responsibilities since the June elections.
VOD | CambojaNews | VOD | CambojaNews | RFA | VOD | VOD Khmer
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Phnom Penh
Restrictions on freedom of expression assembly or association
Throughout August 2022, the Nagaworld strikers continued to be met by police violence while continuing their peaceful labor strike. For instance, on 11 August 2022, Phnom Penh's security forces prevented the strikers from gathering in front of the casino building with metal barricades and clashed with a group of about 100 strikers, of whom most were women, to keep them away from the NagaWorld building. Several of them were injured, including one female striker worker who was punched in the nose and left briefly unconscious. The Labor Rights Supported Union of Khmer Employees of NagaWorld reported that at least 17 female employees suffered minor to severe injuries on that day. On the same evening, the Phnom Penh City Hall announced it was collecting evidence and would file a complaint to court against the strikers for damaging several barricades, violence against the authorities, and insulting an official. The authorities have regularly interfered with the NagaWorld strike and used violence against the strikers since the beginning of the strike. Only during the official visit of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Cambodia official in August 2022, especially his presence at the strike alongside the UN monitoring team on 17 August 2022, were the strikers allowed to peaceful gather in front of the casino without interference.
VOD | RFA | RFA Khmer | CamboJA News | | VOD | VOD | Cambodianess
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Phnom Penh
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court convicted seven former CNRP activists for allegedly inciting people to protest against the authorities and overthrow the government and insulting the King on social media between 2018 and 2021. Six of them - Long Ry, Men Thavarin, Morn Phalla, Monh Sarath, Kim Tola, and Lahn Thavry - were convicted of incitement to commit a felony and sentenced to 18 years in prison. The seventh activist, Mich Heang, was convicted both of incitement to commit a felony and lèse-majesté and sentenced to three years in jail. Five of them were also tried in absentia as they had been at large, according to the judge. One of the activists, Mich Heang, stated that he had merely expressed his opinion on Facebook, a right protected by the Cambodian Constitution.
Khmer Times | RFA | UCA News | VOD
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Phnom Penh
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court charged Candlelight Party Vice President Son Chhay with public defamation for accusing the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and the National Election Committee (NEC) of controlling the election process, intimidating people before and during the election, stealing ballots, and election rigging without providing any evidence to support these comments. Both the NEC and the CPP filed lawsuits against him in June 2022. This comes after the CPP filed a one million dollar lawsuit against him on 14 June 2022 after he made claims of vote-stealing by the CPP during the June commune elections during an interview with the Cambodia Daily, considering that these claims had impacted the CCP's honor. On 17 June 2022, the NEC filed a similar defamation lawsuit against Son Chhay for "misleading" the public with his comments during the interview, stating that his interview had led to confusion and loss of confidence in the elections.
CambojaNews | cambojaNews | Phnom Penh Post | VOD | VOD | Cambodianess; Cambodianess | Post Khmer | VOD Khmer
