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
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
The Phnom Penh Municipal Police summoned a Facebook user after he published a post criticizing the police's enforcement of the traffic law. The police forced him to apologize publicly for "damaging the honor of the police." He also had to sign an agreement retracting the "false information" he spread before being allowed to go home.
-
Rattanakiri
Land rights and forced evictions
Nine families belonging to the Jarai indigenous community have reported that the private rubber plantation company 7 Makara Phary has been encroaching on their land in Ratanakiri's Nhang commune since 8 May 2022. The company's bulldozers have destroyed their trees, cassava plants, rice fields, and other crops and blocked the families' access to their farms. A commune resident stated that the company had never informed the families of their plans to clear their land. A community representative further noted that the concerned residents had sent a petition to the commune to request their intervention. However, the commune chief commented that the residents' farms were inside the company's land. 7 Makara Phary was transferred 1,300 hectares of land from another company that was granted a 9,800 hectares land concession in the area in 2006.
-
Phnom Penh
Acts of Discrimination
Keo Somony and Eng Srouy, two opposition government officials, were removed from their government positions following the commune elections. Srouy, a trainer at the police academy and member of the Candlelight Party working group in Tbong Khum, was fired by the Interior Ministry on 16 June 2022 for allegedly abandoning his work. The Interior Ministry later commented that the reason for his dismissal was that Srouy had already resigned from the police. Srouy reported that he found out he had been dismissed from the National Police on social media. He never received any personal notification informing him of his dismissal. Somony, who ran for the Candlelight Party in the commune elections in Phnom Penh, was removed from the Health Ministry's Department of Mental Health and Drug Abuse after a decision made by the disciplinary committee on 21 June, which failed to give a specific reason for his dismissal. Somony believes his dismissal was politically motivated. He highlighted that he wrote to the Health Minister in May 2022 to ask for special leave because he was running as a candidate in the commune elections. Somony wrote to the Health Minister to request him to review his removal decision. In a statement dated 22 June 2022, the Candlelight Party also called on the concerned ministries to cancel the dismissal decisions taken against the two party members.
-
Preah Vihear
Land rights and forced evictions
Over 100 families in Preah Vihear's Kulen district reported that the Cambodia Blue Haven company deployed machinery to clear their land in June 2022 and filed complaints against ten village representatives, leading them to protest. Cambodia Blue Haven was granted an economic land concession in 2012, overlapping with the land of 130 families. Since then, the families and the company have been embroiled in a land dispute.
-
Kampong Thom
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
Nhim Sarom, a newly elected commune chief belonging to the opposition Candlelight Party in Kampong Thom's Chamna Loeu commune, was arrested by commune police for alleged robbery dating back to 2002. If convicted, Sarom faces five to 10 years in prison. The Candlelight Party claims that Sarom's arrest is politically motivated as the case had already been settled with local authorities at the time of the alleged offense. In addition, Sarom has been an active member of the opposition for a long time, including the ex-Sam Rainsy Party and the ex-CNRP. A court verdict emerged the same day, showing that Sarom had been convicted for robbery in abstentia in 2014 and sentenced to five years in prison. Nhim Sarom was released on bail on 22 June 2022.
-
Phnom Penh
Restrictions on freedom of expression assembly or association
Throughout June protesters for the NagaWorld strike continued to strike in tens and somedays over a hundred a day, they were gathered onto buses and dropped off outside Phnom Penh. On 10 June authorities used to force to board 77 strikers onto the buses. One striker claimed to have been kicked in her back. On 23 June, during a continuation of the strike human rights monitors were chased away from the strike site by authorities. On 27 June, at least ten NagaWrold strikers were injured after authorities violently dispersed their protest as they attempted to make their way to the casino. One protester says that she was insulted, hit in the head with a walkie talkie and the authorities grabbed male protesters by the hair and smashed their heads against the side of a police vehicle. One protester said she had her hair pulled until she fell onto the road. Strikers said that the authorities prevented monitoring of the event and threatened to confiscate the phones and cameras of anyone recording. On 29 June the Information Ministry announced that lower level authorities did not understand their roles and acted outside of orders in the violence seen on 27 June. On 20 June, approximately 100 NagaWorld strikers gathered at Wat Botum Park to deliver a petition to Hun Sen and the National Assembly with 674 thumbprints of current and former NagaWorld workers to ask for them to help in resolving the labor dispute, only 10 representative were allowed to walk to the National Assembly and officially deliver the document. During the month four strikers agreed to severance pay on 2 June.
Phnom Penh Post | Thmey Thmey | VOD Khmer | CCHR Facebook | UCAS News | VOD | VOD | The Bharat Express News | RFA | CCHR Twitter | Camboja | VOA | CCHR Facebook | VOD
-
Phnom Penh
Restrictions on freedom of expression assembly or association
On 14 June 2022, the CPP filed a 1 million dollar lawsuit against Candlelight Party Vice President Son Chhay for his claims of vote-stealing during the June commune elections. The CPP claims that Chhay has impacted the CPP's honor of CPP during an interview with the Cambodia Daily in which he commented that the election results did not reflect the will of citizens but the ruling party's intimidation and intimidation vote buying. A day before the CPP's complaint, the NEC also issued a statement warning that legal action would be taken against Chhay because his interview had led to confusion and loss of confidence in the elections. On 17 June 2022, the NEC filed an official defamation lawsuit against Son Chhay for "misleading" the public with his comments during the interview.
VOD | Post Khmer | Cambodianess | Cambodianess | VOD Khmer
-
Phnom Penh
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
Fifty-one ex-CNRP members, including Cambodian-American lawyer Theary Seng, were convicted of plotting and incitement by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on 14 June 2022. Thirty-one of them, including Theary Seng, were sentenced to between 6 and 8 years imprisonment, while the 20 others had their sentences suspended. In addition, around 15 arrest warrants were issued, mainly for CNRP leaders living abroad, such as Sam Rainsy and Mu Sochua. The mass trials of ex-CNRP members have been ongoing since late 2020 and have largely been deemed a politically motivated tactic led by the Government to silence opposition members and activists. Theary Seng dressed as Lady Liberty to make a statement during her verdict hearing. She was arrested and detained shortly after the verdict.
-
Nationwide
Violations of Free and Fair Elections Principles
A few days after the commune elections held on 5 June 2022, several political parties and civil society organizations raised concerns over several irregularities that their election monitors witnessed during Election Day. The anomalies recorded include the closure of some polling stations, registrations of citizens by village/commune chiefs from the ruling party standing near the entrance to the polling stations, the presence of armed forces at polling stations, the lack of proper registration of voter by the authorities, and the refusal of some polling stations to allow observers to watch the ballot counting process and record the results.
-
Battambang
Violations of Free and Fair Elections Principles
Candlelight Party member Ley Sokhon was arrested in Battambang over trespassing accusations after he posted a video on social media in which he confronted CPP officials for illegally gathering people to vote on Election Day. The footage showed the CCP officials carrying a list of voters, recording their names, and heading to a villager's house shortly afterward to give them money. It is this resident who later filed a complaint against Sokhon. Sokhon had been actively looking for fraud related to the commune elections held on 5 June 2022 before the incident.
VOD | RFA | Cambodianess | VOA Khmer
-
Kampong Speu
Land rights and forced evictions
The hut of monk Prom Thomcheat was burnt to the ground in Kampong Speu's Metta forest, a recent event in a pattern of violence led by military soldiers against community members since the state handed over the land to them in August 2021. Nearby residents believe that it was the soldiers who burnt Thomcheat's hut as they had already fired at him in the past for trying to protect the forest. The transfer of land to the military sparked the protest of hundreds of locals in attempts to preserve the Metta forest. The forest and land clearing in the area is said to have increased drastically in the past few months.
-
Phnom Penh
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
Ear Channa, a Norwegian-Cambodian citizen and former CNRP activist, was arrested in Phnom Penh on 30 May 2022. He had recently returned to Cambodia from exile in Norway (where he had lived since 2005) to serve as the vice president of the Candlelight Party in Takeo province. He was charged under Article 453 of the Criminal Code for plotting to overthrow the government in 2020, and sent to pre-trial detention in Prey Sar. CPP spokesman Sok Ey San said the arrest and the election were not related. On 1 June, the NEC announced it would investigate Ear Channa's connection to the Candlelight Party.
RFA | Khmer Times | Khmer Times | VOD
-
Kampong Chhnang
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
Police briefly arrested three union representatives amid a protest over labor rights held by more than 1,000 factory workers in Kampong Chhnang. The police said workers should be only allowed to submit letters, not protest. The three individuals - Noem Sokhoeun, Sean Sokleab and Pen Sophorn - were only released after signing agreements in which they had to agree not to gather workers for protests or demonstrations that cause chaos in the factory, and not to commit any acts in the factory against the law. Two of the union leaders were arrested on 30 May, even before the protest took place on 31 May.
-
-
Kandal
Physical or judicial harassment or threats against journalists HRDs or opposition members
TCN TV Producer, Thai Bunrith, was arrested on 26 May for making a Facebook post in which he claimed that Kandal provincial authorities took bribes to turn a blind eye to illegal gambling operations. He was charged with incitement to discriminate and defamation under Article 494, 496 and 305 on 29 May by the Kandal Provincial Court. The Kandal Provincial Police Commissioner has said that his claims are not true.
-
Siem Reap
Violations of Free and Fair Elections Principles
The Candlelight Party has announced that their campaign signs for the commune elections on 5 June have been vandalized and destroyed in Siem Reap. According to the chief of the Candlelight Party in the province, the signs were deliberatly destroyed and local authorities were biased towards the CPP in terms of protection. The Candlelight Party has complained about harassment by local authorities on multiple occasions.
-
Phnom Penh
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
Throughout May 2022, there was continued fallout from the longstanding Nagaworld strike. The strikers kept gathering regularly and were met with state-sponsored violence when attempting to approach the casino building. Police officers kicked and brutally forced them onto city buses. A female striker reported that she was pregnant when she joined the strike on 11 May 2022. On that day, police pushed and shoved her onto a bus. Worried for her unborn child, she went to see a doctor a few days later, who told her that her baby only had a 50% chance of surviving. On 28 May 2022, she had a miscarriage and claimed that she almost lost her life due to constant bleeding. The negotiations held in May 2022 to end the NagaWorld land dispute failed, prolonging a strike marred by police violence.
-
Stung Treng
Land rights and forced evictions
In May 2022, several Kreung indigenous families from Stung Treng's Sesan district, who have been forcibly displaced by the Lower Sesan dam 2 construction, accused the SK Plantation company of bulldozing their fields. They claim that the company has been encroaching on their new land on various occasions since 2019 and has just begun bulldozing their land again. The same company also reportedly bulldozed Stung Treng's Talat commune land belonging to the Kreung indigenous community in 2021.
-
Phnom Penh
Convictions of HRDs
The Phnom Penh Appeal Court upheld the verdict rendered by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court in 2018 to convict five officials of the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) for bribing a witness and conspiring to bribe a witness after they provided financial assistance to a witness in Kem Sokha's highly politically-motivated case. They were all sentenced to five years imprisonment, with part of their sentence suspended. One of their lawyers deplored that no witnesses were called to testify and that both verdicts relied solely on two witness testimonies. All five accused were absent for the announcement of this decision; only one of their lawyers was present.
-
Phnom Penh
Violations of Free and Fair Elections Principles
Electoral observer organizations have raised concerns that the minor political parties struggle with finding monitors for the election. This struggle has been in part attributed to intimidation from authorities, with threats such as the removal of their IDPoor and withholding access to public services. The lack of sufficient numbers of election monitors can call into question the integrity of the election.
