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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Battambang
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
The National Election Committee upheld charges against five ex-CNRP officials from Battambang province for their involvement in an election boycott campaign, but reduced some of their fines. The NEC upheld the $2,500 fine for Chea Chiv, former head of the CNRP in Battambang, while Kruy Kimsaing and Thong Saroeun had their fines dropped to $1,250 each. Pov Tang and Mang Chhun had their fines eliminated
Khmer Times | Fresh News | NEC | DFDL | Khmer Times
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Battambang
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
National Election Committee fined five former opposition members to $2,500 each, for being involved in the clean finger campaign calling for people to boycott the 29 July 2018 elections in Kampot province. They : Kov Yitlay, Suong Sran, So Seng, Pen Chhem and Morm Sothy. => Misspelling of their names
PPP | Khmer Times | NEC
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Battambang
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
Reports were made claiming that the 29 July 2018 national election took place in a generally coercive and intimidating context. Individuals alleged that they were coerced to vote, others intimidated and threatened before and during the elections. Reports were made claiming that commune leaders stayed outside polling stations to intimidate voters.
Khmer Times | VOA KH | VOA | PPP
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Phnom Penh
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
The Cambodian government ordered internet service providers (ISPs) to block the websites of 15 news websites of critical media outlets, including Voice of America, for two days before and during the country’s election. An official Ministry of Information memo obtained by VOA orders the ISPs to block Voice of America’s Khmer service, Radio Free Asia’s Khmer service, Voice of Democracy, Vayo FM Radio, Monorom.info and the news site of the Independent Network for Social Justice on July 28 and 29 – the day of the election. The websites were effectively blocked between 28 and 29 July 2018. Media outlets generally considered as being pro-government, such as Khmer Times and Fresh News Asia, were not affected and able to continue operating normally.
VOA | Al Jazeera | Thmey Thmey | PPP | Fresh News
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Phnom Penh
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
The National Election Committee (NEC) has issued a letter calling on all political parties, candidates, political party agents, supporters, and other media outlets to remain 24 hours silent before the election day, according to the NEC’s press release dated on 27 July 2018.
Fresh News ENG | NEC | Khmer Times | RFI
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Phnom Penh
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
The Ministry of Justice had requested the prosecution to take legal action against former opposition party’s lawyer Choung Chungy at the request of the National Election Committee (NEC).The NEC will request to the Ministry of Information, Ministry of Interior, and Ministry of Telecommunications to block the Facebook profile of the opposition's lawyer and request ministry of justice to take legal action against the lawyer for violating court's decision.
Fresh News ENG | Fresh News | VOA | PPP
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Phnom Penh
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
The Cambodian People's Party (“CPP”) requested that the National Election Committee (“NEC”) take legal action against a former opposition party lawyer, Choung Chungy, who appealed to the public not to go to vote. The CPP argued that he violated Article 142 of the Law on Elections of Members of the National Assembly. The NEC further requested that the Ministry of Information, Ministry of Interior, and Ministry of Telecommunications block his Facebook profile.
Khmer Times | PPP | Fresh News | Fresh News Eng | VOA | PPP | Fresh New Eng | Fresh New
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Phnom Penh
Torture, arrests and illegal detentions
The Supreme Court has denied bail to two former Radio Free Asia reporters, Uon Chhin and Yeang Sothearin, arguing that the two reporters could affect security and public order during the ongoing investigation.
RFA ENG | Fresh News | PPP | Vod Hot | Khmer Times
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Mondulkiri
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
Reports were made that agents working for Cambodia’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) are threatening to end public services for indigenous residents of Mondulkiri province unless they vote for the party in an upcoming election marred by allegations of campaign violations and a ban on the opposition.
Khmer Times | VOA | RFI
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Phnom Penh
Convictions of human rights defenders
The Supreme Court upheld the June 2016 convictions of three former Mother Nature activists who threatened to destroy equipment belonging to sand-dredging firm Direct Access. In June 2016, Koh Kong provincial court sentenced Sun Mala, Try Sovikea and Sim Somnang to 18 months jail, eight of which were suspended. They were also ordered to pay about $25,000 in compensation to the Vietnamese company operating in the province. The three were arrested by provincial authorities on August 17, 2015, after they led a protest and demanded that Direct Access stop dredging sand in Botum Sakor district’s Andoung Toek commune.
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Phnom Penh
Legislative and institutional developments relevant to human rights
The Law on Minimum Wage was promulgated. While the establishment of a nationwide and sector wide minimum wage in Cambodia is a welcomed development, several provisions contained in the law fail to comply with Cambodia’s human rights obligations, unduly restricting freedom of expression and freedom of association. Certain provisions limit worker’s ability to collectively bargain, risks restricting the type of information which can be d in the wage negotiations, and could be used to curtail independent academic research on the matter.
Fresh News | Khmer Times | Fresh News | PPP | Japan Times | RFA
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Phnom Penh
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
The Prime Minister ordered officials to monitor Facebook for evidence of anti-election campaigning, including rumors he claimed, were being spread online regarding a fatal ink to be used to mark the fingers of voters.
Fresh News | PPP | VOD HOT | Khmer Times | VOA | PPP
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Phnom Penh
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
Prime Minister, Hun Sen has ordered authorities to install a surveillance system for Facebook activities to prevent any acts threatening national development. The PM stated that a surveillance system shall be installed to pin the locations of Facebook users who shared fake information.
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Phnom Penh
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
The NEC issued a statement informing all its Phnom Penh and 24 provincial election committees to closely monitor election watchdog Comfel for training its volunteers to monitor the election on July 29, noting that the NGO was infringing on the Law on Political Parties, election law and law on NGOs and associations.NEC spokesman Hang Puthea said that any organisation that wished to deploy observers to monitor the electoral process had to apply for registration at the NEC.
Womens Media Centre of Cambodia | PPP | Fresh News Asia | Fresh News ENG | Khmer Times
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Phnom Penh
Convictions of human rights defenders
The Supreme Court has upheld the conviction against political analyst Kim Sok, who was sentenced to 18 months jail for claiming that the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) was behind the 2016 murder of well-known political commentator, Kem Ley.
Khmer Times | Fresh News | PPP | Japan Times | RFA | VOD HOT
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Phnom Penh
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
317 families living in Koh Kong province came to Phnom Penh to find a solution directly from Prime Minister in a land dispute with a sugar company in Koh Kong but were blocked by the authorities.
PPP | PPP | Khmer Times | CEN | Fresh News | Koh Santepheap
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Phnom Penh
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
The Ministry of Education today recirculated instructions issued in August 2015. Cambodian schools were reminded of orders that strictly forbid all activities of any association, organization or any agent acting in educational institutions without the permission of the Ministry of Education. It was further stressed that politics is not allowed within schools. Any such activities are subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the law - this could take the form of a fine or the instiution could have its educational licence suspended or revoked.
PPP | Fresh News Asia | Freh New ENG | Khmer Times | WMC
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Phnom Penh
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
Phnom Penh Municipal Court has summoned Sam Rainsy to court in relation to alledgedly insulting the king on his Facebook page. The warrant, issued on Tuesday, June 19, and signed by prosecutor Sieng Sok, ordered Mr Rainsy to appear at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on July 12. The Minister of The charges come in response to the Facebook post made by Rainsy in which he claimed that the letter from the King Norodom Sihamoni, urging the people to vote in the July 29 national elections, was made “under coercion.”
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Phnom Penh
Restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association
KEO Rathana, a former programming chief for the court-dissolved CNRP radio station, was questioned by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, in relation to the Sokha 'treason' case. 'I was questioned on Friday for more than one hour. All the questions were about Kem Sokha’s treason charge. Some questions were about him, and some about my work with the parties.'
PPP | Khmer Times | CEN | Fresh News | Koh Santepheap | PPP | Khmer Times
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Phnom Penh
Torture, arrests and illegal detentions
Ieng Cholsa became the third person arrested under the Kingdom’s newly passed lèse majesté law for a series of posts he made on Facebookposts, according to the municipal court prosecutor. He made three posts in June 2018: one post showed a 500 riel note with King Norodom Sihamoni’s picture, another showed a picture of drugs, while a third showed a shot of the King and his mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk. The court official said the suspect He faces charges of insulting the King and threatening the King's life. To date, he has been held in pre-trial detention. On 09 Jan 2019, Phnom Penh Court of First Instance sentenced Cholsa for 3 years in prison and fine 5 million Riel under Lese-Majesty provision.