Mr. President,
Cambodia should take swift action to guarantee the rights to freedom of expression, opinion, and peaceful assembly in line with many of the UPR recommendations.
Cambodian authorities continued their assault on freedom of expression throughout the period under review, and in the months leading up to the Council’s adoption of the UPR today.
The conviction in July of 10 activists from Mother Nature, an award-winning, youth-led Cambodian environmental group, on charges that stem from the group’s peaceful environmental activism is devastating. The 10 activists have received sentences from six to eight years in prison for their efforts to protect Cambodia’s environment.
Cambodian authorities have also arbitrarily arrested at least 94 people since late July for publicly criticizing the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Area, including environmental, human rights, and other activists. Thirty-three people, including several children, remain arbitrarily detained on baseless “plotting” charges and face up to 10 years in prison, with the children facing up to 5 years, for peacefully expressing their views.
Human Rights Watch echoes the concerns expressed by 18 global brands that source from Cambodian factories over the Ministry of Interior’s investigation into the Center for Alliance of Labor and Human Rights, following the group’s recent report on freedom of association violations in Cambodia.
We urge Cambodia to fulfill its international human rights obligations by immediately dropping all charges against those exercising their rights to freedom of expression, opinion, and assembly, canceling the audit of CENTRAL, and ending measures that restrict civil society space.
Cambodia has accepted recommendations to protect the rights of Indigenous people, especially land rights. Research by Human Rights Watch and partners shows that Indigenous peoples are suffering due to predatory lending practices of Cambodia’s microfinance sector, which have led to the loss of Indigenous land. We urge Cambodia to hold the microfinance sector accountable for their predatory lending and collection practices.
