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Prime Minister Sends Park Packing
Phnom Penh Post - Prime Minister sends park packing A 2013 Cambodia National Rescue Party at Freedom Park. Vireak Mai Prime Minister sends park packing Wed, 7 December 2016 Lay Samean Freedom Park, the 1-hectare public square in the centre of Phnom Penh that the government in November 2010 designated as the city’s sole authorised zone for protests, is set to be moved next to a petrol warehouse along National Road 5, officials said yesterday. The relocation was first announced in a morning speech by Prime Minister Hun Sen, who said moving the protest zone to the outskirts would help beautify the city. Yet the opposition CNRP, which has made liberal use of the park in the past, criticised the decision. Speaking at the 18th Disabled Persons’ Day at Koh Pich, Hun Sen said he had been in contact with Phnom Penh’s governor about the effort to move Freedom Park somewhere less visible, adding that the relocation would have no impact on freedom of expression. “Recently, I called Pa Soche-atvong, because now we will perhaps not keep Freedom Park in the middle of the capital creating problems. [Interior Minister] Sar Kheng told Pa Socheatvong to look for a new Freedom Park,” Hun Sen told his audience. “It will possibly be on National Road 5, at Kilometre 6, and we will transform that location into a public park,” he said. “The gatherings will not be different from the current ones, since people don’t go to look there, they watch it via broadcasts or Facebook.” City Hall spokesman Mean Chanyada said authorities had not settled on the exact location along National Road 5 for the new Freedom Park but that a large Sokimex gas station not far from the Chroy Changvar bridge was the preferred location. -
Critics Say Nixing of Forest Land Titles Could Create Chaos
Critics Say Nixing of Forest Land Titles Could Create Chaos Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer | Washington, DC Wednesday, 28 December 2011 Photo: AP Cambodia’s land issues cannot be solved by local leaders, who have for a long time exchanged land certification for bribes, said Kem Sokha, leader of Human Rights Party. “No one on any day is paying attention to the laws, but [they are] listening only to the prime minister.” Prime Minister Hun Sen has called for the nullification of land certificates in protected natural areas, but opposition lawmakers and rights groups say the edict will create widespread chaos and demonstrates Cambodia’s inability to follow the rule of law. Land issues have emerged as one of Cambodia’s biggest problems, with disputes over tracts of land across the country leading to protests, violent demonstrations and arrests. “Leadership today has caused anarchy and turmoil in society,” said Kem Sokha, president of the minority opposition Human Rights Party. “They don’t know whether to catch the head or the tail at all, if one just follows orders, follows the word of the prime minister, who acts arbitrarily and disappears. Keeping the issues for the lower levels to pursue, they can’t pursue them.” Cambodia’s land issues cannot be solved by local leaders, who have for a long time exchanged land certification for bribes, he said. An unclear land law and the decentralization of power will startle people when combined with an announcement from the prime minster to nullify land certificates in protected areas, Kem Sokha said. Speaking at a visit to a new hydroelectric dam in Pursat province on Monday, Hun Sen said he wanted to nullify land certificates in protected areas to strengthen conservation and prevent powerful officials from buying land in illegal areas. -
Campaign Season Has Begun, Unofficially, Monitors Note
Campaign Season Has Begun, Unofficially, Monitors Note 01 June 2013 Sok Khemara, VOA WASHINGTON — Election monitors and analysts say the ruling party and the opposition have begun an unofficial campaign, as a war of words heats up well ahead of the official campaign period. In recent weeks, Prime Minister Hun Sen and top opposition official Kem Sokha have engaged in a public debate, using speeches and the media to attack each other and to push their parties’ agendas. In the latest round, Hun Sen says he supports a demonstration against Kem Sokha, who has become embroiled in a controversy after statements he allegedly made about the Khmer Rouge torture center of Tuol Sleng. Ruling party officials say they have a recording of Kem Sokha, who is the vice president of the Cambodia National Rescue Party, claiming that the Vietnamese had staged or exaggerated the atrocities that took place at the Khmer Rouge prison, angering some victims of the regime. The controversy comes ahead of an official campaign period, but election monitors say the most recent spate of verbal attacks marks an unofficial beginning to the election season. It also coincides with the drafting of a ruling party strategy document for the elections in direct response to the opposition. This week, Hun Sen said he would support a demonstration that demands an apology from Kem Sokha over his alleged Tuol Sleng comments. Critics say the prime minister is attempting to discredit the opposition ahead of July’s national elections by stoking anger over the alleged remarks. “A huge demonstration will happen, and not just in Phnom Penh, but in the whole country, if the person doesn’t make an apology,” Hun Sen said at a pagoda inauguration in Kampong Cham Wednesday. -
Prisoners of Conscience/Human Rights Defenders at Risk 06 January 2006
PUBLIC AI Index: ASA 23/002/2006 UA 06/05 Prisoners of conscience/human rights defenders at risk 06 January 2006 KINGDOM OF Kem Sokha (m), President, Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) CAMBODIA Yeng Virak (m), Director, Community Legal Education Center (CLEC) Pa Nguon Teang (m), CCHR Acting Director/Radio Director Rong Chhun (m), President, Cambodian Independent Teachers' Association (CITA) Mam Sonando (m), Director, Beehive Radio Chea Mony (m), President, Free Trade Union of Workers Ea Channa (m), Deputy Secretary-General, Students’ Movement for Democracy Men Nath (m), President, Cambodian Independent Civil Servants Association Prince Sisowath Thomico (m), Secretary to former King Sihanouk Say Bory (m), Advisor to former King Sihanouk The Cambodian authorities are cracking down on critics of the government, taking legal action against them that appears to be politically motivated. The first five people named above have been arrested, and are facing trial on charges that carry sentences of up to five years' imprisonment. The authorities are seeking the second five. Other human rights defenders and perceived critics of the government are feared to be at risk of arrest, and many have gone into hiding or fled the country. This latest crackdown on freedom of expression was sparked by criticism of a controversial border deal reached with Viet Nam by Prime Minister Hun Sen in October 2005. Hun Sen said at the time that he would sue anyone who accused him of "selling territory", and since then a government lawyer has filed charges of "defamation", "incitement to commit a crime" and "disinformation" against civil society groups, people close to the former king, and human rights defenders. -
VIA EMAIL [email protected] and [email protected] November
Perseus Strategies 1775 K St. NW, Suite 680 Washington, D.C. 20006 Jared Genser and Brian Tronic [email protected] T +1 202.466.3069 VIA EMAIL [email protected] and [email protected] November 23, 2020 Ms. Rhona Smith UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Cambodia Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Palais Wilson 52 rue des Pâquis CH-1201 Geneva, Switzerland Ms. Irene Khan UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Palais Wilson 52 rue des Pâquis CH-1201 Geneva, Switzerland RE: Request for URGENT ACTION – Forthcoming Trial of Cambodian-American Human Rights Lawyer and Advocate Theary Seng – November 26, 2020 Dear Ms. Smith and Ms. Khan, We are writing with this request for urgent action on behalf of our client, Theary Seng, a prominent Cambodian-American human rights lawyer and democracy advocate who has been summoned to appear in court for trial on November 26, 2020, to answer criminal charges of “incitement to create social disorder” and “conspiracy to commit treason.” Approximately 60 other people have also been summoned to appear on that day – most are members of the banned opposition and non-violent Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP). The charges against Ms. Seng are politically motivated and directly connected to her political and social advocacy. Over the past 20 years, she has established herself as an outspoken critic of Prime Minister Hun Sen, both domestically and internationally. Ms. Seng has been a leader in Cambodia’s civil society since 2006 and is widely known for her involvement in the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia. -
KRT TRIAL MONITOR Case 002 ! Issue No
KRT TRIAL MONITOR Case 002 ! Issue No. 41 ! Hearing on Evidence Week 36 ! 22-25 October 2012 Case of Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan and Ieng Sary Asian International Justice Initiative (AIJI), a project of East-West Center and UC Berkeley War Crimes Studies Center I have been living in the society where I have had a lot of suffering! I had been deprived of all my education, the dreams that I would like to be highly educated. But these dreams were destroyed by the darkest period of the Khmer Rouge. - Yim Sovann, Civil Party * I. OVERVIEW This week, the Trial Chamber heard testimonies from three Civil Parties and two witnesses. The testimonies mainly focused on experiences during the evacuation of Phnom Penh, as well as the tough conditions immediately following the first evacuation. The testimonies also touched on the treatment of Lon Nol soldiers and hospital patients during the first evacuation. The Chamber heard legal arguments and issued two important rulings this week: First, the Court ruled that Civil Parties may state the suffering they endured during the entire Democratic Kampuchea regime, instead of having Civil Parties limit their statements to those relevant to events covered in Trial One of Case 002. Second, the Chamber ruled that Parties may not question witnesses based on expert witness analysis, if that expert has yet to appear before the Court. II. SUMMARY OF CIVIL PARTY AND WITNESS TESTIMONIES The Chamber heard a statement about the suffering of Ms. Yim Sovann, who was examined by Parties the previous week.1 Two new Civil Parties, Mr. -
UAE Envoy's E-Mail Leaks to Strain Regional Ties
BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 1 India thrash Pakistan in INDEX Champions DOW JONES QE NYMEX QATAR 2-7, 24 COMMENT 22, 23 REGION 8, 9 BUSINESS 1-5, 10-12 Trophy 21,203.00 9,923.60 47.66 ARAB WORLD 9 CLASSIFIED 6-9 Industry bellwethers’ +7100 -15.98 -0.70 INTERNATIONAL 10-21 SPORTS 1-8 +0.34% -0.16% -1.45% listing boost for QSE Latest Figures published in QATAR since 1978 MONDAY Vol. XXXVII No. 10475 June 5, 2017 Ramadan 10, 1438 AH GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Emir hosts Iftar banquet UAE envoy’s In brief e-mail leaks QATAR | Offi cial Summer work hours in open workplaces The Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Aff airs to strain has announced that the implementation of working hours in open workplaces during the summer will take eff ect from June 15 until August 31. The implementation of the ministerial decision No (16) of 2007 determines regional ties HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani hosted an Iftar banquet for the members of the ruling family and dignitaries on the working hours for works done the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan at Al Wajbah Palace yesterday. Page 2 under the sun or open workplaces. he latest e-mail leaks from the ing to Al Jazeera’s correspondent in The decision stipulates that working in Hotmail account of Yousef al- Washington, and the fact that the UAE such places must stop from 11:30am to TOtaiba, the UAE ambassador has permitted itself to evaluate the Qatar, Iraq review ties Qatar condemns 3pm. -
“Labor and Human Rights in Cambodia”
Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission “Labor and Human Rights in Cambodia” Testimony of John Sifton, Asia Advocacy Director, Human Rights Watch September 11, 2019 Thank you for inviting me to testify today. The Lantos Commission is right to focus on the human rights situation in Cambodia. For decades, Cambodia’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) has attempted to present itself behind a thin veneer of democratic legitimacy – the product of several deeply flawed electoral processes that have taken place every five years since 1993, all of which have been marked by violence, corruption, vote fraud, and other abuses. Now in power since 1985, Prime Minister Hun Sen and his CPP continue to maintain power using politically motivated prosecutions, repressive laws, and a pliant judiciary. While in previous years Hun Sen allowed a small measure of freedom to media outlets and opposition parties—almost certainly to convey an image of Cambodia as an open society – today he oversees a de facto one-party state, in which the CPP maintains complete control over all ministries, the security forces, the courts, and the National Assembly. In recent years, the government has intensified its crackdown on independent media, local human rights defenders, and labor rights activists. Fundamental rights to free expression and peaceful assembly are sharply curtailed, and there is no accountability for serious abuses. In 2018, the government-controlled Supreme Court dissolved the main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, detained opposition leader Kem Sokha, and banned more than 100 opposition members from politics in the lead-up to sham elections in July 2018. -
A Week That Shook Cambodia
A Week that Shook Cambodia The Hope, Anger and Despair of Cambodian Workers after the General Strike and Violent Crackdown (Dec 2013 - Jan 2014) A FA CT -FINDING REPO R T Asia Monitor Resource Centre, Hong Kong • Asian Labour Study Group, The School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, UK • Asian Human Rights Commission, Hong Kong • Center for Trade Union and Human Rights, Philippines • Korean Confederation of Trade Union, South Korea • Korean House for International Solidarity, South Korea • Oxfam Solidarity Belgium • Serve People Association, Taiwan A Week that Shook Cambodia The Hope, Anger and Despair of Cambodian Workers after the General Strike and Violent Crackdown (Dec 2013 - Jan 2014) A FA CT -FINDING REPO R T Asia Monitor Resource Centre, Hong Kong • Asian Labour Study Group, The School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, UK • Asian Human Rights Commission, Hong Kong • Center for Trade Union and Human Rights, Philippines • Korean Confederation of Trade Union, South Korea • Korean House for International Solidarity, South Korea • Oxfam Solidarity Belgium • Serve People Association, Taiwan A Week that Shook Cambodia The Hope, Anger and Despair of Cambodian Workers after the General Strike and Violent Crackdown (December 2013 - January 2014) A Fact-finding Report by Asia Monitor Resource Centre, Hong Kong; Asian Labour Study Group, The School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, UK; Asian Human Rights Commission, Hong Kong; Center for Trade Union and Human Rights, Philippines; Korean Confederation of Trade Union, South Korea; Korean House for International Solidarity, South Korea; Oxfam Solidarity Belgium; Serve People Association, Taiwan Fact-Finding Team Christal Chan, Dae-Oup Chang, Danilo Reyes, Eunji Kang, Fahmi Panimbang, Hilde Van Regenmortel, Jane Siwa, Lennon Ying-Dah Wong, Mikyung Ryu, Samuel Li Shing Hong, Sanjiv Pandita, Yoo Ki-soo Photos: Courtesy of fact finding team members unless stated otherwise. -
December 10, 2009 H.E. Ambassador Michel Kafando President of the United Nations Security Council Permanent Representative of Bu
OFFICE OF SENATOR AZUMA KONNO OFFICE OF SENATOR TADASHI INUZUKA December 10, 2009 H.E. Ambassador Michel Kafando President of the United Nations Security Council Permanent Representative of Burkina Faso to the United Nations 866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 326/327 A New York, NY 10017, U.S.A Fax: 1(212) 308 4690 H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon Secretary-General of the United Nations United Nations New York, NY 10017, U.S.A Fax: 1(212) 963 2155, 1(212) 963 1185 Via facsimile Your Excellencies, On behalf of 442 Members of Parliament from 29 countries around the world, we are writing to urge the United Nations Security Council to launch an investigation into crimes against humanity committed by the military regime in Burma (Myanmar) and to impose a global arms embargo on that regime. Such action is long overdue. Burma’s military regime has carried out brutal attacks on its own people for decades. According to the Thailand Burma Border Consortium (TBBC), a humanitarian agency providing aid to Burmese refugees and displaced persons for 25 years, through these attacks, the regime has destroyed over 3,500 ethnic minority villages in eastern Burma since 1996. Here, at least 75,000 people were forced to leave their homes during this past year alone, and more than half a million people remain internally displaced. TBBC has described the situation in Burma as being comparable to the situation in Darfur. Furthermore, these crimes against humanity in Burma are well documented by various UN bodies, although none of them have taken effective action. -
The Fight for Freedom: Attacks on Human Rights Defenders 2018-2020
Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights THE FIGHT FOR FREEDOM: ATTACKS ON HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS 2018-2020 A briefing paper issued in December 2020 THE FIGHT FOR FREEDOM: Attacks on Human Rights Defenders 2018-2020 A briefing paper issued in December 2020 LICADHO CAMBODIAN LEAGUE FOR THE PROMOTION AND DEFENSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS CAMBODIAN LEAGUE FOR THE PROMOTION AND DEFENSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS (LICADHO) LICADHO is a national Cambodian human rights organization. Since its establishment in 1992, LICADHO has been at the forefront of efforts to protect civil, political, economic and social rights in Cambodia and to promote respect for them by the Cambodian government and institutions. Building on its past achievements, LICADHO continues to be an advocate for the Cambodian people and a monitor of the government through wide ranging human rights programs from its main office in Phnom Penh and 13 provincial offices. MONITORING & PROTECTION PROMOTION & ADVOCACY Monitoring of State Violations & Women’s and Children’s Rights: Monitors investigate human rights violations perpetrated by the State and violations made against women and Supporting Unions & Grassroots Groups children. Victims are provided assistance through interventions with and Networks: local authorities and court officials. Assistance to unions, grassroots groups and affected communities to Medical Assistance & Social Work: provide protection and legal services, and to enhance their capacity to A medical team provides assistance to prisoners and prison officials in campaign and advocate for human rights. urban and rural prisons, victims of human rights violations and families in resettlement sites. Social workers conduct needs assessments of victims and their families and provide short-term material and food. -
Courts of Injustice
COURTS OF INJUSTICE SUPPRESSING ACTIVISM THROUGH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IN CAMBODIA Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 7 million people who campaign for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all. Our vision is for every person to enjoy all the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards. We are independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion and are funded mainly by our membership and public donations. © Amnesty International 2017 Cover design and illustration: The cover depicts a 19th Century Khmer court Except where otherwise noted, content in this document is licensed judge through the form of a traditional Khmer shadow puppet play. under a Creative Commons (attribution, non-commercial, no derivatives, © Colin Foo international 4.0) licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode For more information please visit the permissions page on our website: www.amnesty.org Where material is attributed to a copyright owner other than Amnesty International this material is not subject to the Creative Commons licence. First published in 2017 by Amnesty International Ltd Peter Benenson House, 1 Easton Street, London WC1X 0DW, UK Index: ASA 23/6059/2017 Original language: English amnesty.org CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4 1. CAMBODIAN CRIMINAL PROCEDURES 8 2. THE WOMEN OF THE LAKE 13 3. THE CNRP “INSURRECTIONISTS” 17 4. THE ADHOC FIVE 21 5. THE UNION SIX 26 CONCLUSION 30 RECOMMENDATIONS 31 APPENDIX 32 COURTS OF INJUSTICE SUPPRESSING ACTIVISM THROUGH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IN CAMBODIA 3 Amnesty International EXECUTIVE SUMMARY On 27 April 2017, an Investigating Judge extended for a further six months the pre- trial detention of five Cambodian human rights defenders (HRDs) who have already spent a year in detention without trial.