By Erik Wasson
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
2006 "one of the worst years for
human rights defenders in recent memory"
- Licadho report
City Hall granted permission late Friday afternoon for thousands of activists, NGO workers, unionists and ordinary citizens to gather at Phnom Penh's Olympic Stadium to celebrate International Human Rights Day on Sunday.
The last minute permission came after an application process that began Nov 2, organizers said.
"This is a good sign from the government, I just got the letter in my hand," organizer An Nan said. "This is a good sign for human rights."
On Thursday, deputy municipal governor Pa Socheatyong said organizers waited until too late to make their application, hoping to embarrass the government.
Last year the discovery of anti-government graffiti at the Olympic Stadium Human Rights Day led to the arrests on defamation charges of Cambodian Center for Human Rights Director Kem Sokha and Community Legal Education Center Executive Director Yeng Virak.
UN Special Representative for Human Rights Defenders Hina Jilani will address the rally Sunday.
Coinciding with the event rights group Licadho released a report, "Attacks and Threats Against Human Rights Defenders in Cambodia" calling 2006 "one of the worst years for human rights defenders in recent memory."
"Staff members of national human rights organizations continue to be the target for harassment intimidation and other obstructions to their work," the report states.
"The most serious threats are often aimed at those human rights defenders, particularly those in remote rural areas and those who do not have formal organizations behind them, who have the least protection."
The last minute permission came after an application process that began Nov 2, organizers said.
"This is a good sign from the government, I just got the letter in my hand," organizer An Nan said. "This is a good sign for human rights."
On Thursday, deputy municipal governor Pa Socheatyong said organizers waited until too late to make their application, hoping to embarrass the government.
Last year the discovery of anti-government graffiti at the Olympic Stadium Human Rights Day led to the arrests on defamation charges of Cambodian Center for Human Rights Director Kem Sokha and Community Legal Education Center Executive Director Yeng Virak.
UN Special Representative for Human Rights Defenders Hina Jilani will address the rally Sunday.
Coinciding with the event rights group Licadho released a report, "Attacks and Threats Against Human Rights Defenders in Cambodia" calling 2006 "one of the worst years for human rights defenders in recent memory."
"Staff members of national human rights organizations continue to be the target for harassment intimidation and other obstructions to their work," the report states.
"The most serious threats are often aimed at those human rights defenders, particularly those in remote rural areas and those who do not have formal organizations behind them, who have the least protection."
2 comments:
Show support of Human Right Rally everyone!
This gov't wants their people to stupid of their rights so they can intimidate and minipulate for their gains. This is like the mother fish eating their own babies.
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