Saturday, January 30, 2010

Southeast Asia: Human Rights Watch Charges Torture, Rape, Illegal Detentions at Cambodian Drug "Rehab" Centers, Demands Shutdown

From Drug War Chronicle, Issue #618
1/29/10

In a scathing 93-page report released today, the international human rights group Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused Cambodian drug detention centers of torturing and raping detainees, imprisoning children and the mentally ill, and illegally detaining and imprisoning drug users. The centers are beyond reform and should be closed, the group said.

"Individuals in these centers are not being treated or rehabilitated, they are being illegally detained and often tortured," said Joseph Amon, director of the Health and Human Rights division at HRW. "These centers do not need to be revamped or modified; they need to be shut down."

The report cited detailed testimonies from detainees who were raped by center staff, beaten with electric cables, shocked with cattle prods, and forced to give blood. It also found that drug users were "cured" of their conditions by being forced to undergo rigorous military-style drills to sweat the drugs out of their systems.

"[After arrest] the police search my body, they take my money, they also keep my drugs... They say, 'If you don't have money, why don't you go for a walk with me?... [The police] drove me to a guest house.... How can you refuse to give him sex? You must do it. There were two officers. [I had sex with] each one time. After that they let me go home," said Minea, a woman in her mid-20's who uses drugs, explaining how she was raped by two police officers.

"[A staff member] would use the cable to beat people... On each whip the person's skin would come off and stick on the cable," said M'noh, age 16, describing whippings he witnessed in the Social Affairs "Youth Rehabilitation Center" in Choam Chao. The title of the HRW report is "Skin on the Cable."

More than 2,300 people were detained in Cambodia's 11 drug detention centers in 2008. That is 40% more than in 2007.

"The government of Cambodia must stop the torture occurring in these centers," said Amon. "Drug dependency can be addressed through expanded voluntary, community-based, outpatient treatment that respects human rights and is consistent with international standards."

Cambodian officials from the National Authority for Combating Drugs, the Interior Ministry, the National Police, and the Social Welfare Ministry all declined to comment when queried by the Associated Press. But Cambodian Brig. Gen. Roth Srieng, commander of the military police in Banteay Meanchy province, denied torture at his center, while adding that some detainees were forced to stand in the sun or "walk like monkeys" as punishment for trying to escape.

Children as young as 10, prostitutes, beggars, the homeless, and the mentally ill are frequently detained and taken to the drug detention centers, the report found. About one-quarter of those detained were minors. Most were not told why they were being detained. The report also said police sometimes demanded sexual favors or money for release and told some detainees they would not be beaten or could leave early if they donated blood.

The report relied on testimony from 74 people, most of them drug users, who had been detained between February and July 2009.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Why do they ask for blood?
I wonder if they mix with their drinks or something.
Are these officers are blood thirsty?

Anonymous said...

ល្អណាស់ម្នាក់ៗដល់អស់ដីនៅអស់កន្លែងដើរទើប
ដឹងថាវាពិបាក។បក្សប្រឆាំងមិនអាចធ្វើឥញ្ចឹងបានទេវាបណ្តាលឲ្យប្រទេសជិតខាងគេមើលងាយតើបងប្អូនខ្មែរមានបានដឹងទេថាកាលពីជុំនាន់ដើមប្រទេសខ្មែរគឺធំណាស់ដោយសារតែមានអ្នកនិយមស្តាំ
ហើយ​ទៅពឹងបរទេសឲ្យពួកគេមកជួយកំចាត់រាជរដ្ធាពិបាលខ្លួនឯង។អ្នកដែលជួយវាយឲ្យខ្មែរបែកបាក់មុន
ដំបូងគឺជាប្រទេសសៀមពួកចោរសៀមវាបានដឹងថាខ្មែរបែកបាក់រវាងគ្នានឹងគ្នាពួកវាក៏បានលើកទ័ព្ទ
មកវាយនៅពេលនោះភ្លាម។ពីព្រោះនៅមុនឆ្នាំ១៣៥០មិនមានជនជាតសៀមទេគឺមានជនជាតិសៀមក្រោយពីឆ្នាំ១៣៥០ដែលខ្មែរបានបែកបាក់គ្នាដួចបក្សប្រ
ឆាំងបានធ្វើសព្ធថ្ងៃនេះឥញ្ចឹង។ដួច្នេះបក្សប្រឆាំងនៅស្រុកខ្មែរសព្វថ្ងៃមិនខុសអំពីបក្សប្រឆាំងជុំនាន់
ដើមឥញ្ចឹងដែរ។តែសំណាងល្អម្យ៉ាងដែរដោយស្រុកខ្មែរសព្វថ្ងៃនៅតាមជាយដែនពុំមានបក្សពួកប្រឆាំងក៏ទ័ព្វកើតគឺដោយសារមានផ្លូវថ្នល់គ្រប់ទីកន្លែង
មិនអាចឲ្យបក្សប្រឆាំងធ្វើទៅបាន។មិនទាន់ដឹងអីផងមានបរិវាបន្តប់ថាជាប្រធានាធិបតីទៅហើយមិន
ចេះខ្មាស់គេទាល់តែសោះចំពោះបក្សប្រឆាំង។ចំពោះសហរដ្ធអាមេរិកវិញកុំលូកដៃចូលជាមួយបក្ស
ប្រឆាំងនៅកម្ពុជាអីតើលោកអាមេរិកាំងដឹងទេថា
ប្រទេសកម្ពុជាបានធ្លាក់ក្នុងកណ្តាប់ដៃរបស់ពលពតក៏មានអាមេរិកាំងនៅពីក្រោយលោកលន់នលដែរ
ឥឡូវចង់នៅពីក្រោយបក្សប្រឆាំងនៅកម្ពុជាទៀតឬ
យ៉ាងណាខ្ញុំដឹងថាអាមេរិកាំងបានចាញ់នៅសង្គ្រៀមនៅវាតណាមហើយឥឡូវចង់បំផ្លាញយួនម្តងទៀតឬ?ប្រទេសបានសុខសាន្តមិចង់ទេចង់តែកាប់សម្លាប់គ្នាទៅវិញទៅមកម្នាក់ៗមិនដឹងជាគិតយ៉ាងដួចម្តេចទេ។បើបក្សប្រឆាំងនៅស្រុកខ្មែរធ្វើតែយ៉ាងនេះប្រទេសច្បាស់ជាមានសង្រ្គាមហើយបើមានសង្រ្គាមតើនរណាមកជួយប្រទេសឲ្យបានសុខឡើងវិញ?ឬក៏ទៅពឹងអាមេរិកាំងមកជួយ?មិនពិបាកទេអាមេរិកាំងទម្លាក់គ្រាប់រាប់ម៉ឺនគ្រាប់មិនទាន់ទាំងគិតផងអំពីប្រជាជនខ្មែរនោះផង។អាមេរិកាំងទៅកន្លែងណាខួចខាតដល់កន្លែងនោះសូមបក្សប្រឆាំងមើលពិភពលោកផង។

Anonymous said...

p9:42: only you matherfucker CPP of ah kwack Hun Xen are killing people instead of use law and reason!

May ligtning strike the blood thirty mothrfuckers!