By Elizabeth Tomei
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
While violence against human rights workers decreased in 2005, the situation activists face deteriorated markedly, with violence taking other forms such as coercion and intimidation and carrying a veneer of legality, according to a report by local rights group Licadho.
Entitled "Threats To Human Rights Defenders in Cambodia 2005," the report received Friday states that intimidation of rights workers included physical or verbal assault, criminal charges, arrests or detentions—describing this as "symptomatic of a year marked by attacks , on civil society and increasing intolerance towards criticism of the government." The report alleges that the government overstepped its authority in 2005 and early 2006 as the distinction between executive and judicial powers blurred, and gives as an example Prime Minister Hun Sen's decision to file defamation cases against several of his critics who were later jailed and then released.
"The Prime Minister himself provided the bail guarantees, thereby ensuring that [the activists'] freedom remained at his personal discretion" after their release in January, the report states.
Kem Sokha, the president of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights who was arrested on Dec 31, said Sunday that the defamation charges against him are still pending, though he has not heard about the case since his release.
Licadho President Kek Galabru said government attempts to quash human lights activism have created a culture of fear.
"Our space now is very limited. We need access to information, freedom of assembly, freedom of expression," she said. "We are not the enemy of the state," she added.
Interior Ministry spokesman Khieu Sopheak said that the government considers rights groups to be its partners.
Om Yentieng, advisor to Prime Minister Hun Sen and president of the Cambodian Human Rights Committee, accused rights groups of trying to disrupt government work.
"Our government always says good things of NGOs in front of donors...but those NGOs try to kill the government," he claimed, adding that NGOs have ignored government attempts at dialogue.
(Additional reporting by Kuch Naren)
Entitled "Threats To Human Rights Defenders in Cambodia 2005," the report received Friday states that intimidation of rights workers included physical or verbal assault, criminal charges, arrests or detentions—describing this as "symptomatic of a year marked by attacks , on civil society and increasing intolerance towards criticism of the government." The report alleges that the government overstepped its authority in 2005 and early 2006 as the distinction between executive and judicial powers blurred, and gives as an example Prime Minister Hun Sen's decision to file defamation cases against several of his critics who were later jailed and then released.
"The Prime Minister himself provided the bail guarantees, thereby ensuring that [the activists'] freedom remained at his personal discretion" after their release in January, the report states.
Kem Sokha, the president of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights who was arrested on Dec 31, said Sunday that the defamation charges against him are still pending, though he has not heard about the case since his release.
Licadho President Kek Galabru said government attempts to quash human lights activism have created a culture of fear.
"Our space now is very limited. We need access to information, freedom of assembly, freedom of expression," she said. "We are not the enemy of the state," she added.
Interior Ministry spokesman Khieu Sopheak said that the government considers rights groups to be its partners.
Om Yentieng, advisor to Prime Minister Hun Sen and president of the Cambodian Human Rights Committee, accused rights groups of trying to disrupt government work.
"Our government always says good things of NGOs in front of donors...but those NGOs try to kill the government," he claimed, adding that NGOs have ignored government attempts at dialogue.
(Additional reporting by Kuch Naren)
1 comment:
Well, CPP what are going to do about it?
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