Human Rights situation in Cambodia - By Ven. Loun Sovath

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The kingdom of Cambodia

Nation - Religion - King

Human Rights situation in Cambodia

After the peace agreement on the 23rd of October 1991 in Paris, France, the civil war in Cambodia ended. In 1993 Cambodia transitioned from a communist regime to a “liberal democracy” with assistance from the United Nations. Even though Cambodia accepted democracy, it still doesn’t implement laws correctly and clearly; it is effectively a fake-democracy, with a little respect for human rights, and it is a country ruled by dictatorship, prioritizing nepotism and wealth regardless of the laws. From 1993 to the present, Cambodia still faces many problems such as poverty, corruption, injustice, violence, human rights violations, and destruction of natural resources.

Human rights in Cambodia including citizenship rights, political rights, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, the right to demonstrate and strike, the right to information, freedom of the press, and the right to an impartial judiciary and so on are either lacking, narrowing, or getting worse, and it is becoming even more dangerous for human rights defenders in Cambodia.

Forced evictions and land disputes are effects of development led by a government that does not respect human rights, causing Cambodian citizens to become poorer, losing their socio-economic rights, cultural rights, homes, lands and lives, some of them are even forced to flee for their safety. Land disputes regularly unfold with rights violations by military armed forces of the government who crack down with violence, wrongful accusations and arrest, while activists legally and peacefully stand up to protect their rights.

Cambodia faces serious human rights issues and is turning into an absolute regime. This is caused by the leading policy of the government, supported by its ministries and institutions, including religious institutions, that are not independent. The judicial system in particular is used by the government as a political tool to oppress, threaten, silence, deprive citizens of rights and freedoms. The system accuses and arrests human rights defenders, political activists, journalists, civil organization activists, land activists, forest activists, union activists, and various communities threatened with forced eviction that the government considers opposed to its policies.

As a representative of human rights defenders in Cambodia, I appeal to the united nations, international organizations, donor countries, and the international community to help bring Cambodia and its people actual freedom, actual development, and to help direct and correct its policy on human rights, land grabbing and forced evictions. Additionally the government must stop using the judicial system to oppress and wrongly accuse human rights defenders, and must stop using violence in Cambodia. On behalf of all Cambodian human rights defenders I ask the government to properly implement liberal democracy and respect human rights. This is what the Cambodian people hunger for.

May peace and freedom rise upon the whole world.

Thank you.

Representative of human rights defender in Cambodia

Venerable LOUN SOVATH