Release Mam Sonando, Owner of Cambodia's Oldest Independent Radio Station

A few dozen members of the Democrats Association gathered at the Phnom Penh court while Mam Sonando was questioned.

Released by Joint Organizations

July 16, 2012 - The undersigned organizations are deeply disturbed by independent radio station director Mam Sonando's arrest on Sunday, July 15, 2012, and call for his immediate release. Mr. Sonando, who holds both Cambodian and French citizenship, is the owner of Beehive Radio, which is among the few independent radio stations in Cambodia. Sonando is also the founder and president of the Democrat Association.

On June 25, 2012, Beehive broadcast a report on the International Criminal Court's (ICC) June 22 receipt of a lawsuit against the Cambodian government in relation to crimes against humanity. The broadcast included interviews and discussed the lawsuit, which was submitted by government critic Sourn Serey Ratha's Khmer People Power Movement. The Beehive report was done by Sonando, who had covered the event at the ICC as a journalist.

Twenty-four hours after the Beehive report first aired, the Prime Minister publicly called for Sonando's arrest during a speech in Phnom Penh which was broadcast on national television. The Prime Minister accused Sonando of inciting a secessionist movement in Kratie province. By July 2, Kratie investigating judge Chok Nguon had issued an arrest warrant accusing Sonando of crimes related to participating in an "insurrectionary movement," inciting people to take up arms against the state, and obstruction of public officials.

Union Worker Beaten during ASEAN Summit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO5mePFGczc

LICADHO Rights Activist Released from Prison

តុលាការ​ដោះលែង​សកម្មជន​ការពារ​សិទ្ធិ​មនុស្ស​លីកាដូ 2012-05-30 សកម្មជន​ការពារ​សិទ្ធិ​មនុស្ស​នៃ​អង្គការ​លីកាដូ លោក លាង សុខជឿន ត្រូវ​បាន​ដោះលែង​ឲ្យ​មាន​សេរីភាព​វិញ​ហើយ​ពី​ពន្ធនាគារ​ខេត្ត​កណ្ដាល នៅ​ក្រុង​តាខ្មៅ នៅ​វេលា​ម៉ោង ១១​ព្រឹក ថ្ងៃ​ទី​៣០ ខែ​ឧសភា ឆ្នាំ​២០១២ ក្រោយ​ពី​បាន​ជាប់​ឃុំ​ខ្លួន​រយៈពេល ២​ឆ្នាំ តាម​សាលក្រម​កាត់​ទោស​របស់​តុលាការ​ខេត្ត​តាកែវ កន្លង​មក។


ការ​ដោះលែង​នេះ​ត្រូវ​បាន​សកម្មជន​ការពារ​សិទ្ធិ​មនុស្ស​ជាតិ និង​បរទេស​ចំនួន​ជាង ១០០​នាក់ ទៅ​រង់ចាំ​ស្វាគមន៍​នៅ​មុខ​ពន្ធនាគារ​នោះ។ លោក លាង សុខជឿន ត្រូវ​បាន​សកម្មជន​ការពារ​សិទ្ធិ​មនុស្ស​ដទៃ​ទៀត បាន​បំពាក់​កម្រង​ផ្កា​ម្លិះ និង​ជូន​បាច់​ផ្កា​ពណ៌​ក្រហម នៅ​ពេល​ចេញ​ពី​ពន្ធនាគារ​នៅ​ក្រុង​តាខ្មៅ ខេត្ត​កណ្ដាល ដោយ​បាន​ពោល​ថា សូម​អរគុណ​ដែល​បាន​មក​សំដែង​ការ​គាំទ្រ​នៅ​ពេល​នេះ។ លោក​បាន​មាន​ប្រសាសន៍​នៅ​មុខ​ពន្ធនាគារ​ថា លោក​សប្បាយ​ចិត្ត​ខ្លាំង​ណាស់​ដោយ​បាន​រួច​ចេញ​ពី​ពន្ធនាគារ​វិញ​នៅ​ពេល​នេះ៖ «ប៉ុន្តែ​ខ្ញុំ​តូច​ចិត្ត​ដោយ​ខ្ញុំ​មិន​បាន​ប្រព្រឹត្ត​នូវ​ទោស​កំហុស​អ្វី​សោះ តែ​ត្រូវ​តុលាការ​ចាប់​ខ្ញុំ​ដាក់​គុក​អស់​រយៈពេល ២​ឆ្នាំ​ដោយ​អយុត្តិធម៌​បំផុត ...នេះ​ជា​ការ​សោក​ស្ដាយ​របស់​ខ្ញុំ។ បាទ! ពីរ​ឆ្នាំ​នៅ​ក្នុង​គុក ខ្ញុំ​គ្មាន​បាន​អ្វី​ទទួល​ទេ មាន​តែ​ការ​ឈឺ​ចាប់ និង​ឃើញ​ទុក្ខ​លំបាក​របស់​អ្នក​ទោស​នៅ​ក្នុង​ពន្ធនាគារ​តែប៉ុណ្ណោះ។ ពួក​គាត់​មិន​អាច​មាន​របប​អាហារ​គ្រប់គ្រាន់ ឬ​ក៏​ទឹក មិន​អាច​ប្រើប្រាស់​គ្រប់គ្រាន់ មាន​បញ្ហា​គាប​សង្កត់​ផ្លូវ​ចិត្ត​ខ្លះ​ទៀត​ពី​សំណាក់​មន្ត្រី»។ ជាមួយ​គ្នា​នេះ​ដែរ​ប្រធាន​អង្គការ​ការពារ​សិទ្ធិ​មនុស្ស​លីកាដូ លោកស្រី ពុង ឈីវកេក បាន​មាន​ប្រសាសន៍​នៅ​មុខ​ពន្ធនាគារ​ដែរ​ថា ការ​ជាប់​ក្នុង​ពន្ធនាគារ​របស់ លាង សុខជឿន កន្លង​មក​នេះ គឺ​ជា​រឿង​អយុត្តិធម៌ ដោយសារ​លោក​មិន​បាន​ប្រព្រឹត្ត​ទោស​កំហុស​ដូច​ការ​ចោទ​ប្រកាន់​នោះ​ទេ។ លោកស្រី ពុង ឈីវកេក៖ «ថ្ងៃ​នេះ ជឿន បាន​ចេញ​ពី​ពន្ធនាគារ ដូច្នេះ​ខ្ញុំ​មាន​ការ​រីក​រាយ​ណាស់ ប៉ុន្តែ​ខ្ញុំ​នៅ​តែ​មាន​ការ​តូច​ចិត្ត​ណាស់ ដោយសារ ជឿន អត់​បាន​ធ្វើ​ខុស​អី ហើយ ជឿន ជាប់​ទោស ២​ឆ្នាំ ដោយ​អយុត្តិធម៌​បំផុត។ អត់​មាន​ភស្តុតាង​អី តែ​មួយ​គត់​សោះ ដែល​អាច​ចោទ ជឿន បាន ដូច្នេះ​ការ​កាត់​ទោស ជឿន នេះ​គឺ​ជា​អយុត្តិធម៌​បំផុត។ យើង​មាន​ការ​សោកស្ដាយ ដូច្នេះ​យើង​សូម​បួងសួង​ទេវតា​កុំ​ឲ្យ​ឃើញ​អយុត្តិធម៌​អ៊ីចឹង​ទៀត ហើយ​យើង​សុំ​សំណូមពរ​ទៅ​តុលាការ សូម​ធ្វើ​ម៉េច​កុំ​ឲ្យ​ពួក​ខ្ញុំ​ឃើញ​អយុត្តិធម៌​ដូច្នេះ​ទៀត»។ សកម្មជន​ការពារ​សិទ្ធិ​មនុស្ស​របស់​អង្គការ​លីកាដូ លោក លាង សុខជឿន ត្រូវ​បាន​តុលាការ​ខេត្ត​តាកែវ បាន​ផ្ដន្ទាទោស​ឲ្យ​ជាប់​គុក ២​ឆ្នាំ នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​៣០ ខែ​សីហា ឆ្នាំ​២០១០ កន្លង​ទៅ ក្រោម​បទ​ចោទ​ថា បាច​ត្រាក់​នៅ​ខេត្ត​តាកែវ ប្រឆាំង​ថ្ងៃ​រំដោះ ៧ មករា ឆ្នាំ​១៩៧៩ ថា ជា​ថ្ងៃ​យួន​ឈ្លាន​ពាន​កម្ពុជា។ លោក​ត្រូវ​បាន​ផ្ទេរ​មក​ជាប់​ក្នុង​ពន្ធនាគារ​នៅ​ខេត្ត​កណ្តាល វិញ ដោយសារ​តែ​ពន្ធនាគារ​នៅ​ខេត្ត​តាកែវ ចង្អៀត​ណែន។ ចំណែក​ឯ​ជនសង្ស័យ​ចំនួន ៤​នាក់​ទៀត​ជា​ព្រះសង្ឃ​ខ្មែរ​កម្ពុជា​ក្រោម ត្រូវ​បាន​តុលាការ​ខេត្ត​តាកែវ ក៏​បាន​កាត់​ទោស​ឲ្យ​ជាប់​គុក​រវាង ២​ឆ្នាំ ទៅ ៣​ឆ្នាំ ក្រោម​បទ​ចោទ​ដូច​គ្នា។ ការ​ដោះលែង​លោក លាង សុខជឿន នៅ​ពេល​នេះ គឺ​ក្រោយ​ពេល​ដែល​តុលាការ​កំពូល​បាន​សំរេច​តម្កល់​សាលក្រម​របស់​សាលា​ដំបូង​ខេត្ត​តាកែវ ចាត់​ទុក​ជា​បាន​ការ នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​២៥ ខែ​ឧសភា ឆ្នាំ​២០១២ កន្លង​ទៅ​នេះ។ ការ​ដោះ​លែង​នេះ ដោយសារ​តែ​លោក លាង សុខជឿន បាន​ជាប់​ពន្ធនាគារ​ដល់​កំណត់​ទោស ២​ឆ្នាំ៕ កំណត់ចំណាំចំពោះអ្នកបញ្ចូលមតិនៅក្នុងអត្ថបទនេះ៖ ដើម្បី​រក្សា​សេចក្ដី​ថ្លៃថ្នូរ យើង​ខ្ញុំ​នឹង​ផ្សាយ​តែ​មតិ​ណា ដែល​មិន​ជេរ​ប្រមាថ​ដល់​អ្នក​ដទៃ​ប៉ុណ្ណោះ។

Call for independent inquiry into death of activist Chhut Vuthy

1 May 2012
ABC Radio Australia

A prominent Cambodian human rights group has disputed the military's account of an alleged murder-suicide involving a military officer and a high-profile activist.

Officials say Cambodian military police officer, In Rotana shot himself twice in the chest, after gunning down anti-logging campaigner Chhut Vuthy in Koh Kong province last Thursday.

Local human rights group Licadho has been documenting the events and says it's not possible that In Rotana could have shot himself.

The group says a government committee that's being set up to investigate the killings must remain independent of the military, adding that the case is just the latest example of escalating violence towards human rights and labour activists in Cambodia.

Correspondent: Joanna McCarthy

Speaker: Sarah Milne, post-doctoral fellow, Crawford School at the Australian National University; Naly Pilorge, director, Licadho, Cambodian human rights group

Call for independent inquiry into death of activist Chhut Vuthy (Credit: ABC)

Click here to listen to the audio program in MP3

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Cambodian inmates rarely attend own appeals

24 April 2012
ABC Radio Australia

A human rights group in Cambodia says inmates appealing their convictions almost never get to be in court to help defend their cases.

That's due to a lack of transport, money and prison staff.

The result says the LICADHO report is the denial of a fundamental right that's recognised internationally but also under Cambodia's legal system.

The human right's group says there's been little change in the last two years and it may be time to consider more radical approaches such as buses converted into travelling appeals courts.

Presenter: Liam Cochrane

Speaker: Jeff Vise, a consultant on prison issues for LICADHO

VISE: Well it's a combination of several factors that it could be. Initially there's basically no inmate transporation system available for long distances. So you have prisoners in the provincial prisons which in some cases are five, six, seven, eight hours away from Phnom Penh where the only appeals court is located, and there is a lack of transport vehicles and a lack of funding for fuel, and in the end the transfer's just doesn't get done, that's the main problem.

COCHRANE: And describe the scale of the problem, when you say the transfers don't get done, I mean what percentage or how many don't get done?

VISE: That's actually difficult to say. Most prison directors that our researchers talked to put it almost in absolute terms like it never happens except for the rare case where it may because the court pushes a little harder to get it done or if the inmate actually pays his or her own way.

LICADHO's prison report and press release

https://www.box.com/s/da0a9de2cd2655eec32b


https://www.box.com/s/14eca01ee2202dec21c0

Plight of journalists in Cambodia

At least 10 journalists have been killed in Cambodia since 1993, according to Licadho, a local human rights group. Above: funeral of journalist Khim Sambo (Photo: The Phnom Penh Post)

Journalists in Cambodia face 'censorship, threats and intimidation', despite high press freedom ranking

Sunday 25 March 2012

Kate Hodal

guardian.co.uk

Cambodia ranks highest for press freedom among its south-east Asian neighbours, according to Reporters without Borders' 2011 Press Freedom Index. But journalists in the country repeatedly face censorship, threats, intimidation, suspicious "accidents", defamation lawsuits, arrest and, sometimes, murder.

At least 10 journalists have been killed in Cambodia since 1993 (the year the government adopted a new constitution), says the human rights group Licadho.

The group's research shows that shootings, grenade attacks and car "accidents" – many of them daylight incidents – are common causes of death.

Licadho Activity Report for 2011

http://www.box.com/s/3r80ome40ogq15nsp0zh

Kingdom’s arable land all but gone

A map created by the rights group Licadho shows economic land concessions and mining concessions in Cambodia. Map Supplied

Thursday, 01 March 2012
May Titthara and David Boyle
The Phnom Penh Post

If the government continues to grant economic land and mining concessions at the current rate, there will be no more arable land left in the country to give away within one year, a researcher from the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights said yesterday.

Pointing to the vast increase in economic land concessions granted last year alone, which rights group Adhoc places at about 800,000 hectares, Ouch Leng, the head of the CCHR’s land reform program, said only 300,000 hectares of unclaimed arable land remained.

“The government can grant licenses for one more year because the remaining arable land is only 386,294 hectares,” he said.

LICADHO & CLEC Joint Statement on Svay Rieng Shooting

http://www.box.com/s/8eznyp6v1rcs91s57llp

Video: Military Shot Land Protesters in Northeastern Cambodia

January 21, 2012 - On January 18, 2012, military personnel acting as security guards for TTY Co. Ltd opened fire on a group of villagers who had gathered to prevent clearing of their farmland by company's excavators in Kratie's Snuol district.

Four villagers were injured by bullets. None of the authorities present during the shooting proceeded to arrest the perpetrators.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jy7YfeLc4Mo

Borei Keila: Broken Promises - Licadho

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRp8VXCtLIk

Cambodian Democracy Absorbs Another Blow as Assembly Strips Opposition MP’s Immunity

http://www.box.com/s/0sz7t2x34ty1umuqfy91

Cambodian Democracy Absorbs Another Blow

as Assembly Strips Opposition MP’s Immunity

Phnom Penh (Dec. 20, 2011) – LICADHO condemns the National Assembly for its decision today to lift the parliamentary immunity of opposition party lawmaker Chan Cheng.

The vote, which took place Tuesday morning, was a politically-motivated attack against Cheng, who is a member of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) representing Kandal Province.

“Cambodia’s democracy is already foundering, and this brings the system one step closer to becoming a total farce,” said LICADHO’s Director, Naly Pilorge. “The suspension of Chan Cheng’s immunity renders the concept of parliamentary immunity meaningless. This is yet another disgrace for Cambodia’s democracy.”

The National Assembly is dominated by the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) and has previously stripped the immunity of opposition politicians under dubious circumstances.

In 2009, for example, the parliament voted to strip the immunity of SRP MP Mu Sochua after she announced her intent to file a defamation lawsuit against Prime Minister Hun Sen. Sochua herself was then charged with criminal defamation and convicted after her immunity was stripped. The parliamentary immunity of SRP founder Sam Rainsy has also been suspended on two occasions. He was convicted on numerous charges in 2010 and now lives in exile to avoid going to prison.

The circumstances of Chan Cheng’s case do not warrant the drastic step of lifting his immunity.

Chan Cheng is wanted for formal questioning over the disappearance of Meas Peng, an SRP commune council member from Kokei Thom Commune in Kandal’s Kien Svay District. Peng was charged with incitement for his involvement in a long-standing land dispute with Prat Savuth, the former deputy governor of Kratie Province who represented the CPP. The court was not able to summon Cheng for questioning due to his parliamentary immunity.

Cheng’s involvement in Peng’s case is tenuous. Peng himself was summoned by the court for questioning on Nov. 23, 2011, and ordered to be placed in pretrial detention. He was transported to prison, but a written detention order was not issued by the time he arrived. His lawyer intervened, insisting that Peng could not be legally detained. Ultimately, Peng was set free and left the prison in Chan Cheng’s vehicle.

The lifting of Chan Cheng’s immunity is related to the case of Meas Peng, an SRP commune council member from Kokei Thom Commune in Kandal’s Kien Svay District. Peng faces criminal charges stemming from a land dispute

A written detention order was later issued for Peng, but by then he had disappeared. Authorities now want to question Chan Cheng, and possibly charge him with aiding and abetting a fugitive from the law. He denies any wrongdoing.

“Cambodia’s infrastructure and economy may be developing, but we won’t be taken seriously on the international stage until the government stops harassing the political opposition” says Naly Pilorge.

For more information, please contact:

Naly Pilorge, Director of LICADHO, 012-803-650

AM Sam Ath, Monitoring Supervisor, 012-327-770

A human rights day march in Phnom Penh. A draft law requiring NGOs working in Cambodia to register has proved controversial. Photograph: Samrang Pring/Reuters

Monday 19 December 2011
Celeste Hicks
guardian.co.uk

The fourth draft of a controversial proposed law covering the activities of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Cambodia has been rejected by a number of local and international organisations.

The latest draft of the law on associations and non-governmental organisations (Lango) was published by the Cambodian government last week. But already an umbrella group of prominent Cambodian NGOs and civil society groups have indicated they will not take part in a consultation session scheduled for Monday, saying the changes do not go far enough and claiming they have had insufficient time to review the draft properly.

"This new draft raises more questions than it answers," says Naly Pilorge, director of Licadho, the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defence of Human Rights, one of the human rights organisations eschewing the consultation. "The stakes are too high to simply wait and see. These questions need to be answered before the law is passed, not after."

Different takes on NGO law

Monday, 19 December 2011
Bridget Di Certo
The Phnom Penh Post

AHEAD of a half-day meeting today between the Royal Government and NGOs that will introduce the fourth generation of the draft Law on Associations and NGOs, a divergence of opinion on the law’s latest version has emerged between two prominent Cambodian NGOs.

Rights group Licadho has called the fourth draft another failure that is “now more confusing than ever”, while the Cambodian Center for Human Rights welcomed the positive improvements in the latest revision, “especially in terms of clarity”.

Licadho and CCHR are the only civil society organisations to publish analyses of the draft law since its circulation last week.

Licadho maintained a strictly critical analysis of the fourth generation of the law, while CCHR applauded the incorporation of civil society’s recommendations into the newest version as a “credit” to the government.

Joint analysis on Law of Associatio​ns & NGOs

http://www.box.com/s/efn19t6i82vonerl9eui


http://www.box.com/s/s96vhu38t0gop59oq7rt

Cambodia’s Rights Environment Backsliding: Advocate

Pung Chhiv Kek, founder of the rights group Licadho. “We still have problems to solve in Cambodia.” (Photo: VOA Khmer)

Tuesday, 13 December 2011
Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer | Washington, DC

Cambodia marked Human Rights Day on Saturday, but a leading activist says the country remains mired in a culture where powerful criminals go unpunished and unjust settlements take place outside the judiciary.

Pung Chhiv Kek, founder of the rights group Licadho, said Cambodia was now sliding backwards in its adherence to human rights norms, with the government continuing restrictions on free speech and a court unable to punish wrongdoers.

“A culture of impunity still exists,” she said. “We still have problems to solve in Cambodia.”

Free speech under fire: Licadho

Thursday, 27 October 2011
Bridget Di Certo
The Phnom Penh Post

Five laws proposed or enacted since 2008 demonstrate the “stunning scope of Cambodia’s legislative crackdown on free speech” and the “alarming extent of the government’s growing control of expressive activities”, a report from rights group Licadho warned yesterday.

The laws and draft laws “include dangerously vague and oppressive provisions that undermine freedom of expression and other fundamental freedoms”, said the report titled The Delusion of Progress: Cambodia’s Legislative Assault on Expressive Rights.

“New legislation is deliberately drafted and used as a weapon to silence those who speak out against the political and financial elite,” Licadho said.

The Delusion of Progress: Cambodia's Legislative Assault on Freedom of Expression, Oct 2011

http://www.box.net/shared/58uo7c3gagdpie005r1l


http://www.box.net/shared/x2oqjd79y34pdvej3kvo

Cambodia bans sending maids to Malaysia

October 19, 2011
ABC Radio Australia

Cambodia has imposed a temporary ban on sending domestic workers to Malaysia.

The Prime Minister, Hun Sen, signed the order following numerous complaints of abuse committed against the workers, who are mostly women, sent there.

However, questions have already been raised about the effectiveness of such a ban.

Reporter: Sajithra Nithi

Speakers: Naly Pilorge, Director at human rights group LICADHO; An Bunhak, President of the Association of Cambodian Recruiting Agencies

Click here to listen to the audio program (Windows Media)

NITHI: The ban comes after campaigns by human rights groups, focusing on the ill-treatment of maids send to Malaysia.

The cases range from women and girls being overworked and given very little to eat, all the way to being beaten and sexually abused.

Activists like Naly Pilorge from LICADHO, a rights group in Cambodia, have welcomed the ban.

PILORGE: We were quite pleased because it was so out of control, that it was necessary to stop.

NITHI: She says around 3000 domestic helpers from Cambodia are needed in Malaysia each month, but their mistreatment actually begins at home.

PILORGE : It involves falsifying documents, it involves lying or misleading girls and their families, it involves locking up girls and families in recruitment agencies.