Unveiling Cambodia's Human Rights Crisis

Human Lives Human Rights: On Sunday, Cambodia will be conducting its seventh general election since the United Nations administered the vote in 1993. It is widely anticipated that the Cambodian People’s Party will secure all seats, similar to the 2018 election, which was deemed unfair by election monitors.

Over the past five years, Cambodian authorities have been dismantling the remaining rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association. This has resulted in a growing crackdown on human rights in the country. Many individuals believe that their voices are not being heard or represented in the election process.

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The battlefield of Digital warfare

During Prime Minister Hun Sen’s tenure, there has been a significant crackdown on independent news outlets in Cambodia. Authorities have either forced their closure or subjected them to intense pressure.

Additionally, political opponents have faced harassment, intimidation, physical assault, and imprisonment through mass trials. The rights of candidates to form political parties and participate in the electoral process have also been restricted. Disturbingly, there have been instances of opposition party activists being attacked in public, often with metal batons, and in 2021, a political activist was fatally stabbed in what many believe to be a targeted attack.

Hun Sen, the Prime Minister of Cambodia, has been associated with inciting violence. This was evident in a video that was livestreamed from his official Facebook account in January. The video led to attacks against political opponents, which prompted Meta’s Oversight Board to intervene. They ordered the removal of the video and recommended the immediate suspension of the Prime Minister’s official account for a period of six months.

In the years following the previous national elections, there has been a significant increase in the repression of human rights in Cambodia. The authorities have exploited the Covid-19 pandemic as an opportunity to further suppress fundamental rights, particularly the right to freedom of expression. Journalists, human rights defenders, and government critics have been specifically targeted for holding opposing views. This has resulted in a climate of fear and intimidation, where individuals are hesitant to express their opinions openly.

The effort to establish and officially register the new opposition Candlelight Party was swiftly suppressed, reflecting a politically motivated decision to deny their registration. Numerous members of the Candlelight Party have been detained without justification, and some have received lengthy prison sentences based on fabricated charges. As the elections approached, new regulations were implemented with the intention of punishing individuals who advocated for boycotting the vote. This further undermines the right to freedom of expression and adds to the already existing mockery of this fundamental right.

Human rights advocates are urging Cambodian authorities to promptly dismiss all politically motivated and baseless charges against members of the Candlelight Party, former opposition leader Kem Sokha from the dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party, unionist Chhim Sithar, her colleagues, and anyone who has been imprisoned solely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association. It is crucial for the authorities to cease using the court system as a means to suppress peaceful dissent and to ensure that justice is served.