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Phnom Penh, 25 September 2013 – The Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR), the Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC) and Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) today applaud the decision by the Supreme Court to release Mr. Born Samnang and Mr. Sok Sam Oeun, who have spent more than four and a half years in prison to date for a crime they did not commit. The two were convicted in August 2005 of the murder of Mr. Chea Vichea, leader of the Free Trade Union of Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia (FTUWKC), who was gunned down in broad daylight in central Phnom Penh on the 22 January 2004.

Joint Statement on the Release of Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun Read More

Cambodia’s government and donors must act now to prevent escalation of violence

Gravely concerned at the Cambodian authorities’ repeated use of excessive force to prevent and suppress the people’s exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression, the undersigned non-governmental organizations and civil society groups call on the Cambodian and foreign governments to take immediate action to prevent the human rights situation from deteriorating further.

ADHOC Endorses Joint Public Statement – Cambodia’s Government and Donors Must Act Now to Prevent Escalation of Violence Read More

The Situation Room coalition of CSOs has evaluated the process and the administration of the whole National Assembly Elections for the 5th Mandate (“the Elections”), pre, during and post-Election period, as “Not Yet Free and Not Yet Fair” regardless, as compared to previous elections, of a decrease of serious violence, the absence of killings of political activists or politicians and the active participation of youths in the electoral campaigns.
Fairness and integrity in the Election has decreased. Previous elections organized by the National Election Committee (“NEC”) were deemed to be below the international standards of free and fair elections but in this Election key problems had not been properly addressed and affected the process and administration of the Election

JOINT STATEMENT: An Evaluation of the Whole Process of the National Election 2013: “Need for Integrity and Justice in the Election” Read More

As the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) prepares to hold a peaceful “meditative” assembly on 7 September 2013 to demand an independent investigation into what it alleges are irregularities, including fraud, around the national election of 28 July, the undersigned non-governmental organizations and civil society groups make the following statement:

The Cambodian government, armed forces and police should not discourage or prevent people from enjoying the right to freedom of peaceful assembly, whether through threats, intimidation or the use of unlawful force. Instead, it is the authorities’ obligation to make possible the full exercise of this right, which is guaranteed in Cambodia’s Constitution and in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Cambodia is a state party. This positive obligation includes ensuring the safety and security of the organizers and of the participants in assemblies. At the same time, the right to freedom of peaceful assembly does not imply a right to commit human rights abuses against others.

JOINT STATEMENT: Cambodia: Respect the Right to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly Read More

Phnom Penh, 04 September 2013 – The Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) condemns the harassment of Mr. Vann Sophath – Land Reform Coordinator at the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) – and the obstruction to the legitimate right to freedom of assembly of the Boeung Kak Lake community by the Phnom Penh Municipal Police this morning.

Mr. Vann Sophath is a respected human rights worker who has been active in the protection and promotion of human rights in Cambodia since 1994. He was attempting to transport campaign materials such as T-shirts and lotus flowers in CCHR’s car for protesters from Phnom Penh’s forcibly evicted Boeung Kak Lake community. The protesters were set to march from their homes to pray at Wat Phnom to mark the anniversary of the detention of Mrs. Yorm Bopha, a land rights activist who was arrested, tried and imprisoned last year on charges widely regarded as spurious. They then planned to continue their march to the Supreme Court to demand it hear her case. The police prevented community members from going to Wat Phnom and the Supreme Court until later in the morning.

STATEMENT: ADHOC Condemns Harassment of NGO Worker and Obstruction of Rights of Boeung Kak Lake Protesers Read More

Phnom Penh, 30 August 2013 – The Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) expresses its deep concerns over the decision by the Ratanakiri provincial court on 28 August 2013 to drop the charges against two people accused of killing journalist Heng Serei Oudom- Mr. An Bunheng and his wife Mrs. Srim Srey Vy. Mr. An Bunheng is a military police officer in the province. The police concluded that Mr. Heng Serei Oudom was murdered at the house of the accused.

Mr. Heng Serei Oudom – a journalist for the Vorakchun Khmer newspaper – went missing on 09 September 2012. He had recently written articles criticizing military police officers for taking part in illegal logging activities in the province. ADHOC has investigated the murder scene and subsequent two trials of the accused and found a number of shortcomings in the proceedings.
The first hearing occurred under Judge Mr. Y Sovann on 04 January 2013. The court decided that critical evidence in the case – the claim by one of the witnesses to have heard voices and sounds of the perpetrators at the murder scene; and the phone records of the victim and the accused – must be considered. This critical evidence had not been included in the preliminary investigation, despite the fact that Article 95 of the Criminal Procedure Code provides for technical or scientific examination.

STATEMENT: Ratanakiri Court Sanctions Impunity in the Murder of Journalist Heng Serei Odoum Read More

ADHOC’s Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) section is supported by Oxfam Novib and the European Union. Technical assistance is provided by Tilberg University. In the period January 2013 – July 2013, …

Alternative Dispute Resolution Tool Implementation Read More

The Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) learned today that Mr. Prom Ngoun, Chief of Thmor Da commune, Veal Veng district, Pursat province filed a complaint for “incitement” against the Deputy Head of its Land and Natural Resources Rights Program, Mr. Chan Soveth, not its Pursat Coordinator Mr. Phuong Sothea, as mentioned yesterday in a statement issued by ADHOC.

It seems that the complaint follows the publication of an article in the Phnom Penh Post on 3rd April 2013 (“Pursat Land Dispute Makes Hay in Capital”), in which Chan Soveth declared: “The people in remote areas […] are easily threatened by authorities and the rich and powerful.” The newspaper article was attached to the complaint filed with the Prosecutor at Pursat.

Correction: Complaint Filed against Chan Soveth, not Phuong Sothea Read More

The Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) is concerned over the intimidation of Mr. Phuong Sothea, its Coordinator in Pursat province. Following an advocacy campaign on land rights and an interview Phuong Sothea did with Radio Free Asia, Mr. Prom Ngoy, Chief of Thmor Da commune, Veal Veng district, Pursat province filed a complaint against him for “incitement” and “disinformation.” ADHOC emphasizes that Phuong Sothea has always acted in a manner consistent both with Cambodian law and ADHOC’s mandate, and calls on the judicial authorities not to open any criminal case against him.

STATEMENT: Concern over the Intimidation of ADHOC’s Pursat Coordinator Phuong Sothea Read More