Human Rights Watch (HRW) has recently urged United Nations (UN) member states to pressure the Cambodian government, stating that the human rights situation in the nation is deteriorating. The organization reported that Prime Minister Hun Manet’s administration continues to apply heavier restrictions on freedom of expression and press, labor rights, labor unions, and civil society.
It is important to consider the fact that there have been several instances this year that support HRW’s claims. Since the beginning of this year, 11 political opposition figures have been arrested on politically charged forgery cases. Additionally, Kem Sokha, the political opposition leader, saw his request to review his house arrest denied, leading up to local elections that are scheduled for this month. This is not the first time Sokha has encountered political restriction; in March 2023, he was arrested due to a politically driven treason conviction. Moreover, Cambodia’s Supreme Court recently upheld a conviction against Chhim Sithar, a leader of a union, as well as seven other activists. Ny Nyak, a vocal critic of the government, was arrested earlier this year for alleged defamation after posting criticism of the Ministry of Agriculture on Facebook.
According to Bryony Lau, HRW’s Deputy Asia Director, the single-party system in Cambodia has been consolidating under Manet, absent of meaningful elections, media freedom, and an independent judiciary. Lau has called upon UN member states in the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to condemn these human rights violations.
On May 8, Cambodia will make its fourth appearance before the UNHRC for its Universal Periodic Review (UPR). The UPR is a process through which the human rights performance of each UN member state is reviewed every 4.5 years. Notably, Cambodia accepted 173 of the 198 recommendations made by the council during its 2019 UPR. However, despite these recommendations being binding once accepted, reports indicate that they are currently not being upheld.
Previously, in its submission to Cambodia’s UPR in October 2023, HRW voiced similar concerns, citing the government’s crackdowns on freedom of expression and its application of threats, violence, and repressive laws to subdue opposition. In early August 2023, the UN reported that the national elections in Cambodia were disconcerting due to extensive media restrictions, harassment of political opponents, and the outright ban of the opposition party.
These recent events and reports highlight the ongoing need for the international community to assist in addressing human rights issues in Cambodia, particularly in the lead-up to the country’s UPR. Responsible action by the global community could play a key role in pressuring the Cambodian government to uphold its commitments and enact meaningful reforms to better protect human rights.