Cambodia to be reviewed by UN Human Rights Committee

Geneva 16 March 2015 - The World Organization against Torture (OMCT) and itsmember organisation the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) presentedtheir joint alternative report to the UN Human Rights Committee. During its 113thsession, held from 16th March to 2nd April 2015, theHuman Rights Committee will review Cambodia’s second periodic report on 17thand 18th March.

On the eve of the examinationof Cambodia by the Human Rights Committee, OMCT and CCHR have presented additionalinformation to the Committee members about the country’s human rights record.

CCHR and OMCT expressed grave concerns overthe crackdown on human rights defenders, trade unionists and journalists.

Serious human rightsviolations, including excessive use of force and ill-treatment by the securityforces leading to the deaths of demonstrators and bystanders in 2013 and 2014,have been met with impunity. Fundamental freedoms, including freedoms ofexpression and assembly, continue to be subjected to undue restrictions, andhuman rights defenders, journalists and trade union activists are regularlyharassed and prevented from carrying out their essential role in strengtheningdemocracy in the country.

Repeatedly, land rights defendersare threatened and harassed by powerful private actors, such as companiesinvolved in industrial agriculture projects, as a result of land disputes ofteninvolving land grabs and forced evictions. Judicial harassment through themisuse of criminal charges and the abuse of provisional detention remainedcommon in 2014.

During the closed meeting withthe Human Rights Committee, CCHR and OMCT urged the Committee to call onCambodia:

• To ensure prompt, thorough, and effective investigationsinto all reports of excessive use of force and ill-treatment by lawenforcement officials and private security guards involved in the policingof demonstrations and make the results public;

• Toimmediately and unconditionally release those arbitrarily detained forpolitically-motivated charges or convictions, including human rights defenders;

• To amendthe draft electoral laws that unduly restrict the freedom of expression ofcivil society organizations during election periods;

• To amendthe draft law on Associations and NGOs (LANGO), which contains mandatory andcomplex registration requirements for all civil society organizations,excessive restrictions on foreign NGOs and vague terminology that would enablethe government to delay indefinitely or deny the registration of NGOs;

• To repeal or amend therecently passed Law on Organization and Functioning of the Courts andProsecutions, the Law on Amendment of the Supreme Council of Magistracy, andthe Law on Statute of Judges and Prosecutors, to strengthen the independence ofthe judiciary.

The HumanRights Committee’s review of Cambodia will take place over two days, startingon 17th March at 3pm local time and beginning again on 18thMarch at 10am local time in Geneva, Switzerland. The review can be followedlive on: www.treatybodywebcast.org.

For further information pleasecontact:

CCHR, Ms. Sopheap Chak, Executive Director, Tel. +855 (0) 11 943 213,Email: chaksopheap@cchrcambodia.org

OMCT, Ms. Nicole Buerli, Human Rights Advisor,Tel. +41 (0) 22 809 49 26, Email: nb@omct.org