Criminalization of activists shows Hun Manet echoes authoritarian tactics, Southeast Asian MPs say

JAKARTA 29th August 2024 | The relentless attacks against civil society organizations and activists in Cambodia reveal that democratic progress remains distant and elusive. Since July 2024, at least 94 people have been arrested for criticizing the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Area (CLV-DTA) development plan. 59 people, including children, remain unlawfully detained and charged under baseless accusations of plotting or incitement.

“The government’s swift and brutal crackdown on peaceful critics of the CLV is an attack on the very fabric of democracy. We urge the immediate release of all those arbitrarily detained and the dropping of spurious charges against them,” Mercy Barends, APHR Chairperson and member of the Indonesian House of Representatives said.

Mercy Chriesty Barends, APHR Chairperson. ©APHR2024

The National Police, armed forces, and government officials at all levels have endorsed the CLV and vowed to crush any opposition. This has involved an excessive show of force, with the deployment of the police and army, equipped with anti-riot gear, to the streets of Phnom Penh and other cities. Former Prime Minister and current Senate President Hun Sen has aggressively backed the CLV agreement using public threats and surveillance against critics. Videos of schoolchildren supporting the agreement were broadcast, while Hun Sen urged arrests and harsh sentences for activists, threatening the families of opposition figures abroad. Forced confession videos from detainees, including one held incommunicado, surfaced following their detention.

The Cambodian government’s actions constitute serious violations of fundamental rights, including the rights to free expression, assembly, movement, and participation in public life. These actions contravene Cambodia’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which guarantees these freedoms. The widespread unlawful detention of critics further breaches international human rights standards, undermining the rule of law in the country.

“The Hun Manet administration has done nothing to depart from his father’s legacy of authoritarian control. These citizens are not enemies of the state—they are champions of Cambodia’s future. The attacks against them reveal a deep-seated fear of accountability and transparency,” Charles Santiago, APHR Co-Chairperson and former member of the Malaysian Parliament said.

Charles Santiago, APHR Co-Chairperson. ©APHR2024

Cambodia’s ongoing repression sharply contradicts its claims during the Universal Periodic Review earlier this year, where the government insisted it provided a vibrant space for CSOs. In 2024 alone, organizations like Mother Nature Cambodia and the Center for Alliance of Labor and Human Rights (CENTRAL) have faced severe repression. Mother Nature Cambodia has seen ten of its members charged with plotting against the government and insulting the King. CENTRAL, which defends labor rights, has endured smear campaigns, legal threats, and orchestrated protests after releasing a report on freedom of association. APHR reiterates its call for the international community, and ASEAN Member States to hold Cambodia accountable for its actions.

Mother Nature Movement activists outside the Phnom Penh Capital Court on 29 May 2024 (Photo Credit: LICADHO)

“Cambodia’s claims ring hollow as long as its government continues its campaign of intimidation against those who dare to speak out. Immediate action is needed to reverse this dangerous trajectory and protect the rights of all Cambodians. Silence only emboldens the regime to continue its assault on civil society and democracy,” urged Arlene D. Brosas, member of the Philippines House of Representatives.