The human rights situation in Cambodia has been criticized both domestically and by the international community. After a series of gross violations of human rights in the country, the feeling of uncertainty about the country's policy in this direction is growing steadily. Sometimes the situation in the state is compared with Myanmar [1] .
In a report on Cambodia, Human Rights Watch said that "authorities continue to disperse most of the mass demonstrations. Politicians and journalists critical of the government are at risk of violence and intimidation and are denied equal access to electronic media. In addition, the judiciary poorly developed and highly dependent on politics, trafficking of women and children for sexual exploitation is thriving in the country, which is protected by the police and government officials. a climb on the illegal confiscation of land from farmers, on the illegal cutting of vegetation and the widespread looting of natural resources. ”
Content
History
Human rights in Cambodia can be seen in the context of traditions that have come from Indian culture , where God the King has absolute dominance and from Buddhism - the main religion of Cambodian society.
On the other hand, French colonialism and a century and a half of tremendous changes from the constitutional monarchy to the presidential regime of Lon Nol and radical Marxism-Leninism led by the Khmer Rouge , as well as the occupation of Vietnam by the Communist Party of the People's Republic of Kampuchea, had a strong influence on the country at the present stage. culminated in the restoration of a constitutional monarchy under the auspices of the United Nations , which was the result of the 1991 Paris Agreement. Khmer Rouge committed global human rights violations [2] .
The Paris Agreement states that the constitution includes “fundamental principles, including human rights and elementary freedoms ...” The Paris Agreement also requires Cambodia “to take effective measures and efforts so that the policies and practices of the past will never be allowed to rehabilitate.” Constitution 1993 year contains the section "Rights and obligations of Khmer citizens", consisting of 20 articles (Articles 31-50), of which seventeen relate to rights, and three to obligations. In accordance with the requirements of the Paris Agreement, the constitution provided states that “individuals will have the right to make decisions in court, thereby ensuring that their rights are respected” and that “an independent judiciary will be created to ensure that the rights established by the constitution are respected.” The constitution provides that Khmer citizens can make complaints or claims about government agents, the decision of which must be determined in court.
Since the adoption of the constitution in 1993, the UN has appointed a special representative of the Secretary-General for Human Rights in Cambodia, and the UN Human Rights Committee has opened an embassy in Cambodia. These institutions, along with local and international human rights groups, have confirmed a widespread violation of human rights.
Problems
Freedom of Speech and Expression
Violations of freedom of speech , including lack of access to the media , are rare. More recently, what was called the Campaign for Freedom of Expression [3] was marked by an accelerating regression in Cambodia's efforts to help strengthen the values of human rights. There are serious restrictions on freedom of assembly guaranteed by the Cambodian constitution, which local organizations [4] perceive as suppressing public freedom of speech and express concern about this.
Women's Rights
Gender roles in Cambodia are strict and domestic violence against women remains a very serious problem. But over the course of several years, the Cambodian Ministry of Women's Affairs has shown considerable commitment in the fight against gender and domestic violence, even turning it into a core national task.
Forced Eviction
Human rights defenders are also concerned that forced evictions in Cambodia could get out of hand. Amnesty International's report shows [5] how, contrary to the obligations of Cambodia, which has signed international human rights law , victims of eviction were not able to appeal the eviction the day before. Information about the planned evictions and relocations was incomplete, which deprives the victims of the right to receive information and participate in decision-making, in particular the right to decent housing. The lack of legal protection against forced evictions, as well as the lack of regulation of existing standards, led to an increase in the number of human rights violations, including the lack of rights to appeal forced evictions to disadvantaged people, especially those living in poverty and poverty.
Notes
- ↑ hrw.org
- ↑ Ben Kiernan. 2008. The Pol Pot regime: race, power, and genocide in Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge , 544 pages
- ↑ state.gov
- ↑ licadho-cambodia.org
- ↑ amnesty.org
Links
International Organizations
- Cambodia on websites of Amnesty International ,
- Human Rights Watch and FIDH
- Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Cambodia
- ILO Projects in Cambodia - International Labor Organization
- Projects & Activities by UNIFEM
- Country Reports on CEDAW
- Country Info from UNICEF
- Understanding the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
- Latest Resources for Cambodia from Child Rights Information Network (CRIN)
- Cambodia: Freedoms of expression, association and assembly: A shrinking space FIDH , OMCT , 2010
National Organizations
- Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO)
- Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR)
- The Committee for Free and Fair Elections (COMFREL)
- Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC)
Others
- Cambodian Human Rights Portal (Sithi)
- Censorship in Cambodia - IFEX
- Watchdog Group Urges Cambodia To Free Jailed Broadcaster - Article from VOA
- This site contains some documents relating to human rights situation in Cambodia produced by the AHRC as well as human rights news relating to Cambodia .
- [1] Freedom Parks Article from the Cambodian Center for Human Rights and Advocates for International Development (A4ID)