Cambodian crackdown on public protest stirs human rights fears

Posed : October 23 2009
By Tim Johnston in Bangkok

Free-speech advocates say that a law passed yes-ter-day by Cambodia's legislature limiting the size of demonstrations is the latest example of rising intolerance in the region.

The Cambodian parliament, which is dominated by the Cambodian People's party of Hun Sen, the prime inister, passed the law limiting public demonstrations to a maximum of 200 people with the aim of ensuring "public order and national security".

Public demonstrations are a popular form of protest in Cambodia. The opposition, comprehensively outnumbered in parliament, uses them to make political points but they are also a last resort for groups of impoverished farmers and slum-dwellers who say they are the victims in land -disputes with developers and powerful allies of the government. Mu Sochua, an opposition mem-ber of parliament, said: "It is limiting freedom of assembly and that will severely limit freedom of expression." Mu Sochua recently lost a libel case against Hun Sen in a highly controversial court decision.

Human rights advocates have long accused Hun Sen and his administration of using the country's courts to stifle opposition , an accusation the government denies, saying it is merely using universally available legal remedies to protect its -reputation.

Last week, the parliament altered the penal code to make it easier to bring libel actions.
United Nations human rights observers were not allowed to attend the debate, because of procedural problems in the admission of visitors, according to the ruling party, and a live television feed broke down because of technical problems.

Brad Adams, the Asia director for Human Rights Watch, says the Cambodian laws are only the latest in a worrying regional trend, something he says is paradoxical given that the 10-member Association of South-East Asian Nations is to launch its intergovernmental commission on human rights this week.

"There is no country among Asean nations that has a positive human rights trend at the moment," he said. "There is lip service to free speech but the reality on the ground is very different."

Reporters Without Borders recently downgraded Thailand in its survey on freedom of the press to 130th in the world, from 124th, as the result of renewed use of the country's laws against insulting the royal family, which can carry a 15-year sentence.

Vietnam came under fire this month after nine democracy activists were given sentences of between two and six years for challenging the -government.