Killing of Kem Ley adds grave concern to the deteriorating human rights situation

Kem Ley was shot dead onthe morning of 10 July 2016 at a gas station’s coffee shop, which he regularlyfrequented on Monivong Boulevard, a major thoroughfare in Phnom Penh. Thealleged perpetrator was immediately arrested and authorities claimed heconfessed in a leaked video to killing Kem Ley over an unpaid debt. However,suspicions of underlying political motives behind Kem Ley’s death remainstrong. Kem Ley’s wife has vehemently denied that her husband had any debtswhatsoever. Further, Kem Ley was often critical of Cambodia’s ruling party.Before he was killed, Kem Ley had commented on the business interests of HunSen’s family, reportedly worth at least US$ 200 million.[1]

Bystanderssurrounding Kem Ley’s body after his death refused to allow authorities toremove his body from the crime scene over fears that the police wouldcontaminate or destroy evidence. Thousands of people gathered in the streets ofPhnom Penh when Kem Ley’s family transported his body to Wat Chas pagoda, PhnomPenh, in the afternoon of 10 July.

KemLey’s death is a tragic loss for civil society, in both the country and theregion. He was a prominent and brave political commentator and a strongadvocate of democracy, good governance, and human rights in Cambodia, whoworked closely with grassroots movements. In 2014, Kem Ley founded a grassrootsadvocacy group called ‘Khmer for Khmer’, aimed at encouraging the formation ofgrassroots-based political parties across Cambodia.

KemLey’s killing occurred amid a sharp deterioration in the space for fundamentalfreedoms in Cambodia over the past year. Civil society group members, oppositionleaders, and government critics have been arrested and subjected to judicialharassment, and in some cases, violence.

Cambodia’sdeteriorating human rights situation has resulted in widespread internationalcondemnation of the Cambodian authorities, including at debates at the UN HumanRights Council, which concluded its 32nd session at the beginning of thismonth. The killing of Kem Ley has only added to concerns over the situation inCambodia, after the arbitrary arrest and detention of five human rightsdefenders in May 2016 on trumped-up charges.

Weremind the Cambodian Government that the state has a responsibility to ensure asafe and enabling environment for human rights defenders, civil society, andgovernment critics to freely operate without fear of retaliation. We are highlyconcerned that this space is under severe threat in Cambodia. We therefore callon the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia,Ms. Rhona Smith, to take urgent note of this serious development and exerciseher mandate to adequately respond to the increasing threats faced by civilsociety. We also call on all member states of the UN Human Rights Council tocontinue to closely observe the situation in the country in the lead-up to theCouncil’s discussion on Cambodia in September.

Wecall on the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) tofulfil its purpose to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms of theASEAN people, as stipulated by its Terms of Reference, at this critical juncturefor human rights and democracy in Cambodia.

Lastly,we call on the international community to support Cambodia’s civil society intheir campaigns to obtain the immediate release all political prisoners and anend to all human rights violations, including judicial harassment and attackson human rights defenders and organisations working for the protection of humanrights, democracy, and sustainable development.

Signedby:

AlternativeASEAN Network on Burma (ALTSEAN-Burma)

AsiaDemocracy Network (ADN)

AsianFederation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD)

AsianForum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)

Asia-PacificSolidarity Coalition (APSOC)

BurmaPartnership

CambodianCenter for Human Rights (CCHR)

CivilRights Defenders

Commissionfor the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS)

CommunityResource Centre Foundation (CRC)

InternationalFederation for Human Rights (FIDH), within the framework of the Observatory forthe Protection of Human Rights Defenders

MigrantForum in Asia (MFA)

People’sEmpowerment Foundation (PEF)

PhilippineAlliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA)

PusatKomunikasi Masyarakat (Pusat KOMAS)

SekretariatAnak Merdeka Indonesia (SAMIN)

SoutheastAsia Committee for Advocacy (SEACA)

SuaraRakyat Malaysia (SUARAM)

TaskForce Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP)

Togethernessfor Equality and Action group – Thailand (TEA Group) World Organisation AgainstTorture (OMCT), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection ofHuman Rights Defenders

[1] Global Witness,“Cambodian ruling family’s secret stranglehold on economy poses major risk toforeign investors and wreaks havoc on population”, 7 July 2016. Seehttps://www.globalwitness.org/en-gb/press-releases/cambodian-ruling-familys-secret-stranglehold-economy-poses-major-risk-foreign-investors-and-wreaks-havoc-population/.