Prominent human rights NGO ordered to close down

On November 26, 2017, PrimeMinister Hun Sen ordered the Ministry of Interior to investigate CCHR, a member of OMCT SOS-TortureNetwork in Cambodia, and demandedthe organisation be closed down for allegedly “following foreigners”.

“Westrongly condemn this new assault on independent civil society, which constitutesa clear reprisal for CCHR’s legitimate and essential human rights work inCambodia. By muzzling one of the most prominent NGOs in the country, theGovernment clearly demonstrates it has gone one step further towards the end ofrule of law and democracy”, OMCT Secretary General Gerald Staberocksaid.

The currentorder to close the NGO down appears to be linked to the fact that CCHR wasfounded in 2002 by Mr. Kem Sokha, the detained leader of the Cambodia NationalRescue Party (CNRP) - the country's largest opposition party which was dissolved by the SupremeCourt in a widely condemned decision earlier this monthover accusations it was engaging in a foreign-backed “colour revolution”.

Shortlyafter Prime Minister Hun Sen’s order, in a press release CCHR reiterated “its absolutenon-partisanship and independence from all political parties”, and “its firmcommitment to promote human rights in a principled manner”.

Since itsfoundation, CCHR has been advocating impartially for greater respect for humanrights and fundamental freedoms that are enshrined in Cambodia’s Constitutionand international human rights treaties that Cambodia has ratified.

TheObservatory notes that the attack against CCHR comes at a time of heightened government pressure on independent humanrights groups, media outlets, and the main opposition party in Cambodia, amid asevere crisis of human rights, therule of law and democracy in the country.

TheObservatory recalls that the right to freedom of association is a universally recognised right enshrined innumerous international instruments, especially Article 22 of the InternationalCovenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to whichCambodia is a State party, as well as by Article 42 of Cambodia’s Constitution.

The Observatory urges the Cambodian authorities to immediately andunconditionally drop the investigation into CCHR, and cease the harassment ofall human rights organisations and human rights defenders in Cambodia, and toguarantee that they can carry out their activities free of anyhindrance or reprisals.

“Theinternational community must condemn Prime Minister Hun Sen’s latest attack on Cambodia’scivil society and human rights community, which is aimed at wipingout all government critics from the country”, FIDH President DimitrisChristopoulos added.

The Observatory for the Protection of HumanRights Defenders (the Observatory) was created in 1997 by OMCT and FIDH. Theobjective of this programme is to intervene to prevent or remedy situations ofrepression against human rights defenders. OMCT and FIDH are both membersof ProtectDefenders.eu, the European Union Human Rights Defenders Mechanismimplemented by international civil society.

Presscontacts:

• OMCT: Delphine Reculeau: +41 22 809 49 39
• FIDH: Samuel Hanryon:+33 6 72 28 42 94 / Audrey Couprie: +33 6 48 05 91 57