Jailed unionist Rong Chhunn had “intent to incite social disorder” by releasing statements containing fabrications about the Cambodia-Vietnam border demarcation, the government told the U.N.’s human rights office in response to questions about his arrest.
Justice Ministry officials need more room, so “empty public land” will be used to store court documents by filling in another part of Boeng Tamok, one of Phnom Penh’s “last lakes” that feeds hundreds of families and protects the capital from flooding.
Some 132 lawsuits against 379 people have been used to silence expression and stifle civic engagement in the year to March, with most of the actions brought by the government, the Cambodian Center for Human Rights said.
The Justice Ministry said it has cleared 8,000 backlogged court cases, though closure eludes a defendant with a 12-year-old charge.
The Cambodian Center for Human Rights has called on judges to “inform and fully explain” to all defendants both their rights during trial and the charges against them, citing a 16-month review of proceedings at the Phnom Penh Appeal Court.
Justice Minister Keut Rith on Monday said anti-corruption measures were a key part of a plan to reduce the criminal case backlog at the courts, but also said corruption was not the cause of the current case pileup.
Ahead of a constitutional review of the state of emergency draft law, a Justice Ministry official again defended the sweeping legislation, saying it would not violate citizens’ rights despite concerns raised by the U.N. and civil society.
Interior Minister Sar Kheng on Thursday called for reforms in the country’s judiciary, which has been ranked among the worst in the world in terms of corruption and government influence.
UPDATED AT 6:25 P.M. — A Justice Ministry official accused of taking control of 990 hectares in a wildlife sanctuary and threatening Bunong villagers over a further 472 hectares has been removed from his position as undersecretary of state.
As prisoner numbers continue to swell far beyond the capacities of Cambodia’s overcrowded jails, the government has been urged to act on pledges to reduce the number of incarcerated women giving birth and raising children behind bars.
Dozens of families in a Kandal village have been marked for eviction to develop Phnom Penh’s new international airport, and have petitioned Prime Minister Hun Sen complaining of the state’s compensation offer that they say is a mere 10th of market prices.
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