In response to the Cambodian government’s actions to prevent independent journalists from reporting on the pandemic, to prosecute individuals for criticizing the vaccination campaign, and to threaten social media users on the false grounds of provoking unrest in society, international human rights organizations (HROs) have called on the government to immediately halt its assault on the freedom of expression (FoE) in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recalling that the right to FoE is protected by Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Cambodia acceded in 1992, and by Article 41 of Cambodia’s Constitution, the joint statement issued on May 25 by 12 HROs reads:
“Protecting public health is the grounds on which the government is alleging to restrict FoE. While there is a legitimate need to counter the spread of misinformation online to protect public health during a pandemic, this objective must be provided by a clear and accessible law and pursued using the least intrusive means, rather than unnecessary and disproportionate measures like unwarranted arrests, detentions, and criminal prosecutions.”
- The HROs observed that although Cambodia was free of high numbers of severe COVID-19 cases in 2020, from February 2021 there has been a spike in infections to which the government has responded with disproportionate and unnecessary measures that violate human rights
- This includes a campaign against FoE that further tightens media freedom and promotes fear and self-censorship in the country
- The Cambodian authorities have also placed a de facto ban on independent reporting in Phnom Penh’s red zones – areas deemed to be at high risk of COVID-19 transmission
- On 30 April 2021, the authorities warned farmers in the Sa’ang district not to post images of vegetables rotting in their fields as a result of markets closing, stating that such communications were bad for morale
- Similarly, on 1 May 2021, the Government Spokesperson Unit demanded the immediate cessation of social media posts intended to provoke and create chaos in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic
- The authorities have arrested many individuals for expressing critical opinions about the government’s COVID-19 response
- Shen Kaidong, a Chinese journalist, was subsequently deported for publishing a story deemed to be ‘fake news’ in which multiple Chinese nationals reported receiving a text offering them the Sinopharm vaccine for a service fee
- These actions are consistent with the government’s systematic and relentless crackdown on FoE and information which began long before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic
- The recent increase in restrictions represents the government’s broader efforts to silence all critical voices in Cambodia
Stating that open dialogue and robust investigative journalism are critical during times of crisis, including public health emergencies, the HROs have called on the Cambodian government to end the harassment of independent journalists reporting on COVID-19 and individuals who voice critical opinions or fears about the pandemic on social media platforms and to take steps to ensure a free, independent, and diverse media environment.
This statement is endorsed by Access Now, Amnesty International, ARTICLE 19, ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), FORUM-ASIA, CIVICUS, Human Rights Watch, International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and World Organization Against Torture (OMCT).
