Amnesty rebuked: CPP refutes NGO’s claim of lockdown starvations

The ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) yesterday hit back at US-based Amnesty International (AI) over its call for the government to take “urgent steps” to avert an emerging humanitarian and human rights crisis under lockdown, saying no Cambodian dies of starvation in “Red Zones”.

The Ministry of Justice yesterday also said some people in Red Zones are being used by former opposition leader Sam Rainsy to protest against lockdown measures. In its statement released on April 30, Amnesty International claimed that thousands of people are pleading for help on social media as access to food is denied, saying verified footage shows desperate scenes inside “Red Zones” and a violent police crackdown.

It called for the government to take “urgent steps” to avert an emerging humanitarian and human rights crisis under the COVID-19 lockdown. “Amnesty has received alarming reports that even humanitarian NGOs have been barred from distributing food and other essential aid within Red Zones, despite the urgent needs of at-risk residents,” it added.

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