Cambodia Rejects Europe's Human Rights Criticisms

On June 9, the European Parliament passed a resolution expressing “deep concerns about the worsening climate for opposition politicians and human rights activists in Cambodia.” Meanwhile, 41 international NGOs signed a letter urging the Cambodian government to stop the harassment of groups working for people’s rights. Cambodian authorities were quick to dismiss these criticisms.

The European Union resolution cited the “escalation of politically motivated charges and judicial harassment of human rights defenders and activists” in Cambodia. Aside from filing several criminal charges against some Members of the Parliament, the Cambodian government also detained four NGO members for allegedly bribing a witness in a sexual scandal case involving an opposition leader.

This legal offensive is seen by many as a systematic crackdown of the opposition by the ruling party, which has been in power in the past three decades.

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