Dear Friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned with dismay that on September 4 a large number of police officers equipped with assault rifles and electric batons blocked and banned a procession organised by the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights (CCHR). CCHR was attempting to make a public announcement of the installation of anti-corruption black boxes at different localities throughout Phnom Penh in which people could post complaints against or reports on cases of corruption they have encountered or know of. At 7.00 a.m. police officers were dispatched to surround the CCHR office in Toul Kork district in Phnom Penh. They also put up road blocks to cordon off the office. At 8.00 a.m. they stopped and confiscated the truck with streamers which also carried a 1m x 1m black box and a set of audio equipment as it left the CCHR office. It was intended that the truck journey along various streets in the capital to make the announcement to the public. The police also detained the driver of the truck, Peng Sam Ang.
According to the reliable sources, the senior CCHR officials talked to officials of the district in an attempt to persuade them to let the truck continue the campaign but the officials rejected their request. An hour later Khoun Sreng, deputy governor of Toul Kork district who was responsible for the police action arrived at the scene to stop the announcement campaign on an order he had received from the governor of Phnom Penh as the anti-corruption campaign was not authorised. He then ordered the truck to be removed from the street and taken away to Boeng Kok I commune police station and the truck driver to be detained. Following requests and the reaction of the public, later in the day the truck was returned to its owner and the truck driver released.
CCHR is installing anti-corruption back boxes in many provincial capitals across Cambodia as part of its campaign against corruption which is now rife throughout the country. It is mobilising direct participation from people in general and from victims of corruption in particular. CCHR organised similar public announcement campaigns in other places with encountering any ban, except in Battambang city. Furthermore, this particular activity falls well within the declared anti-corruption policy of the Cambodian government.
The authorities in Phnom Penh and Battambang blatantly defied this government anti-corruption policy and grossly violated the constitutional right to freedom of expression and assembly of the Cambodian people when they banned the public announcement campaign by CCHR to urge people to use its anti-corruption boxes to post their complaints and letters. This action only shows that these authorities are corrupt and do not want anybody to report their corrupt practices.
The AHRC urges the Cambodian government, donor governments, UN agencies, international aid agencies, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the international human rights community to lend full support to the anti-corruption campaign conducted by CCHR and its installation of anti-corruption black boxes. It urges the Cambodian authorities to use information provided by the people through these boxes to conduct serious investigations and take action against corrupt officials. It also urges the Cambodian government to take immediate action against officials in Phnom Penh and Batttambang for their defiance of the government anti-corruption policy and their violation of the constitutional right to freedom of expression and assembly of the Cambodian people. Actually, these officials should be the first to be investigated for corruption.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to the relevant authorities listed below calling for support for CCHR’s activities against corruption, and its installation of anti-corruption black boxes and campaign to mobilise people to send their complaints against and letters on corruption cases to sue these black boxes, and for sanction against the officials who have stopped or made difficulties to these activities.
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To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear _______________,
I have learned that a large number of police officers equipped with assault rifles and electric batons blocked and banned a procession organised by the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights (CCHR). CCHR was attempting to make a public announcement of the installation of anti-corruption black boxes at different localities throughout Phnom Penh in which people could post complaints against or reports on cases of corruption they have encountered or know of. At 7.00 a.m. police officers were dispatched to surround the CCHR office in Toul Kork district in Phnom Penh. They also put up road blocks to cordon off the office. At 8.00 a.m. they stopped and confiscated the truck with streamers which also carried a 1m x 1m black box and a set of audio equipment as it left the CCHR office. It was intended that the truck journey along various streets in the capital to make the announcement to the public. The police also detained the driver of the truck, Peng Sam Ang.
According to the information I have received, the senior CCHR officials talked to officials of the district in an attempt to persuade them to let the truck continue the campaign but the officials rejected their request. An hour later Khoun Sreng, deputy governor of Toul Kork district who was responsible for the police action arrived at the scene to stop the announcement campaign on an order he had received from the governor of Phnom Penh as the anti-corruption campaign was not authorised. He then ordered the truck to be removed from the street and taken away to Boeng Kok I commune police station and the truck driver to be detained. Following requests and the reaction of the public, later in the day the truck was returned to its owner and the truck driver released.
It has also come to my knowledge that CCHR is installing anti-corruption back boxes in many provincial capitals across Cambodia as part of its campaign against corruption which is now rife throughout the country. It is mobilising direction participation from people in general from victims of that crime in particular. It was organising the same public announcement campaign in those places without encountering any ban, except in Battambang city. This particular activity falls well within the declared anti-corruption policy of the Cambodian government.
There is little doubt that the authorities in Phnom Penh and Battambang blatantly defied this government anti-corruption policy and grossly violated the constitutional right to freedom of expression and assembly of the Cambodian people when they banned such a public announcement campaign by CCHR. This action only shows that these authorities are but corrupt and do not want anybody to report their corrupt practices.
I therefore request the Cambodian government, donor governments, UN agencies, international aid agencies, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the international human rights community to lend full support to the anti-corruption campaign conducted by CCHR and its installation of anti-corruption black boxes.
I request the Cambodian government to use information provided by the people through these boxes to conduct serious investigations and take action against corrupt officials. I also request the Cambodian government to take immediate action against officials in Phnom Penh and Batttambang for their defiance of the government anti-corruption police and their violation of the constitutional right to freedom of expression and assembly of the Cambodian people. Actually, these officials should be the first to be investigated for corruption.
Sincerely yours,
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Please send copies of your letters to:
1. Samdech Hun Sen
Prime Minister
Cabinet of the Prime Minister
No. 38, Russian Federation Street
Phnom Penh
CAMBODIA
Tel: +855-23-21 98 98
Fax: +855-23-36 06 66
E-mail:cabinet1b@camnet.com.kh
2. H.E.Mr. Sar Kheng
Deputy Prime Minister
Minister of Interior
Phnom Penh
CAMBODIA
E-mail: moi@interior.gov.kh
3. Mr. Ang Vong Vathna
Minster of Justice
No 240, Sothearos Blvd.
Phnom Penh
CAMBODIA
Fax: + 855 23 36 41 19/21 66 22
E-mail: moj@cambodia.gov.kh
4. H.E.Mr. Kep Chuktema
Governor, Phnom Penh Municipality
No. 69 Boulevard Preah Monivong
Phnom Penh
CAMBODIA
E-mail: phnompenh@phnompenh.gov.kh
Fax: 023-722-054
5. Mr. Douglas Gardner
UNDP Resident Representative in Cambodia
Resident Coordinator of United Nations | UNRC
No. 53, Pasteur Street, Boeung Keng Kang I, Chamkar Mon, Phnom Penh, CAMBODIA (P.O. Box877)
Tel:(855) 23 214 371 / 214 397 / 211 240 / 211 205 / 216 167 / 216 217 / 213 094
Fax:(855) 23 216 257 / 721 042 / 216 863 / 210 214
6. Mr. Ian Porter
Country Director for Cambodia
The World Bank Office Cambodia
113, Norodom Blvd.
Cambodia
Phnom Penh
Cambodia
Tel: (855 23) 217 301 Fax (855 23) 210 504
7. Mr. Shyam P. BAJPAI,
Country Director
29, Suramarit Street (268/19)
P.O. Box 2436,
Sangkat Chaktomok, Khan Daun Penh
Phnom Penh
CAMBODIA
Tel: + 855 23 215 805, 215 806, 216417
Fax: + 855 23 215 807
8. Ms Margo Picken
Director
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights - Cambodia
No. 10, Street 302
Sangkat Boeng Keng Kang I
Khan Chamcar Mon
Phnom Penh
CAMBODIA
Tel: +855 23 987 671 / 987 672, 993 590 / 993 591 or +855 23 216 342
Fax: +855 23 212 579, 213 587
9. Prof. Yash Ghai
Special Representative of the Secretary-General for human rights in Cambodia
Attn: Ms. Afarin Shahidzadeh
Room 3-080
OHCHR-UNOG
8-14 Avenue de la Paix
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 91 79214
Fax: +41 22 91 79018 (ATTENTION: SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE CAMBODIA)
Thank you
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ahrchk@ahrchk.org)
