(Strasbourg, 9 June 2016) In a resolution adopted today, the European Parliament (EP) voiced its deep concern regarding the steady escalation of arrests of members of the opposition, human rights activists and representatives of civil society, including staff from FIDH member organisations in Cambodia, ADHOC and LICADHO.
FIDH has provided a number of recommendations prior to the resolution and issued open letters and urgent appeals on the worsening climate for human rights and land defenders. The EP resolution highlights a number of these issues, namely the Law on Associations and NGOs (LANGO) enabling the authorities to arbitrarily shut down and block human rights organisations, and the Law on Trade Unions which deploys similar sweeping arbitrary powers. The EP also urges Cambodia to end forced evictions and land grabbing. The resolution further demands that the EU set out and publicly communicate clear benchmarks for the forthcoming elections in Cambodia and calls on the EEAS to make the amount of EU financial assistance dependent on human rights improvements.