Cambodia has experienced a worrying decline in basic freedoms as authorities use the legal system to restrict and criminalise human rights work, youth activism, trade unions, independent journalism, opposition politicians and other voices critical of Prime Minister Hun Sen’s government, a leading rights group has warned.
To further strengthen his almost 40-year iron grip on power, Hun Sen recently used the COVID-19 pandemic to implement a state of emergency law that further restricted the fundamental freedoms of Cambodian citizens, said CIVICUS – a global alliance of civil society organisations tracking fundamental freedoms worldwide.
