The Human Truth Foundation

Human Rights and Freedom in Cambodia

http://www.humantruth.info/cambodia_human_rights_and_freedom.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2018

#cambodia #equality #freedom #human_rights #politics #tolerance

Cambodia
Kingdom of Cambodia

[Country Profile Page]
StatusIndependent State
Social and Moral Index150th best
LocationAsia
Population16.2m1
Life Expectancy69.58yrs (2017)2

Cambodia is generally poor at ensuring human rights and freedom compared to the rest of the world. Cambodia does better than average for supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms3, its nominal commitment to Human Rights4, freethought5 and in LGBT equality6. Cambodia still has work to do. Cambodia does worse than average when it comes to commentary in Human Rights Watch reports7, speed of uptake of HR treaties8, opposing gender inequality9 and in supporting press freedom10. After the military coup that put him into power in 1985, Prime Minister Hun Sen's government is "regularly accused of human rights abuses"11 and in 2019 Hun Sen "specifically threatened prominent human rights organizations with closure"11. Civil and political rights in particular deteriorated in 2017 as the government persecuted political opposition and human rights activists12 and forced several independent media outlets to close12.


1. Cambodia's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Compared to Asia (2020)13
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank13
1Hong Kong24.3
2Taiwan28.2
3Japan42.1
...
24Timor-Leste (E. Timor)98.6
25Lebanon98.8
26Jordan102.2
27Cambodia102.5
28Kuwait106.7
29Laos108.3
30Maldives110.7
31Indonesia111.2
32Uzbekistan111.3
Asia Avg99.8
q=51.
Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2020)13
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank13
1Sweden9.2
2Norway14.7
3Denmark14.7
...
122Madagascar100.6
123Jordan102.2
124Fiji102.4
125Cambodia102.5
126Morocco102.8
127Guyana102.9
128Rwanda104.3
129Bahamas105.3
World Avg87.7
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Norway and Denmark14. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are The Solomon Islands, Somalia and Tuvalu14.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are statistics on commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, supporting press freedom, eliminating modern slavery, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe14, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Micronesia and Australasia14.

For more, see:

Amnesty International's 2023-23 summary on human rights in Cambodia stated:

Rampant illegal logging and unchecked urban development violated the human rights of Indigenous peoples and the urban poor. Freedom of expression and association remained severely restricted and unfair trials of political opposition members and supporters continued. Authorities arrested, detained and assaulted striking workers. Despite some steps to tackle human trafficking it remained widespread. The right to adequate housing was not protected and human rights abuses were linked to microfinance loans.

"The State of the World's Human Rights 2022/23" by Amnesty International (2023)15

2. Human Rights & Tolerance Data Sets

2.1. Human Rights Watch Comments

#human_rights

Human Rights Watch Comments
Higher is better7
Pos.2017
Score7
1UK9
2France9
3Germany9
...
77Kuwait-4
78Azerbaijan-5
79China-5
80Cambodia-5
81Uganda-5
82S. Sudan-5
83Zimbabwe-5
84Bahrain-5
Asia Avg-5.0
World Avg-1.9
q=123.

Human Rights Watch comments concentrate mostly on negative issues, however, they also make positive comments for those countries that engage in human rights defence around the world, or who make improvements at home. By adding up positive and negative comments (including double-points for negatives that involve large scales and crimes against humanity), the Social and Moral Index turns HRW commentary into quantified values. Some countries may be unfairly penalized because HRW have not examined them, and, some countries "get away" with abuses if they manage to hide it, or if it goes unnoticed - a negative point has been given for those countries in which HRW specifically state that access to investigators has been barred. The points were limited to a minimum of -10 because there are some points at which things are so bad, with abuses affecting so many, it is difficult to be more specific about the depths of the issues.

2.2. Nominal Commitment to HR

#human_rights

Nominal Commitment to HR
Higher is better4
Pos.2009
Treaties4
1Argentina24
2Chile23
3Costa Rica23
...
97Benin16
98Gabon16
99San Marino16
100Cambodia16
101Sierra Leone15
102Chad15
103Tanzania15
104St Vincent & Grenadines15
Asia Avg12.7
World Avg15.1
q=194.

There are many international agreements on human rights, and, many mechanisms by which countries can be brought to account for their actions. Together, these have been the biggest historical movement in the fight against oppression and inhumanity. Or, putting it another way: these are rejected mostly by those who wish to oppress inhumanely. None of them are perfect and many people object to various components and wordings, but, no-one has come up with, and enforced, better methods of controlling the occasional desires that states and peoples have of causing angst for other states and peoples in a violent, unjust or inhumane way. Points are awarded for the number of human rights agreements ratified by the country, plus the acceptance of the petition mechanisms for disputes. The maximum possible score in 2009 was 24.

2.3. HR Treaties Lag

#human_rights #international_law #micronesia #politics #small_islands

HR Treaties Lag
Lower is better8
Pos.2019
Avg Yrs/Treaty8
1Ecuador2.15
2Uruguay2.25
3Tunisia3.65
...
98Dominican Rep.10.24
99Kuwait10.36
100Laos10.53
101Cambodia10.56
102Ghana10.64
103Croatia10.65
104Zambia10.81
105Iran10.81
Asia Avg10.97
World Avg10.02
q=195.

Human Rights (HR) Treaties Lag is a count of how long it took each country to sign each of 11 key HR treaties. From the date of the first signatory of each treaty, all other countries have one point added to their score for each day they delayed in signing. Results are presented as average time in years to sign each one. The lower a country's score, the more enthusiastically it has taken on international Human Rights Treaties - which are, of course, minimal standards of good governance. The slowest are the countries of Micronesia, Melanesia, Australasia and Polynesia all lagged by over 12 years per treaty. The best regions are The Americas, Scandinavia and the Mediterranean.

For more, see:

2.4. Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom

#freedom #politics

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom
Lower is better3
Pos.2014
Rank3
1Hong Kong1
2Switzerland2
3New Zealand3
...
61Haiti61
62Fiji61
63Dominican Rep.63
64Cambodia64
65Madagascar65
66Brunei66
67Serbia67
68Guatemala68
Asia Avg94.6
World Avg79.7
q=159.

The Human Freedom Index published by the Fraser Institute is...

... a broad measure of human freedom, understood as the absence of coercive constraint. It uses 79 distinct indicators of personal and economic freedom in the following areas: Rule of Law, Security and Safety, Movement, Religion, Association, Assembly, and Civil Society, Expression, Relationships, Size of Government, Legal System and Property Rights, Access to Sound Money, Freedom to Trade Internationally, Regulation of Credit, Labor, and Business. [...]

The highest levels of freedom are in Western Europe, Northern Europe, and North America (Canada and the United States. The lowest levels are in the Middle East and North Africa, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. [...]

Countries in the top quartile of freedom enjoy a significant higher per capita income ($37,147) [compared with] the least-free quartile [at] $8,700). The HFI finds a strong correlation between human freedom and democracy.

"The Human Freedom Index" by The Fraser Institute (2016)16

2.5. Press Freedom

#democracy #freedom #Freedom_of_Speech #Good_Governance #mass_media #politics #UK

Press Freedom
Lower is better10
Pos.201310
1Finland638
2Netherlands648
3Norway652
...
139India4122
140Oman4151
141Congo, DR4166
142Cambodia4181
143Bangladesh4201
144Malaysia4273
145Palestine4309
146Philippines4311
Asia Avg4378
World Avg3249
q=178.

The freedom to investigate, publish information, and have access to others' opinion is a fundamental part of today's information-driven world, and is linked with Freedom of Speech and Good Governance. Scores on the Press Freedom Index are calculated according to indicators including pluralism - the degree to which opinions are represented in the media, media independence of authorities, self-censorship, legislation, transparency and the infrastructure that supports news and information, and, the level of violence against journalists which includes lengths of imprisonments. The index "does not take direct account of the kind of political system but it is clear that democracies provide better protection for the freedom to produce and circulate accurate news and information than countries where human rights are flouted". The rankings are used as one of the datasets of the Social and Moral Development Index17

It must be noted that press freedom is not an indicator of press quality and the press itself can be abusive; the UK suffers in particular from a popular brand of nasty reporting that infuses several of its newspapers who are particularly prone to running destructive and often untrue campaigns against victims. The Press Freedom Index notes that "the index should in no way be taken as an indicator of the quality of the media in the countries concerned".

In 2017, press freedom continued to get worse as the government forced several independent media outlets (both newspaper and radio) to close12.

2.6. Slavery

#burundi #eritrea #france #human_rights #indonesia #slavery

Slavery
Lower is better
18
Pos.2018
% Victims18
1Japan0.03
2Canada0.05
3Taiwan0.05
...
156Congo, DR1.37
157Somalia1.55
158Iran1.62
159Cambodia1.68
160Pakistan1.68
161S. Sudan2.05
162Mauritania2.14
163Afghanistan2.22
Asia Avg0.79
World Avg0.65
q=167.

The taking of slaves has been an unwholesome feature of Human cultures since prehistory19. Private households and national endeavours have frequently been augmented with the use of slaves. The Egyptian and Roman empires both thrived on them for both purposes. Aside from labourers they are often abused sexually by their owners and their owners' friends20. The era of colonialism and the beginnings of globalisation changed nothing: the imprisonment and forced movements of labour continued to destroy many lives except that new justifications were invented based on Christian doctrine and the effort to convert non-Christians. By 1786 over 12 million slaves had been extracted from Africa and sent to colonial labour camps, with a truly atrocious condition of life21. But they were not the only ones to blame; in Africa internal nations such as the Asantes sold and bought tens of thousands of slaves22.

The abolition of the slave trade was a long and slow process. Until a relatively modern time, even philosophers, religious leaders and those concerned with ethics justified, or ignored, the problem of slavery23. The first abolitionists were always the slaves themselves. Their protests and rebellions caused the industry to become too expensive to continue. After that, it was the economic costs of maintain slave colonies that led the British to reject and then oppose the slave trade globally. Finally, the enlightenment-era thinkers of France encouraged moral and ethical thinking including the declaration of the inherent value of human life and human dignity24. A long-overdue wave of compassionate and conscientious movements swept across the West, eliminating public support for slavery, until the industries and churches that supported it had no choice but to back down.

'Modern slavery' includes forced labour (often of the under-age), debt bondage (especially generational), sexual slavery, chattel slavery and other forms of abuse, some of which can be surprisingly difficult to detect, but often target those fleeing from warzones and the vulnerable.25. Some industries (diamond, clothing, coal) from some countries (Burundi26, Eritrea26, Indonesia27) are a particular concern. The Walk Free Foundation, say that in 2016, 40.3 million people were living in modern slavery28.

For more, see:

Cambodia has an issue with slavery, including forced labour, debt bondage and forced marriage (which is sometimes a front for more forced labour), including slavery for the purpose of sexual exploitation and forced begging, but the government's response is slow and reluctant29; some of those practices are part of Cambodian culture and to overcome them will require strong and fresh moral leadership.

3. Gender Equality Data Sets

The 1950s saw a late rush of 43 countries, including Cambodia and many developing nations, move to cease preventing women from voting. Cambodia is an unequal country, with male rights dominating those of women.

See:

3.1. Gender Inequality

#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #women

Gender Inequality
Lower is better
9
Pos.20159
1Switzerland0.04
2Denmark0.04
3Netherlands0.04
...
109Burundi0.47
110Bhutan0.48
111Jordan0.48
112Cambodia0.48
113Morocco0.49
114Guatemala0.49
115Nepal0.50
116Ethiopia0.50
Asia Avg0.36
World Avg0.36
q=159.

The UN Human Development Reports include statistics on gender equality which take into account things like maternal mortality, access to political power (seats in parliament) and differences between male and female education rates. Gender inequality is not a necessary part of early human development. Although a separation of roles is almost universal due to different strengths between the genders, this does not have to mean that women are subdued, and, such patriarchalism is not universal in ancient history. Those cultures and peoples who shed, or never developed, the idea that mankind ought to dominate womankind, are better cultures and peoples than those who, even today, cling violently to those mores.

For more, see:

3.2. Year Women Can Vote

#christianity #gender_equality #human_rights #politics #women

Year Women Can Vote
Lower is better
Pos.0
Year
1New Zealand1893
2Australia1902
3Finland1906
...
104Peru1955
105Eritrea1955
106Honduras1955
107Cambodia1955
108Mali1956
109Benin1956
110Mauritius1956
111Somalia1956
Asia Avg1907
World Avg1930
q=189.

Women now have equal rights in the vast majority of countries across the world. Although academic literature oftens talks of when a country "grants women the right to vote", this enforces a backwards way of thinking. Women always had the right to vote, however, they were frequently denied that right. The opposition to women's ability to vote in equality with man was most consistently and powerfully opposed by the Catholic Church, other Christian organisations, Islamic authorities and some other religious and secular traditionalists.

For more, see:

4. Prejudice Data Sets

4.1. LGBT Equality

#equality #homosexuality #human_rights #intolerance #sexuality #tolerance

LGBT Equality
Higher is better
6
Pos.2017
Score6
1Netherlands103
2Belgium90
3Sweden86
...
95Azerbaijan15
96Equatorial Guinea15
97Burkina Faso15
98Cambodia15
99Vanuatu15
100Congo, DR15
101Lesotho15
102Belize15
Asia Avg-02.1
World Avg12.6
q=196.

Discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) folk is rife across the world. Legal restrictions co-exist alongside social stigmatisation and physical violence30. LGBT tolerance and equal rights have been fought for country-by-country across the world, often against tightly entrenched cultural and religious opposition. Adult consensual sexual activity is a Human Right, protected by privacy laws31. Despite this, homosexual activity is outlawed in around 80 countries30. The Social & Moral LGBT Equality Index was created to compare countries and regions, granting points to each country for a variety of factors including how long gay sex has been criminalized and the extent of LGBT legal rights. Graded negative points are given for criminality of homosexuality, unequal ages of consent, legal punishments and for not signing international accords on LGBT tolerance. The signs in many developed countries are positive, and things are gradually improving. Europe is by far the least prejudiced region (Scandinavia in particular being exemplary). The Middle East and then Africa are the least morally developed, where cultural bias goes hand-in-hand with state intolerance, all too often including physical violence.

For more, see:

4.2. Freedom of Thought

#europe #freedom_of_belief #freethought #human_rights #netherlands #religion #religious_tolerance #secularism #the_enlightenment

Although Buddhism is given official preference11, the law establishes freedom of religion in Article 43 of Cambodia's Constitution, and does not permit religious beliefs to violate on others' religious beliefs nor to interfere with public security. But there is no protection for the non-religious and criticism of religion is punishable by fines32. There's an unfortunate background level of belief in black magic and evil spirits which can lead to occasional low-level witch-hunts leading to about ten killings and attempted killings per year33.

In March 2021, the Ministry of Cults and Religion revoked the media license of an online publication for criticizing a Siem Reap monk for lashing three junior monks. The Ministry also indicated its desire to prosecute the social media figure behind the online publication, Pheng Vannak, for "insulting Buddhist monks" under Article 516 of the Criminal Code.

"The Freedom of Thought Report" by Humanists International (2021)11

Freedom of Thought
Lower is better
5
Pos.20215
1Belgium1.0
2Netherlands1.0
3Taiwan1.0
...
105Tuvalu3.0
106Mexico3.0
107El Salvador3.0
108Cambodia3.0
109Zambia3.3
110Vanuatu3.3
111Malawi3.3
112Ethiopia3.3
Asia Avg3.7
World Avg3.0
q=196.

Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Belief are upheld in Article 18 the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights34. It affirms that it is a basic human right that all people are free to change their beliefs and religion as they wish35. No countries voted against this (although eight abstained). This right was first recognized clearly in the policies of religious toleration of the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe in the post-enlightenment era36 of the 19th century. In democratic countries, freedom of belief and religion is now taken for granted37. In 2016 a study found that over 180 countries in the world had come to guarantee freedom of religion and belief38. The best countries at doing so are Taiwan, Belgium and The Netherlands5,39 and the worst: Afghanistan, N. Korea, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia5,40.

Long-term studies have shown that religious violence and persecution both decrease in cultures where religious freedom is guaranteed41. Despite this, there still are many who are strongly against freedom of belief35, including entire cultures and many individual communities of religious believers. Their alternative is that you are not free to believe what you want and they often state that you cannot change religion without being punished (often including the death penalty): this is bemoaned as one of the most dangerous elements of religion42 and "the denial of religious freedoms is inevitably intertwined with the denial of other freedoms"43 and the solution is, everywhere, to allow religious freedom and the freedom of belief.

For more, see: