Human Rights and Freedom in Cambodia

Cambodia Kingdom of Cambodia [Country Profile Page]
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	154th best
Location	Asia
Population	16.2m1
Life Expectancy	69.58yrs (2017)2

Cambodia is very poor at ensuring human rights and freedom compared to the rest of the world, and it has cultural issues when it comes to tolerance and equality. Cambodia does better than average for combatting modern slavery₃, its nominal commitment to Human Rights₄, freethought₅ and in LGBT equality in the 2020s₆. Cambodia doesn't do so well in other areas. Cambodia does worse than average in commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₇, opposing gender inequality₈ and in its average Freedom in the World rating. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 when it comes to supporting press freedom₉. After the military coup that put him into power in 1985, Prime Minister Hun Sen's government is "regularly accused of human rights abuses"₁₀ and in 2019 Hun Sen "specifically threatened prominent human rights organizations with closure"₁₀. Civil and political rights in particular deteriorated in 2017 as the government persecuted political opposition and human rights activists₁₁ and forced several independent media outlets to close₁₁.

1. Cambodia's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
2. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets
   1. Press Freedom
   2. Slavery in the 2020s
   3. Freedom in the World
   4. Human Rights Watch Comments
   5. Nominal Commitment to HR
   6. HR Treaties Lag
3. Gender Equality Datasets
   1. Gender Inequality
   2. Year Women Can Vote
4. Prejudice Datasets
   1. LGBT Equality in the 2020s
   2. Freedom of Thought
5. Links

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1. Cambodia's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

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

Compared to Asia (2025)12
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank12
1	Japan	31.6
2	Taiwan	42.2
3	S. Korea	45.2
	...
23	Kazakhstan	108.6
24	Kuwait	109.5
25	Lebanon	109.7
26	Cambodia	110.8
27	Tajikistan	111.0
28	China	112.5
29	Laos	113.4
30	Malaysia	117.3
31	Jordan	119.6
	Asia Avg	110.11
q=51.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)12
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank12
1	Sweden	7.5
2	Netherlands	8.6
3	Denmark	9.0
	...
132	Benin	109.8
133	Papua New Guinea	110.2
134	Ivory Coast	110.4
135	Cambodia	110.8
136	Tajikistan	111.0
137	Sao Tome & Principe	111.8
138	China	112.5
139	Tanzania	112.9
	World Avg	90.04
q=198.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, The Netherlands and Denmark₁₃. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia₁₃.

30 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting modern slavery, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, 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 Europe₁₃, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₁₃.

For more, see:

• " Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

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)₁₄

2. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets

2.1. Press Freedom

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

Press Freedom Higher is better9
Pos.		20259
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
157	Pakistan	29.62
158	Turkey	29.40
159	Venezuela	29.21
160	Cambodia	28.18
161	Saudi Arabia	27.94
162	Palestine	27.41
163	UAE	26.91
164	Cuba	26.03
	Asia Avg	39.69
	World Avg	54.65
q=179. Also scored for 2000s-2010s.

Cambodia ranks 20th-worst in the world in terms of supporting press freedom.

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 Index₁₅

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".

For more, see:

• "Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2026).

In 2017, press freedom continued to get worse as the government forced several independent media outlets (both newspaper and radio) to close₁₁.

Averages by decade for Cambodia (for the ranks, lower is better):

Press Freedom	2000s  Average	2010s  Average
Cambodia:	28.31	57.38
World Rank:	109th	⇣  138th
World Avg:	27.44	65.91

2.2. Slavery in the 2020s

#burundi #cambodia #eritrea #human_rights #indonesia #slavery

Slavery in the 2020s Lower is better3
Pos.		Slavery in the 2020s Per 10003
1=	Switzerland	0.50
1=	Norway	0.50
3=	Germany	0.60
	...
68=	Panama	4.70
69	Malawi	4.90
70=	Zimbabwe	5.00
70=	Cambodia	5.00
70=	Kenya	5.00
70=	Brazil	5.00
74	Zambia	5.10
75=	Mali	5.20
	Asia Avg	9.89
	World Avg	7.15
q=160. Also scored for 2010s-2020s.

Cambodia comes 70th in the world in terms of combatting modern slavery.

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 poverty-stricken vulnerable.₁₆. Some industries (diamond, clothing, coal) from some countries (Burundi₁₇, Eritrea₁₇, Indonesia₁₈) are a particular concern. The Walk Free Foundation, say in their 2023 report, that 50 million people are living in modern slavery₁₇, and, nearly two-thirds of those in forced labour are employed at the end of supply chains working for large multinationals that creating products consumed by rich countries₁₉.

For more, see:

• "The Historical Slave Trade and Modern Slavery" by Vexen Crabtree (2018).

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 reluctant₂₀; some of those practices are part of Cambodian culture and to overcome them will require strong and fresh moral leadership.

Averages by decade for Cambodia (for the ranks, lower is better):

Slavery	2010s  Average	2020s  Average
Cambodia:	16.80	5.00
World Rank:	159th	⇡  70th
World Avg:	6.54	7.15

2.3. Freedom in the World

#freedom #human_rights #hungary #politics #USA

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
165=	Ethiopia	6.0
165=	Gabon	6.0
165=	Egypt	6.0
165=	Cambodia	6.0
165=	Rwanda	6.0
165=	Djibouti	6.0
165=	Burkina Faso	6.0
165=	Cameroon	6.0
	Asia Avg	5.0
	World Avg	3.7
q=205. Also scored for 1970s-2010s.

With regard to its average Freedom in the World rating, Cambodia comes 162nd in the world.

Freedom House's long-standing annual report has been running since the 1970s, collecting data on political rights (PR) and civil liberties (CL). Their reports rate countries as "Free", "Partially Free" or "Not Free", however the results here are based on their numerical values. Many countries score the best combination of scores (1 and 1), which is why the table of results show many places equally placed in 1st place. In the past two decades, some well-established democracies like the USA and Hungary have been falling. Whilst most of the world in general is improving rights and freedoms over time, the 2020s has seen some regression.

For more, see:

• " Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Averages by decade for Cambodia (for the ranks, lower is better):

Freedom in the World	1970s  Average	1980s  Average	1990s  Average	2000s  Average	2010s  Average
Cambodia:	6.5	7.0	5.9	5.6	5.6
World Rank:	143rd	⇣  160th	⇣  166th	⇣  168th	⇡  160th
World Avg:	4.3	4.2	3.6	3.4	3.4

2.4. Human Rights Watch Comments

#human_rights

Human Rights Watch Comments Higher is better7
Pos.		2017 Score7
1=	UK	9
1=	France	9
1=	Germany	9
	...
77=	Kuwait	-4
78=	Azerbaijan	-5
78=	China	-5
78=	Cambodia	-5
78=	Uganda	-5
78=	S. Sudan	-5
78=	Zimbabwe	-5
78=	Bahrain	-5
	Asia Avg	-5.0
	World Avg	-1.9
q=123.

With regard to commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, Cambodia ranks 78th in the world.

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.

For more, see:

• "Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2026).

2.5. Nominal Commitment to HR

#human_rights

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better4
Pos.		2009 Treaties4
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
97=	Benin	16
97=	Gabon	16
97=	San Marino	16
97=	Cambodia	16
101=	Sierra Leone	15
101=	Chad	15
101=	Tanzania	15
101=	St Vincent & Grenadines	15
	Asia Avg	12.7
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

Cambodia is positioned 84th in the world in terms of its nominal commitment to Human Rights.

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.

For more, see:

• "Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2026).

2.6. HR Treaties Lag

#human_rights #international_law #micronesia #politics #small_islands

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better21
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty21
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
98	Dominican Rep.	10.24
99	Kuwait	10.36
100	Laos	10.53
101	Cambodia	10.56
102	Ghana	10.64
103	Croatia	10.65
104	Zambia	10.81
105	Iran	10.81
	Asia Avg	10.97
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

In terms of speed of uptake of HR treaties, Cambodia is 101st in the world.

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:

• " Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

3. Gender Equality Datasets

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:

• "Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

3.1. Gender Inequality

#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #women

Gender Inequality Lower is better8
Pos.		20228
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
118	Mozambique	0.48
119	Botswana	0.49
120	Iran	0.49
121	Cambodia	0.49
122	Syria	0.49
123=	Ethiopia	0.50
123=	Nepal	0.50
125	Swaziland	0.50
	Asia Avg	0.33
	World Avg	0.34
q=166. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Cambodia comes 121st in the world in terms of opposing gender inequality.

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:

• "Gender Equality" by Vexen Crabtree (2023).

Averages by decade for Cambodia (for the ranks, lower is better):

Gender Inequality	1990s  Average	2000s  Average	2010s  Average
Cambodia:	0.65	0.57	0.50
World Rank:	94th	⇣  113th	⇣  118th
World Avg:	0.44	0.41	0.37

3.2. Year Women Can Vote

#christianity #gender_equality #human_rights #politics #women

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Year Women Can Vote Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
104=	Peru	1955
104=	Eritrea	1955
104=	Honduras	1955
104=	Cambodia	1955
108=	Mali	1956
108=	Benin	1956
108=	Mauritius	1956
108=	Somalia	1956
	Asia Avg	1907
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Cambodia ranks 102nd in the world in terms of the year from which women could participate in democracy.

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:

• "Gender Equality" by Vexen Crabtree (2023).

4. Prejudice Datasets

4.1. LGBT Equality in the 2020s

#2020s #equality #homosexuality #human_rights #ICCPR #intolerance #sexuality #tolerance

LGBT Equality in the 2020s Higher is better6
Pos.		LGBT Equality in the 2020s Score6
1=	Germany	4.88
1=	Spain	4.88
3	Portugal	4.81
	...
99=	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	-0.02
99=	Marshall Islands	-0.02
101	Nauru	-0.10
102	Cambodia	-0.12
103	Laos	-0.13
104	Trinidad & Tobago	-0.19
105	Albania	-0.40
106	Macedonia	-0.43
	Asia Avg	-2.88
	World Avg	-1.21
q=215. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

Cambodia is 102nd in the world in terms of LGBT equality in the 2020s.

Discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) folk is rife across the world. Legal restrictions co-exist alongside social stigmatisation and physical violence₂₂. LGBT tolerance and equal rights have been fought for country-by-country against tightly entrenched cultural and religious opposition. Adult consensual sexual activity is a Human Right and protected by privacy laws₂₃. Despite this, it is illegal to be homosexual in over 60 countries (as of 2025)₂₄. The Vexen LGBT Equality Index as part of the Social and Moral Development Index grants points to each country depending on its LGBT stance since the 1970s_25,26. Europe is by far the least prejudiced region, but in the Middle East and Africa cultural prejudice goes hand-in-hand with state intolerance, all too often including physical violence.

For more, see:

• " LGBT Rights Across the World: Which are the Best and Worst Countries?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Homosexuality has never been criminalized in Cambodia. The age of consent is equal at 15 for both heterosexual and homosexual activity. Same-sex marriage is constitutionally banned since 1993, civil partnerships are not recognized, and adoption rights are unavailable to same-sex couples. LGBT military service status is unclear/undocumented. Public morality laws were used most harshly during the Khmer Rouge era (1975-1979), when trans and LGBT people were forced to conform to gender norms, and vague morality provisions have occasionally been used since to harass LGBT folk, though not systematically. ILGA researchers in 2017 found that Cambodia had no legal protections against anti-LGBT discrimination.

Averages by decade for Cambodia (for the ranks, lower is better):

LGBT Equality	1970s  Average	1980s  Average	1990s  Average	2000s  Average	2010s  Average	2020s  Average
Cambodia:	-0.50	1.00	0.30	0.00	0.00	-0.12
World Rank:	55th	⇡  2nd	⇣  46th	⇣  78th	⇣  103rd	⇡  102nd
World Avg:	-2.98	-2.87	-2.60	-2.15	-1.10	-1.21

4.2. Freedom of Thought

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

Although Buddhism is given official preference₁₀, 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 fines₂₇. 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 year₂₈.

“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)₁₀

Freedom of Thought Lower is better5
Pos.		20215
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
103=	Laos	3.0
103=	Hungary	3.0
103=	India	3.0
103=	Cambodia	3.0
103=	Finland	3.0
103=	Panama	3.0
109=	Philippines	3.3
109=	Paraguay	3.3
	Asia Avg	3.7
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

Cambodia comes 88th in the world in terms of freethought.

Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Belief are upheld in Article 18 the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights₂₉. It affirms that it is a basic human right that all people are free to change their beliefs and religion as they wish₃₀. 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 era₃₁ of the 19th century. In democratic countries, freedom of belief and religion is now taken for granted₃₂. In 2016 a study found that over 180 countries in the world had come to guarantee freedom of religion and belief₃₃. The best countries at doing so are Belgium, The Netherlands and Taiwan_5,34 and the worst: Afghanistan, N. Korea, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia_5,35.

Long-term studies have shown that religious violence and persecution both decrease in cultures where religious freedom is guaranteed₃₆. Despite this, there still are many who are strongly against freedom of belief₃₀, 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 religion₃₇ and "the denial of religious freedoms is inevitably intertwined with the denial of other freedoms"₃₈ and the solution is, everywhere, to allow religious freedom and the freedom of belief.

For more, see:

• "Freethought - Freedom of Belief and Freedom of Religion" by Vexen Crabtree (2022).