Nongovernmental organizations and civil society groups in Cambodia are calling on the government to open consultations over a dreaded law they fear would curtail their operations in the Southeast Asian nation.
Cambodia has been tightening its grip on civil society over the past few years. When an early draft of the NGO law was released four years ago, civil society advocates raised concern over the extensive restrictions it seemed to put on the sector. But the law seemed to have been shelved as there had been no developments on its progress — until Prime Minister Hun Sen announced in April that the draft Law on Associations and Nongovernmental Organizations will be ratified “in the near future.”
“The last draft that was circulated dates back to 2011, and it contained many restrictive provisions,” Maina Kiai, the United Nations’ special rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, told Devex. “Hence, the widespread concern about the current draft’s speedy enactment without proper consultations.”
About the authors
Lean Alfred Santos@DevexLeanAS
Lean Alfred Santos is a former Devex development reporter focusing on the development community in Asia-Pacific, including major players such as the Asian Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. He previously covered Philippine and international business and economic news, sports and politics.
Jeff Tyson@jtyson21
Jeff is a former global development reporter for Devex. Based in Washington, D.C., he covers multilateral affairs, U.S. aid, and international development trends. He has worked with human rights organizations in both Senegal and the U.S., and prior to joining Devex worked as a production assistant at National Public Radio. He holds a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in international relations and French from the University of Rochester.
