Cambodia: Stop silencing critical commentary on COVID-19 pina.com.fj - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from pina.com.fj Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Cambodian govt accused of silencing critics of Covid efforts
NGOs say the actions are consistent with a systematic and relentless crackdown on freedom of expression
Updated: May 26, 2021 06:43 AM GMT
Trending
Cambodian military personnel conduct security checks amid the Covid-19 lockdown in capital city Phnom Penh. (Photo: Luke Hunt/UCA News)
A group of 12 non-governmental organizations have accused the Cambodian government of silencing public criticism of its Covid-19 program and harsh lockdown measures amid a communal outbreak which has claimed at least 183 lives.
They said authorities had placed a “de facto ban” on independent reporting in Phnom Penh’s red zones areas deemed to be high risk for Covid-19 transmission and arrested dozens of individuals for expressing critical opinions about the government’s response.
( 25 May 2021 ) We, the undersigned international human rights organisations, call on the Cambodian government to immediately stop its assault on freedom…
We, the undersigned international human rights organisations, call on the Cambodian government to immediately stop its assault on freedom of expression in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. In recent months, the government has warned against public criticism of its actions, prevented independent journalists from reporting on the pandemic, prosecuted individuals for criticising the inoculation campaign, and threatened journalists and social media users with legal actions on the spurious grounds of provoking “turmoil in society.”
While Cambodia was spared from high numbers of severe COVID-19 cases in 2020, beginning in February 2021 there has been a spike in cases to which the government responded with disproportionate and unnecessary measures in violation of Cambodia’s international human rights obligations. This includes a campaign against freedom of expression that further constricts media freedom and promotes fear and self-censorship in the country. These measures serve t
Cambodia: Stop silencing critical commentary on COVID-19 article19.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from article19.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.