Phnom Penh, 14 November 2012 — The Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) strongly condemns the repeated disruption of civil society meetings taking place as part of the ASEAN Peoples’ Forum and ASEAN Grassroots People’s Assembly 2012. The intimidation of organizers and participants at the meetings is an unacceptable affront to basic freedoms of expression and assembly and sends a powerful message to the world that the Cambodian government is not committed to the creation of an ASEAN that respects fundamental rights and freedoms.
The Civil Society Committee of ASEAN Civil Society Conference/ASEAN Peoples’ Forum (ACSC/APF 2012) has twice been forced to change venue for its regional conference due to the actions of the Cambodian authorities. In the first instance, an independent church—the Christian Fellowship—in which the event was due to take place, was visited by a group of unidentified local officials on 10 November 2012. As a result of this visit the church requested that the regional conference take place elsewhere. The ACSC/APF 2012 was forced to change location to Modern Centre 5. Again, in a second act of intimidation a group of unidentified local officials visited the intended venue and instructed the owner to cancel the contract with the ACSC/APF 2012. The owner claimed that he received the instructions from a senior official. The ACSC/APF 2012 will hold its meetings at a new and as yet undisclosed location in spite of the authorities’ attempts to stifle the voices of ASEAN civil society groups.
Read more: http://adhoc-cambodia.org/?p=2349
