Human Rights Watch Cambodia

05/25/2026

Cambodia's acting Head of State Hun Sen has pardoned opposition leader Kem Sokha. Sokha, 72, is the former president of the dissolved main opposition party, the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP). Since the Cambodian authorities arrested Sokha in 2017, he has been arbitrarily detained, mistreated in custody, and banned from voting or running for election.

“Hun Sen’s decision to pardon Kem Sokha after more than eight years in arbitrary detention partially reverses a grievous injustice, but it is deplorable that Sokha remains barred from participating in politics or leaving the country,” said Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Cambodia's remaining opposition politicians and parties are still under constant threat of arbitrary arrest and baseless restrictions. The government needs to ensure that political rights are respected in the country."

More details about the baseless prosecution of Kem Sokha can be found in this April 30 press release:

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04/30/2026

On April 30, 2026, the Phnom Penh Court of Appeal upheld the politically motivated conviction of the Cambodian political opposition leader Kem Sokha.

The court extended Sokha’s de-facto house arrest and 27-year sentence that had been imposed in March 2023 and added an additional five-year ban on international travel. Cambodian authorities should immediately quash the conviction and release Sokha from custody.

Read more here:

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10/03/2024

Speaking to Free Malaysia Today about the shocking and unacceptable cooperation that Malaysia extended to assist transnational repression by the Cambodian dictatorial regime of Hun Sen/Hun Manet.

Phil Robertson, the director of the Bangkok-based Asia Human Rights Labour Advocates, said it was "outrageous" that the Malaysian government would deport a foreign national simply for criticising a country’s former ruler.

"Why did a democratically elected government which has said it cares about human rights go along with this? It doesn’t matter where they are, migrant workers have the right to freedom of expression. The Malaysian government is complicit in transnational repression," he told FMT.

"The appropriate response should have been to thank the Cambodian government, tell it that the worker is in legally, and they can do what they want when she returns to . But we will not penalise someone for airing their views on Facebook."

Radio Free Asia reported that Nuon Toeun was deported on Monday after she called Hun Sen ‘despicable’ on social media.

04/01/2024

For Khmer speaking friends, condemning the continued Vietnamese government persecution of the Khmer Krom, with arrests and defrocking of Buddhist monks. 's aid and trade partners need to take action to demand end this oppression.

អង្គការ​ឃ្លាំមើល​សិទ្ធិមនុស្ស​អន្តរជាតិ (Human Rights Watch) លើកឡើង​ថា សហគមន៍​អន្តរជាតិ​គួរ​ដាក់ទណ្ឌកម្ម​ទៅលើ​រដ្ឋា....

02/07/2024

Speaking to the Diplomat about Hun Manet's campaign of transnational repression, and Thailand shamefully going along...

In an emailed statement over the weekend, Phil Robertson of the advocacy group Human Rights Watch (HRW) said that the case was the latest example of the Thai government acquiescing in the transnational repression of neighboring states.

“Rounding up U.N. recognized refugees to please Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet ahead of his visit to Bangkok next week is hardly the best way for Thailand to persuade the international community it deserves a seat on the U.N. Human Rights Council,” Robertson said in the statement. “Thailand should not cooperate with his expanding transnational repression efforts."

The arrest of the three Cambodian dissidents came ahead of a state visit by Prime Minister Hun Manet on February 7.

02/07/2024

Statement by Phil Robertson, Deputy Asia Director
On Visit by Cambodia PM Hun Manet to Thailand
February 7, 2024

“PM Hun Manet’s public praise for Thailand’s arrest of Cambodian political activists in exile shows that he really is the new face of transnational repression in the Mekong sub-region. By trying to wipe out any sign of dissent both in Cambodia, and among the Khmer diaspora, Hun Manet is trying to surpass his father in dictatorial control and rights abusing actions. It’s absolutely shameful that the new Thai government is playing along with these outrageous acts by arresting Cambodian refugees fleeing from Manet’s iron-fisted rule. These refugees should be immediately and unconditionally released and permitted to seek safety and protection in a third country if that is what they want. Thailand’s leaders should recognize that being a good neighbor is about people too, and not just promoting trade and investment, and doing natural gas deals.”

02/05/2024

For Khmer speaking friends, talking to Voice of America (VOA) about government's outrageous & unacceptable detention of Cambodian refugees on the eve of a visit by dictatorial Cambodia PM Hun Manet.

អង្គការ​ឃ្លាំ​មើល​សិទ្ធិ​មនុស្ស​អន្តរ​ជាតិ​(Human Rights Watch)​ដែល​មាន​មូលដ្ឋាន​នៅ​សហរដ្ឋ​អាមេរិក​បាន​ចាត់​ទុក​ថ....

02/03/2024

Statement attributable to Phil Robertson, Deputy Asia Director, Human Rights Watch
on the Thai crackdown on Cambodian refugees in Thailand
February 3, 2024

“Rounding up UN recognized refugees to please Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet ahead of his visit to Bangkok next week is hardly the best way for Thailand to persuade the international community it deserves a seat on the UN Human Rights Council. The Thai authorities should release refugees Phan Phana, Kung Raiya, and Loem Sokha, and their families, and cease the crackdown on Cambodian rights and democracy activists who have fled to Thailand. Hun Manet is proving to be the same kind of human rights abusing dictator that his father was, and Thailand should not cooperate with his expanding transnational repression efforts.”

01/30/2024

Speaking today to Radio Free Asia about the appeals trial of Cambodia political opposition leader Kem Sokha...

“Today’s decision by the Phnom Penh Appeals Court to refuse to lift visitation restrictions on Kem Sokha’s lawyers shows again that in all aspects, the court’s handling of this case on baseless treason charges has never been free or fair,” said Human Rights Watch Deputy Asia Director Phil Robertson.

“No country that truly respects international human rights standards would ever require a prosecutor’s office to approve a defendant’s access to his legal counsel.

“The prosecution of Kem Sokha and other opposition members on these ridiculous, politically motivated charges exposes the complete lack of independence of the Cambodian judiciary.

“This also reveals how Cambodia’s new prime minister has done nothing to address the lack of rule of law and fundamental freedoms in the country.”

“Cambodia’s aid and trade partners should publicly condemn the injustices against Kem Sokha, and make it clear to Prime Minister Hun Manet that there will be no business as usual until Kem Sokha is freed,” Human Rights Watch’s Robertson said Tuesday.

Tuesday's hearing was the first of 9 to be heard by judges.

01/24/2024

“Cambodia’s new government has picked up where the previous government left off in its persecution of government critics,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The authorities should respect the right to free expression and immediately and unconditionally release Ny Nak.”

“Prime Minister Hun Manet is continuing down the same rights-abusing path as his father, and outspoken dissidents like Ny Nak will bear the brunt of that abuse,” Robertson said. “Cambodia’s aid and trade partners should ensure that their future engagement with the government is based on tangible and systematic improvements in human rights.”

The Cambodian authorities should drop all charges against Ny Nak, an outspoken critic of the government who was arrested on January 5, 2024, in response to comments he posted on Facebook, and immediately release him.