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Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (Adhoc) raised concerns that Cambodia’s fundamental rights, including peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, continue to face restrictions, as commune elections loom.
To date, NGO Adhoc’s record shows that 137 political, human rights and environmental activists, civil society members, trade unionists, journalists and other citizens remain imprisoned for exercising their rights.
A United Kingdom-supported 18-month program running from September 2026 to June 2028 was launched on Monday, focusing on protecting civil space and strengthening human rights resilience.
Adhoc president Ny Sokha said that over the last decade, fundamental rights and freedoms—the bedrock of democracy—continue to face restrictions and threats, such as the freedom of peaceful assembly and expression.
“I have seen until now that it does not seem to show any signs of improvement yet,” he remarked.
This is a matter of concern for us leading up to the upcoming elections, especially the 2027 commune election and the 2028 national election, Sokha said.
He believes that a negative atmosphere could pervade the upcoming commune elections if arrests continue, and no political prisoners are released or charges dropped.
Meanwhile, UK ambassador to Cambodia Dominic William called for stronger civic space in Cambodia, saying diverse political and civil society voices must be able to participate freely in public debate and help shape decisions affecting the country.
“I believe very strongly that if you want good decisions to be made, you need to have the opportunity for a range of views to be aired. You need to have the opportunity for a range of options to be heard, evaluated, and considered,” he said during the launch of the program.
Between July 2025 and February 2026, more than 30 opposition figures, activists and journalists were arrested over social media posts relating to the Cambodia-Thailand border clashes.
Cambodia was ranked among the world’s lowest-performing countries in the global Rule of Law Index 2025, which assessed 143 countries, falling further than in 2024.
Phuoy Sophea, a community representative in Banteay Meanchey, echoed concerns about the deteriorating human rights and democratic situation, saying local authorities had disrupted her commune forums which were organized to educate people about their rights.
“I am frustrated because the authorities did not cooperate with us. This affects the communities who do not have enough opportunities based on their rights,” she said.
Government spokesperson Pen Bona refuted the record of human rights violations kept by civil society groups, noting that the government fully respects and upholds freedom of expression and international covenants.
“I would like to request that the organization that made this report to help educate people, especially activists who identify themselves as political and environmental activists to study and clearly understand the right to freedom of expression,” he said.
“The question is: why does everyone express their opinion without facing problems, while a small group of people face legal issues?” he said.
Bona observed that activities subjected to legal actions are not those involving people expressing their opinion within the national framework and international law, rather those who violate the law.
Last week, Cambodia marked the 33rd anniversary of the promulgation of its Constitution which guarantees fundamental rights and freedoms and establishes the principles of democracy and the rule of law.
However, opposition political parties and rights groups said the government has yet to fully uphold constitutional principles, particularly by creating a political environment in which all parties and citizens can freely participate in the upcoming 2027 commune elections.
