2017年9月11日から29日までスイス・ジュネーブで開催された第36会期国連人権理事会にて、国際人権NGOヒューマンライツ・ナウ（HRN）は、カンボジア政府が行っている脅迫行為について口頭発言を行いました。

発言の様子はHRNのYouTubeチャンネル映像でご覧にいただけます。

発言の原文は以下をご確認ください。

Thank you Mr. Vice-President,

Human Rights Now expresses grave concern over suppression of political groups, civil society, and media in Cambodia through intimidation and harassment as the 2018 general election approaches.

Earlier this month, party leader Kem Sokha was imprisoned for treason despite political immunity, and former leader, Sam Rainsy, has been in exile to escape prosecution since November 2015. Fourteen CNRP officials and supporters remain imprisoned for participating in protests in 2014.

Vague language in the 2015 Law on Associations and Non-governmental Organizations also unduly restricts Cambodian NGOs by allowing officials to threaten deregistering them. This year the Ministry of Interior ordered CSO members of the election monitoring association Situation Room to cease their activities or face sanctions, including closure, after it reported flaws in the 2017 communal elections.

The independent radio stations RFA and VOD were also forced to shut down, as was the most independent and critical investigative newspaper, Cambodia Daily, after being accused of tax evasion following an arbitrarily huge tax bill.

Mr. Vice-President,

We urge the Cambodian government to cease its threats, harassment, and arbitrary prosecution of political figures, civil society activists, and media, and to respect their rights to freedom of expression in order to ensure a fair and transparent general election in 2018.

Thank you.