The arrest of three staffers from the Coalition of Cambodian Farmer Community (CCFC) and the unfounded charges of incitement and plotting against the nation marks yet another case of Cambodian authorities imprisoning human rights defenders for their peaceful activism. We, the undersigned groups, demand an end to the persecution of human rights
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) expresses deep concern over the disqualification of the Candlelight Party from contesting in the upcoming general election in Cambodia scheduled for July 2023. This decision by the National Election Committee (NEC) further undermines the democratic process in the country and denies the Cambodian people’s right
Lek Karry has been using a smartphone for nearly two years but the grade 12 student admits she still struggles to distinguish between real and fake information online. An indigenous Brao from Ke Kuong village in northeastern Ratanakiri province, Karry initially got a smartphone to study online during the height of the
Phnom Penh, February 13, 2023 – We, the undersigned media and civil society organizations, are deeply disturbed by Prime Minister Hun Sen’s order to revoke the license of Voice of Democracy (VOD), one of the last remaining independent media outlets in Cambodia. We also condemn the recent sexual harassment and intimidation of
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) condemns the shutdown of the Voice of Democracy (VOD) in Cambodia today, a blatant attack on media freedom and a gross violation of the Cambodian people’s right to access information. Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered the revocation of the license of the country’s one of
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) is concerned with the recent arrest of Candlelight Party's Thach Setha in Cambodia.
The Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (COMFREL) published the findings of their monitoring of the 2022 Commune and Sangkat Council Elections. COMFREL looked at several components of the election including the legal framework, election administration and management, campaign environment and the conduct of the polling and counting procedures on
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) is alarmed by the constitutional amendments passed on 28 July 2022 by the National Assembly of Cambodia that are detrimental to parliamentary democracy. The ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), which controls all of the seats in the National Assembly, is preparing for the post-Hun Sen
First published on COMFREL's website on 10 June 2022. Civil Society Organizations that have collaboratively deployed election observers to monitor the situation of the Commune/Sangkat Councils Election in the 5th mandate, which took place on 5 June 2022, have found election irregularities occurring during the polling process on the voting and counting
First published on COMFREL's website on 10 June 2022. During the campaign phase of the Commune /Sangkat Councils Election, 5th mandate 2022, the Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (COMFREL) deployed Long-Term Observers in the Capital and provinces to monitor the electoral process. During this election campaign process, COMFREL observed
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) published its pre-election assessment report of the 2022 Cambodia commune and sangkat council elections on 6 May 2022. Cambodia will hold its fifth commune and sangkat council elections on 5 June 2022. About 9.2 million registered voters are expected to elect the chief and councilors among over
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) will hold a joint press conference with the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights, Human Rights Watch and the International Commission of Jurists this Friday, 6 May 2022, about the human rights and democracy situation in Cambodia ahead of the Commune and Sangkat Council Elections. Cambodia
This monthly brief intends to provide an update on democracy and election-related issues in selected countries and territories under a restrictive environment. Download here: Monthly Brief on Countries under Restrictive Environment - Series #11: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Hong Kong & Myanmar (February 2022)
Download the full statement here: "Authorities must immediately stop using violence and arbitrary application of laws against peaceful women strikers"
This monthly brief intends to provide an update on democracy and election-related issues in selected countries and territories under a restrictive environment.
The following is the December issue of ANFREL's Monthly Brief on Countries under Restrictive Environment to provide an update on democracy and election-related issues in selected countries and territories under a restrictive environment. Download here: Monthly Brief on Countries under Restrictive Environment - Series #9: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar & Hong Kong
The following is the November issue of ANFREL's Monthly Brief on Countries under Restrictive Environment to provide an update on democracy and election-related issues in selected countries and territories under a restrictive environment. Download here: Monthly Brief on Countries under Restrictive Environment - Series #8: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar & Hong Kong (November 2021)
This monthly brief intends to provide an update on democracy and civil and political rights issues in selected countries and territories under a restrictive environment.
The following is the August issue of ANFREL's Monthly Brief on Countries under Restrictive Environment that covers democracy and civil and political rights issues in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Hong Kong.
The following is the August issue of ANFREL's Monthly Brief on Countries under Restrictive Environment that covers democracy and civil and political rights issues in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Hong Kong. Download here: Monthly Brief on Countries under Restrictive Environment - Series #5 (August 2021)
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL), the leading election monitoring group in Asia, is proud to launch its pilot media fellowship on election reporting for Southeast Asian journalists. The fellowship program seeks to equip journalists from independent news outlets and freelance journalists in empowering the electorate through crucial reporting of underrepresented
ANFREL started publishing the monthly brief on the countries under a restrictive environment in April 2021 to provide an insight into the human rights and democracy situation in these countries. This brief covers issues related to elections and civil and political rights in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Hong Kong. Download here: Monthly
Today, in advance of the fifth anniversary of the unlawful killing of prominent political commentator and human rights defender Kem Ley, the 45 undersigned organizations reiterate their call for the Cambodian authorities to create an independent Commission of Inquiry tasked with conducting an independent, impartial and effective investigation into Kem Ley’s death.
ANFREL published its June issue of the monthly brief on the countries under a restrictive environment. As usual, the brief covers issues related to elections and civil and political rights in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar and Hong Kong in the past month. Download here: Monthly Brief on Countries under Restrictive Environment - Series #3 (June
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Sunday charged four members of the Mother Nature environmental movement with plotting an attack against the state and insulting the king, part of the targeted and outrageous persecution of frontline environmental defenders and grassroots activists by the government. Authorities should stop imprisoning and start listening to
ANFREL started publishing the monthly brief on the countries under a restrictive environment in April 2021 to provide an insight into the human rights and democracy situation in these countries. In this issue, we will cover issues related to elections and civil and political rights in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar and Hong Kong.
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) hosted a session in the 2021 Gwangju Democracy Forum about “Democracy under Restrictive Environment” on 19 May 2021. The session discussed the state of democracy, challenges and threats in the Asian countries that saw democratic regression in Hong Kong, Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar. Panelists of
Phnom Penh, 3 May 2021 - On the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day, we - the undersigned non-governmental organizations – recall that freedom of expression includes the right to a free and independent media as well as the rights to hold opinions and to seek, receive or impart information and
Many Asian countries, especially in South and Southeast Asia, saw democratic regressions in the pastyear. The governments took advantage of the global health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic tofurther tighten the restraints on civil liberties and crackdown on dissenters and political opponents. Asa democracy advocate, ANFREL will start publishing the monthly
21 July 2020 Your excellency, We, the undersigned 33 civil society organizations, urge the Governments of Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, India, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden, the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America to echo the European Union (EU) in its call for the