by Pedrazo » Mon Jul 20, 2015 4:36 pm
I don't know if this is becoming a theme, but I saw this article today:
Five Arrested Over Anti-NGO Law Leaflets
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/five ... lets-88882
The article begins with a sentence that supports the headline, where handing out leaflets got some people arrested:
"Authorities in Phnom Penh arrested and released five activists on Saturday for handing out leaflets urging residents to “Say No” to a pending NGO law that critics fear will be used to muzzle critics of the ruling CPP."
Except when they interview Dimanche, the PP city spokesman, he says they were arrested for protesting in public without permission and for holding up traffic. The only quote about the leaflets from him is a goofy one about how some people who read the leaflets were littering, though apparently the police also asked the arrestees who was behind the protest and had them promise to stop handing out the leaflets.
But back on to the topic, in my understanding Cambodia's laws on protesting are pretty clear. There's something called the Law on Peaceful Demonstrations that spells out the rules, and the UN has a handy guide (in leaflet form, no less) on what the procedure is to hold a protest. You have to notify the authorities, but they have to respond with an OK unless there are exceptional circumstances (and they have to give an explanation).
http://cambodia.ohchr.org/WebDOCs/DocPr ... 13_Eng.pdf
Per Dimanche's quotes they were arrested because they didn't have permission to protest. Maybe permission was asked for per procedure but it was not given (in which case the government is supposed to give a very good reason why), maybe it wasn't asked for at all, maybe it was granted and the police arrested people taking part in a legal protest. Unfortunately these relevant pieces of information aren't reported on.
I don't know if this is becoming a theme, but I saw this article today:
Five Arrested Over Anti-NGO Law Leaflets
[url]https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/five-arrested-over-anti-ngo-law-leaflets-88882[/url]
The article begins with a sentence that supports the headline, where handing out leaflets got some people arrested:
[quote]"Authorities in Phnom Penh arrested and released five activists on Saturday for handing out leaflets urging residents to “Say No” to a pending NGO law that critics fear will be used to muzzle critics of the ruling CPP."[/quote]
Except when they interview Dimanche, the PP city spokesman, he says they were arrested for protesting in public without permission and for holding up traffic. The only quote about the leaflets from him is a goofy one about how some people who read the leaflets were littering, though apparently the police also asked the arrestees who was behind the protest and had them promise to stop handing out the leaflets.
But back on to the topic, in my understanding Cambodia's laws on protesting are pretty clear. There's something called the Law on Peaceful Demonstrations that spells out the rules, and the UN has a handy guide (in leaflet form, no less) on what the procedure is to hold a protest. You have to notify the authorities, but they have to respond with an OK unless there are exceptional circumstances (and they have to give an explanation).
[url]http://cambodia.ohchr.org/WebDOCs/DocProgrammes/Peaceful_Assembly_Card_21_Aug_2013_Eng.pdf[/url]
Per Dimanche's quotes they were arrested because they didn't have permission to protest. Maybe permission was asked for per procedure but it was not given (in which case the government is supposed to give a very good reason why), maybe it wasn't asked for at all, maybe it was granted and the police arrested people taking part in a legal protest. Unfortunately these relevant pieces of information aren't reported on.