We, the under-signed members of Cambodian NGOs and civil society, deeply regret the arrest and detention of Cambodian Center for Human Rights president Kem Sokha, Community Legal Education Center director Yeng Virak, and Cambodian Center for Human Rights deputy president Pa Nguon Teang, on charges of defamation.

The arrests relate to the celebrations held in Phnom Penh to mark International Human Rights Day on December 10, 2005, which were attended by more than 10,000 people. This rare and important event was authorized by the government and organized by NGOs and other civil society organizations. The authorization and support for this mass gathering of people seemed to be a positive step to promote human rights in Cambodia.

Therefore, we are deeply disappointed by the subsequent arrests of Kem Sokha, Yeng Virak, and Pa Nguon Teang, which have created fear within civil society and the public, restricted freedom of expression, and set back human rights in Cambodia. The arrests were in connection with the displaying of a banner at the December 10 celebrations which contained hand-written comments by Cambodian citizens expressing their opinions. The free and public expression of opinions, including those which are critical of the government and its leaders, is a fundamental human right and an essential feature of any truly democratic country.

Although the government has publicly stated that it still respects freedom of expression, it has used criminal defamation complaints to prevent debate on a particular political issue. We are concerned that defamation charges may continue to be used to arrest individuals who dare to express their opinions, and that citizens will become increasingly afraid to exercise their freedom of expression.

Cambodian NGOs and associations appeal to the government to acknowledge the important role civil society organizations and citizens have in developing Cambodia into a modern progressive country. Furthermore, we urge the authorities to release and drop all charges against Kem Sokha, Yeng Virak, Pa Nguon Teang, Mam Sonando and Rong Chhun and to discontinue any plans for similar arrests and prosecutions of other activists.

We welcome the release on bail of Yeng Virak on January 11, and we hope that all charges will be dropped against him and the other four individuals.

សេចក្តីថ្លែងការណ៍នេះគាំទ្រដោយ៖
១. Action Research on AIDS and Mobility (CARAM Cambodia)
២. Cambodian Association for Informal Economy Development (CAID)
៣. Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR)
៤. Cambodian Center for the Protection of Children's Rights (CCPCR)
៥. Cambodian Committee of Women (CAMBOW)
៦. Cambodian Defenders Project (CDP)
៧. Cambodian Health and Human Rights Alliance (CHHRA)
៨. Cambodian Independent Of Civil Servants Association (CICA)
៩. Cambodian Independent Teachers' Association (CITA)
១០. Cambodian Labor Organization (CLO)
១១. Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO)
១២. Cambodian Tourism and Service Workers Federation (CTSWF)
១៣. Cambodian Women's Crisis Center (CWCC)
១៤. Center for Social Development (CSD)
១៥. Coalition of Cambodia Apparel Workers Democratic Union (CCAWDU)
១៦. Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (COMFREL)
១៧. Community Legal Education Center (CLEC)
១៨. Democratic Independent Solidarity Union Federation (DISUF)
១៩. Disability Action Council (DAC)
២០. Human Rights and Community Outreach Projects (OUTREACH)
២១. Indradevi Association (IDA)
២២. Informal Development Economic Association (IDEA)
២៣. Khmer Kampuchea Krom Coordination Committee (KKKCC)
២៤. Khmer Kampuchea Krom for Human Rights and Development Association (KKKHRDA)
២៥. Khmer Kampuchea Krom Human Rights Organization (KKKHRO)
២៦. Khmer Student Association (KSA)
២៧. Khmer Youth Association (KYA)
២៨. Legal Aid of Cambodia (LAC)
២៩. Mission of Generous Cambodian Alliance (GENEROUS)
៣០. Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Election in Cambodia (NICFEC)
៣១. Open Forum of Cambodia
៣២. Star Kampuchea
៣៣. Strey Khmer
៣៤. Student's Movement for Democracy (SMD)
៣៥. The Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC)
៣៦. The Cambodian Human Rights Task Force (CHRTF)
៣៧. VIGILANCE
៣៨. Youth Council of Cambodia (YCC)
៣៩. Action Aid International (AAI)
៤០. American Center for Internatiional Labor Solidarity (ACILS)
៤១. Care International in Cambodia (Care)
៤២. Caritas Cambodia
៤៣. Concern Worldwide (CONCERN)
៤៤. Cooperation Committee for Cambodia (CCC)
៤៥. Dan Church Aid (DCA)
៤៦. Development and Partnership In Action (DPA)
៤៧. Diakonia
៤៨. East West Management Institute-Program on Rights and Justice (EWMI-PRAJ)
៤៩. Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ)
៥០. Federation Internationale des Droits de l'Homme (FIDH)
៥១. FORUM-ASIA
៥២. Forum Syd
៥៣. German Agro Action (GAA)
៥៤. Global Witness (GW)
៥៥. Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF)
៥៦. Informal Sector Service Center (INSEC)
៥៧. Inter Church Organization for Development Cooperation (ICCO)
៥៨. International Institute of the IOGT-NTO Movement
៥៩. International Republican Institute (IRI)
៦០. Lutheran World Federation (LWF)
៦១. National Democratic Institute (NDI)
៦២. NGO Forum on Cambodia
៦៣. Norwegian People's Aid (NPA)
៦៤. Oxfam America
៦៥. Oxfam Australia
៦៦. Oxfam Belgium
៦៧. Oxfam GB
៦៨. Oxfam Netherlands (NOVIB)
៦៩. PACT Cambodia
៧០. Servants to Asia's Urban Poor (SERVANTS)
៧១. Taksvarkki
៧២. The Asia Foundation (TAF)
៧៣. Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO)
៧៤. Wild Aid
៧៥. World Hope International (WHI)
៧៦. World Vision Cambodia (WVC)
៧៧. Am Sam Ath 54 Keat Bophal 107 Rin Sareth
៧៨. Ang Chanthy 55 Keo Bunthoeun 108 Sam Sophal
៧៩. Ath Sothea 56 Khiev Chan 109 Samreth Chantha
៨០. Barber Jason 57 Khim Sakhen 110 Sao Chanhorm
៨១. Bernard Crenn 58 Kim Praphea 111 Sao Phearak
៨២. Bong Sopheak 59 Kong Chanmony 112 Sar Bopha
៨៣. Bou Chantha 60 Kong Chanroatha 113 Sar Vannara
៨៤. Bou Vireak 61 Kouy Kakada 114 Sath Thida
៨៥. Boun Narith 62 Kum Unique 115 Say Sophann
៨៦. Buntuon Settheary 63 Lam Sovathara 116 Sem Socheata
៨៧. Bul Porn 64 Leang Sokly 117 Sen Sophal
៨៨. Chan Bunnara 65 Leng Yen 118 Seth Vannak
៨៩. Chan Soveth 66 Lim Soknga 119 Sin Chenda
៩០. Chann Socheat 67 Lim Y 120 Sin Vannsin
៩១. Chao Leakvanna 68 Long Borin 121 Sin Visam
៩២. Chea Chey Sovanna 69 Long Lun 122 Sngoun Akhara
៩៣. Chea Nara 70 Long Sokha 123 Soeung Sarann
៩៤. Chea Sothea 71 Lor Saheur 124 Sok Kim Tith
៩៥. Cheav Kim Ieng 72 Man Sotheara 125 Son Khen
៩៦. Cheav Socheat 73 Mathieu Pellerin 126 Soun Ngoun Y
៩៧. Chheav Hourlay 74 Mey Sovannara 127 Soung Khun Vireakboth
៩៨. Chheng Sokaly 75 Moeun Tola 128 Soy Chinda
៩៩. Chhim Channeang 76 Mom Lida 129 Srey Senkosal
១០០. Chhim Ratana 77 Mon Yekea 130 Sun Kongsith
១០១. Chhoeung Sin 78 Muth Piseth 131 Sun Tek
១០២. Chhoeuy Roth 79 Neang Pannha 132 Suth Se
១០៣. Chhor Sokly 80 Ngeng Teng 133 Suy Cham Nan
១០៤. Chhoum Run 81 Ngeth Soseng 134 Svay Kunthea
១០៥. Chhum Seng 82 Nhean Sarin 135 Svay Thy
១០៦. Chin Lyda 83 Nhoung Samoeun 136 Tep Naroth
១០៧. Chom Chet 84 Nhov Simean 137 Thav Kim San
១០៨. Chor Chandara 85 Nong Sarin 138 Theng Meng
១០៩. Choup Veasna 86 Nou Puthyk 139 Thlok Landy
១១០. Chrea Sreang 87 Oeng Jeudy 140 Thong Kosal
១១១. Delapree Pascal 88 Om Chhorvath 141 Tieng Chansopheak
១១២. Ear Nhar 89 On Sakan 142 Tim Sisoda
១១៣. Eng Chhunhan 90 O'Shea Deirdre 143 Tol Sambo
១១៤. Forbes Bill 91 Ouch Chandareth 144 Touch Settha
១១៥. Galabru Kek 92 Ouch Leng 145 Tuy Saran
១១៦. Hai Didardypeng 93 Ounsted Josh 146 Un Thanann
១១៧. Hang Chandara 94 Pal Rotanak 147 Ung Bunthan
១១៨. Heang Sophea 95 Pang Sivutha 148 Ung Somith
១១៩. Heng Bong 96 Path Vannaran 149 Vann Sophath
១២០. Heng Say Hong 97 Pe Vannak 150 Ven Lonn
១២១. Hiep Sokly 98 Pean Rothamanith 151 Vong Kosal
១២២. Hong Eng 99 Phan Rothanak 152 Vong Saroeun
១២៣. Horng Lairapo 100 Pheng Horn 153 Yat Kamsant
១២៤. Hun Seang Hak 101 Pilorge Naly 154 Yim Kawa
១២៥. Hut Sopheak 102 Po Neang 155 Yim Yean
១២៦. Ieng Pich 156 Yin Hakley
១២៧. Im Norin 104 Put Sarothromchang 157 Yun Phally
១២៨. Im Phanna 105 Rann Vannchorn
១២៩. Kann Sopheak 106 Ret Channeav

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