Human Rights Watch has accused the Cambodian government of using criminal prosecutions, detention, and forced public confessions to weaken political opposition and reinforce the ruling party’s grip on power.
In a report released on June 22, the international rights group alleged that Cambodian authorities have repeatedly brought criminal charges against opposition activists and supporters, using detention as leverage to pressure them into publicly apologizing, admitting wrongdoing, and joining the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) in exchange for their release.
Human Rights Watch said the confessions were often disseminated through media outlets aligned with the government, which it said helped undermine public confidence in opposition figures and weaken dissenting political movements.
The report is based on a review of more than 140 videos and news reports collected over the past decade, as well as interviews with activists, opposition party members, relatives of detainees, and defense lawyers.
Bryony Lau, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said Cambodian authorities were using what she described as “unreasonable” criminal charges to pressure activists into confessing and joining the ruling party.
“By forcing activists to join the Cambodian People’s Party, the authorities seek to discredit them and further entrench one-party rule,” Lau said.
Human Rights Watch cited testimony from one activist who said officials approached him while he was in prison and told him that if he agreed to join the CPP, he would be released and could even be offered a position in government.
A lawyer representing government critics also told the organization that his clients, all political activists, had faced pressure to confess and join the ruling party to secure their freedom.
The report further criticized what it described as a lack of judicial independence in Cambodia, arguing that charges such as “incitement to commit a crime” and “conspiracy against the state” are frequently used against government critics and opposition figures.
Human Rights Watch called on the Cambodian government to end what it described as politically motivated prosecutions, overturn convictions it considers unjust, and release opposition politicians and activists it says have been imprisoned unfairly.
The rights group warned that the continued use of forced confessions could further erode political freedoms and public confidence in Cambodia’s democratic institutions.
The Cambodia Daily was unable to reach government spokesman Pen Bona for comment before publication. Cambodian officials have previously rejected allegations that the judiciary is used to target political opponents, maintaining that legal action is taken only against individuals who violate the law.
