Prime Minister Hun Sen on Tuesday strongly defended the draft “state of emergency” legislation and said that while it was very unlikely it would be enforced, it was prudent to pass the draft law if such a situation were to arise that would necessitate the extreme measure.
The newly-proposed law on declaring a national emergency would potentially give Cambodian government sweeping powers and unlimited access to martial power to enforce an emergency, while vastly controlling the citizenry’s online and offline activities.
The draft legislation would allow for the curtailment of civil rights and liberties, such as freedom of movement, expression, association, and assembly – all enshrined in the Cambodian Constitution – and widely criticized by rights groups.
