The draft “state of emergency” law has received strong criticism from civil society members, human rights defenders, and politicians for the wide-ranging powers it gives to the government with nearly no accountability.
In a copy of the draft leaked late Tuesday, later verified by a Justice Ministry spokesperson, the law aims to give the government sweeping powers during a national emergency, while at the same time curbing a range of fundamental freedoms enshrined in the Constitution.
The newly-proposed law on national emergency would potentially give Cambodian government unlimited access to martial power to enforce an emergency, while vastly controlling the citizenry’s online and offline activities.
