Cambodia’s draft public order law is an assault on human rights that targets the most vulnerable in society, Amnesty International said today in a joint statement endorsed by 65 national and international civil society organizations calling for the proposed legislation to be scrapped.
An initial draft of the Law on Public Order was circulated by the Ministry of Interior in July. The draft contains a multitude of overly broad and arbitrary provisions which violate international human rights law and Cambodia’s own constitution.
“This proposed law is a blatant effort by the Cambodian government to expand its arbitrary control over the everyday lives of ordinary people in Cambodia. It is littered with frankly ridiculous restrictions on people’s freedoms – ranging from bans on wearing face masks inside buildings to speaking loudly,” said Ming Yu Hah, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific Deputy Regional Director.
