Defending the Defenders: Security for Cambodian Human Rights Defenders

The work of human rights defenders (HRDs) is invaluable for the overall realisation of human rights protection and promotion, and consists of gathering and disseminating information, advocacy, mobilisation of public opinion, empowerment and support of victims of human rights violations.1 HRDs play an extremely important role in a democracy, encouraging political participation and pushing for good governance and transparency. The security situation and level of risk faced by Cambodian HRDs markedly deteriorated in 2012, a deterioration that continued into 2013. The Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) has cracked down dramatically on the work of HRDs in the run up to the national elections in 2013. It is the aim of this report to outline the main security threats currently faced by HRDs in Cambodia, to analyse the overall level of risk posed by these various threats, and to provide recommendations in order to mitigate this risk and promote HRD security.