(In-person only)

Going into detail of the major, new development and advocacy opportunity regarding the issue of evictions, namely the Angkor Wat mass evictions. Amnesty International has informed us of a special World Heritage Committee meeting next month, from July 21-31 in New Delhi, India, addressing the Angkor Wat evictions. In response, the Khmer Community will issue two major complaints on behalf of the evictees, concurrently focusing on UNESCO’s failure to enforce the Agreement. One complaint will be hand-delivered to UNESCO's Paris headquarters, and the other will be submitted during the World Heritage Committee's July meeting.

Over the next several weeks, the Khmer Community will be working closely with Amnesty International, UNESCO, and the World Heritage Committee to end these evictions and highlight these violations to the international community. The evicted Angkor Wat community in particular will be at the forefront of the discussions, their voices and statements will receive priority. 

Limited space. Registration is required. Contact Nalen.Smith@savecambodia.org for inquiries.

Sponsored by:
Cambodian Association of Illinois (CAI)
Cambodian Heritage Museum and Killing Fields
Cambodian American for Human Rights and Democracy (CAHRAD)

PROGRAM AGENDA

Moderator: Norea Nuon and Kolvath Som
Program Coordinator: Montha Ok

8:00am - 9:00am
Breakfast

9:00am - 10:00am
Open discussions continued

10:00- 11:00am
Complaint submission to the World Heritage Committee on improper management of Angkor Wat heritage site by UNESCO on behalf of the Khmer Community, including representatives of more than 2,000 improperly evicted long-term residents of the 113 “traditional residential villages” that are part of the Angkor Wat World Heritage Site, with the residents of Khnat Commune, Puck District, Siem Reap Province taking the lead.

Upcoming Khmer Advocacy Activities Session

Saturday, June 29 2024, at 12:00 PM EST

The session will outline ongoing and new advocacy activities following the 8 May 2024 Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on Cambodia. It will introduce innovative advocacy tools developed by the Khmer Community, and emphasize the need for continued efforts. Key topics include Amnesty International's report on mass evictions and the establishment of a Chinese naval base in Cambodia. Active community involvement remains crucial for promoting meaningful human rights progress in Cambodia.

Over the past two years, the Khmer Community has been engaging in a major effort to present their complaints to the Hun Sen government, focusing heavily on the upcoming 2023 elections. The UN, especially the UN Special Rapporteur on Cambodia, Vitit Muntarbhorn, has taken extensive action for the first time, concentrating on the election process and its deficiencies. They, along with the UN Member States during the 8 May Cambodia Universal Periodic Review (UPR) session at the Human Rights Council, concluded that the extensive human rights, democracy, and rule of law abuses by the Hun Sen government have made fair, free, and legitimate elections impossible.

With the UN actions concluding at the 8 May review, the Khmer Community is at a critical point, determining the direction of their advocacy efforts and strategizing their next steps. Where does the Khmer Community go from here?

Recently, major developments and advocacy opportunities have come to light. Amnesty International's report on the Angkor Wat evictions extensively documents how UNESCO and the Cambodian government failed to monitor compliance with the World Heritage Agreement, leading to widespread evictions. Additionally, the establishment of a major new Chinese military facility in Cambodia directly violates the Cambodian Constitution and the Paris Peace Accords.

This workshop will explore these new developments and discuss strategic advocacy actions to address these issues effectively. Your participation and insights will be crucial in shaping the future course of our collective efforts.

Limited space. Registration is required (in-person and online). Contact Nalen.Smith@savecambodia.org for inquiries.

Sponsored by:
Cambodian Association of Illinois (CAI)
Cambodian Heritage Museum and Killing Fields
Cambodian American for Human Rights and Democracy (CAHRAD)

PROGRAM AGENDA

Moderator: Norea Nuon and Kolvath Som
Program Coordinator: Montha Ok

8:00am - 8:50am
Registration and Breakfast

8:50am - 9:00am
Opening Event

9:00am - 9:30am
Museum Memorial Respect Ceremony

9:30am - 10:00am
Welcoming and Opening Remarks by the Cambodian Association of Illinois and National Cambodian Heritage Museum and Killing Fields and Cambodian American for Human Rights and Democracy (CAHRAD)

Introduction to Save Cambodia

10:00am - 10:30am
Save Cambodia History

10:30am - 10:55am
Community Testimonies

10:45am - 11:10am
Post-UPR46 Session - Five Things You Need To Know About Upcoming Khmer Advocacy Activities

11:10am - 11:40am
How do these advocacy efforts help protect Khmer in-country?

11:40am - 12:10pm
Building on top of successes and new opportunities

12:10pm - 12:40pm
Lunch

Strategic Planning Session

12:40pm - 1:00pm
False Hope: ‘Appeasing and Legitimizing Hun Manet’

1:00pm-1:15pm
Coffee/Snack Break

1:15pm - 4:45pm
Open Discussions: Letting go of old and ineffective methods and moving toward meaningful and effective change, trade and development aid sanctions and Amnesty International, UNESCO and Save Angkor campaign

Click to watch the webinar

At this webinar, you will hear from Brad Adams, former executive Asia director of Human Rights Watch, where he will be direct and open about the successes and failures he has witnessed working with the Khmer community worldwide throughout the years. He will help us shift our perception and approach — a needed readjustment — so that we can become more focused and strategic in our efforts.

We will discuss what has happened since our last webinar on October 3, 2021, including the Commission of Inquiry for Cambodia, the meaning and implications of the French Criminal Court's decision, and how they both impact Cambodia and its people. Thayvie Sinn, Founder/President of Save Cambodia, will discuss how the Commission of Inquiry for Cambodia inspired the creation of the Khmunity Campaign, which has launched the Khmer Urgent Action Network and the Khmunity Freedom Park to help the Khmer community worldwide gather their strengths, to become more influential and impactful in their quest for justice and accountability.

Moderator:

• Thayvie Sinn, Founder and President

Speaker:

• Brad Adams, Former Executive Asia Director of Human Rights Watch

Watch the Special Session Here

The Commission of Inquiry for Cambodia is holding a Special Session in conjunction with the United Nations Human Rights Committee's official review session on Cambodia's compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Recognizing the need for a unified international effort to address major human rights abuses, we aim to highlight this reality and establish a coordinated approach by connecting our Commission's efforts with those of the UN Human Rights Committee. As part of this endeavor, we have submitted a "List of Issues" and an official statement summarizing key findings and recommendations to the UN Human Rights Committee.

The Statement presented by the Commission of Inquiry for Cambodia emphasized the concerning deterioration of the Hun Sen government's campaign of repression, showcasing five recent developments that display an alarming escalation in disregard for democratic principles and internationally accepted rule of law standards. They include the forced and unlawful return of Cambodian refugees from Thailand, ongoing mass criminal trials against opposition political party leaders and members, the extrajudicial execution of youth leader Sin Khon with indications of government involvement, and the forced closure of the environmental protection group Mother Nature.

Motivated by the Commission of Inquiry's efforts to draw international attention to the severe human rights and democracy abuses perpetrated by the Hun Sen government, the Khmer community has established an Urgent Action Case Alert System to mobilize action on the most critical cases. This system enables community members to write letters of concern and protest directly to high-ranking officials of the Hun Sen government, urging immediate attention and action in cases that demand urgent intervention.

Speaker:

• Louisa Coan Greve, Commissioner, Commission of Inquiry for Cambodia

• Seyla Nhean, Khmunity Campaign Coordinator, Save Cambodia

Voiceover:

• Mehgan Andrzejewski, Voiceover Professional

Watch the Opening Session Here

This is the opening session of the independent citizens-based fact-finding Commission of Inquiry for Cambodia designed to tell the truth to power about how and why democracy and human rights are being systematically destroyed in Cambodia by the Cambodian government. The Commission begins its work on October 23, 2021 marking the 30th anniversary of the Paris Peace Accords, the international agreement that ended the Indo-China wars and established the internationally agreed-upon framework for the operation and governance of the modern state of Cambodia.

We will begin to see and hear in the strictest of terms the reality of how and why the Cambodian government has destroyed democracy and human rights in Cambodia for its benefit and at the expense of the Cambodian people. We will help everyone understand why these repressive policies and practices violated not only the Paris Peace Accords but numerous international treaties and international laws. We will identify the remedial actions that now must be taken to bring about meaningful and systemic change and improvement on the democracy and human rights fronts. 

The Commission's examination will focus on significant and widespread violations of international standards for democracy and human rights by the Cambodian government. These include the eradication of democracy, the suppression of press freedom and independent media, the curtailment of free speech and association rights, the abuse of the judicial system and law enforcement, as well as the unjustifiable use of arbitrary arrests and imprisonment to stifle government criticism.

Speaker:

• Keynote Speaker: Hong Lim, Former Australian Member of Parliament of Victoria

• Louisa Coan Greve, Commissioner, Commission of Inquiry for Cambodia

• Paul Hoffman, Commissioner, Commission of Inquiry for Cambodia

Testimonies:

• Rachana Bou, wife on behalf of the late political analyst, Kem Ley

Community Members:

• Rany Lushinski, Vice President, Cambodian Americans for Human Rights and Democracy (CAHRAD)

• Setha Duoc, President, Cambodia League for Human Citizens Rights

• Kiet Pen, Vice President, Cambodian Alliance for Paris Peace Agreements on Cambodia (CAPPAC Global)

• Riel Dararak, Member, Khmer Unity for Cambodia (KUC)

Voiceover:

• Mehgan Andrzejewski, voiceover on behalf of the late President of Cambodia’s Free Trade Union of Workers, Chea Vichea

• Deborah Wetzel, Voiceover Professional

This webinar is a follow-up session from the July 18 information sharing and strategic planning webinar with Brad Adams of Human Rights Watch that provided new insight on how to Khmer community needs to proceed with advocacy work. This webinar session will allow the Khmer community to share their reactions to his July 18 proposals and to move towards the more “meaningful, effective, and systemic” improvements in the democracy and human rights picture for Cambodia that he suggested. In addition, further information will be provided at the session on the work of the proposed citizens-based independent fact-finding Commission of Inquiry on Cambodia that will hold its opening session on October 23, 2021, as the centerpiece for the Khmer community’s joint, coordinated observance of the Paris Peace Accords.

Moderator:

• Thayvie Sinn, Founder and President of Save Cambodia

Speakers:

• Brad Adams, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch Asia Division

• Morton Sklar, Founding Executive Director Emeritus, Human Rights USA

The purpose of this session is to provide an opportunity for you to share your recent work and advocacy activities this past year and discuss "action steps and pressure points" to help address urgent concerns and find effective coping strategies and remedies on:

1. How can we use the Paris Peace Accords Human Rights and democracy support provisions as a framework for evaluating and addressing the current deficiencies and concerns? Given the availability of the upcoming 30th Anniversary commemorations as a means for giving special attention to the Accords;

2. How we address the obvious deficiencies in the upcoming elections in 2022 and 2013, and provide for a more realistic opportunity for the political opposition to function on an effective basis, and for a true democratic, free and fair election to take place; and

3. How to deal with and what opportunities are available to address the current major series of repressive tactics and to prevent additional arrests, trials and restrictions on freedom of expression.

Moderator:

• Thayvie Sinn, Founder and President of Save Cambodia

Speakers:

• Brad Adams, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch Asia Division

• Morton Sklar, Founding Executive Director Emeritus, Human Rights USA

49th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council
Palais Des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland
Romm XXII

We will engage in a comprehensive dialogue addressing various critical topics at this side event. We will begin by examining the alarming deterioration of human rights and the growing constraints on democratic space. Furthermore, we will analyze the effectiveness of the past 28 years, assessing both the accomplishments and the persistent challenges. Emphasizing the utmost importance of government accountability and transparency, we will discuss how these factors contribute to fostering inclusiveness within civil society. Finally, we will explore effective strategies for the international community to enforce the standards outlined in the Paris Peace Accord.

Moderator:

• Thayvie Sinn, Founder and President of Save Cambodia

Panelists:

• Morton Sklar, Founding Executive Director Emeritus, Human Rights USA, and Lead Attorney in the lawsuit against Hun Sen 2005

• Kol Preap, Executive Director of Transparency International Cambodia

• Kimsor Lim, Representative of Mother Nature Cambodia

• Sinon Sil, Secretary of Cambodian Alliance for Paris Peace Agreements on Cambodia, Australia

Partnerships:

• Cambodian Alliance for Paris Peace Agreements on Cambodia, Australia

• Khmer National Building Conference