Salem-News.com Cambodia articles

Oregon Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Sexually Abusing Children at Orphanage in Cambodia

Johnson systematically and repeatedly molested children who lived at an unlicensed orphanage he started and ran in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

(EUGENE, Ore.) - 40-year old Daniel Stephen Johnson, of Coos Bay, Oregon, was sentenced to life in federal prison on January 18th for repeatedly sexually abusing children who lived at an orphanage operated by the defendant in Cambodia.

In a jury trial last May, the "American missionary" was convicted on six counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place and one count each of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and aggravated sexual assault with a child.

Cambodia: Trade Union Leader and Human Rights Defender Mr Rong Chhun Issued with Court Summons

Immediately and unconditionally drop all charges against Rong Chhun as they are solely motivated by his peaceful and legitimate work in defence of human rights. —William Nicholas Gomes, Human Rights Ambassador for Salem-News.com

(WASHINGTON, DC) - Human Rights Ambassador for Salem-News.com is concerned that the summons received by Rong Chhun as well as the threats to revoke the license of the CITA are directly related to their peaceful and legitimate activities in the defence of human rights, in particular labour rights, as well as to the exercise of the legitimate right to peaceful assembly, and sees this as an attempt to put an end to these activities.

The summons also comes in the context of the above-mentioned nationwide strikes by garment workers and a heavy-handed reaction by security forces.

Cambodia: Arrests and Ongoing Detention of Human Rights Defenders Messrs Vorn Pao, Theng Savoeun and Chan Putisak

Nationwide strikes demanding better wages for garment workers have been met with violence by the Cambodian security forces.

(WASHINGTON, DC) - On 8 January 2014 the Cambodian Center for Human Rights received confirmation that human rights defenders Messrs Vorn Pao, Theng Savoeun and Chan Putisak, as well as seven other individuals, are being detained in Correctional Centre 3 (CC3) in Kampong Cham Province.

The human rights defenders were arrested by military police along with a number of garment factory workers and five monks, while they were protesting outside the Yak Jin clothing factory on 2 January 2014. Vorn Pao is president of the Independent Democracy of Informal Economic Association (IDEA).

Cambodia: Ongoing Threats Against Human Rights Defender Mr Ou Virak

Human Rights Ambassador for Salem-News.com, William Nicholas Gomes shared concern about the Ongoing threats against human rights defender Mr Ou Virak.

(Washington, D.C) - Over the past three weeks, human rights defender Mr. Ou Virak has been receiving a number of death threats as well as threats of violence against his family.

Ou Virak is the President of Cambodian Centre for Human Rights (CCHR), a non-aligned human rights organisation which works to promote and protect human rights of all people.

Rohingya in Cambodia as Asylum Seekers

A brief statement of the Rohingya in Cambodia: Chris Lewa, founder and director of The Arakan Project visited Cambodia in 19 may 2010 and returned after three days.

(RANGOON Burma Times) - Ibrahim shah – It is learnt accurately by our correspondent that about 32 Rohingya people in Cambodia are in dire situation who fled Burma desperately to escape discrimination of the Burmese Buddhist majority regime and finally reached there since 2010.

They are still out of refugee or asylum seeker status despite they pleaded many times to various NGOs, humanitarian organizations and UNHCR. In reiteration, many institutions interviewed them; however, in consequence it is in vain yet.

Cambodia: Civil society Events Disrupted by Authorities Ahead of ASEAN Summit

Calling the Cambodian govt out over violations of rights.

(SALEM) - The Cambodian government must cease all disruptions of peaceful and legitimate civil society events.

Statement by the Press Secretary on the President Traveling to Asia

Additional details about the trip will be released at a later date.

(WASHINGTON DC) - The following statement was released today, we had reported in recent days that Obama would visit Rangoon, and now that has been confirmed by the White House.

The President will travel to Bangkok, Thailand; Rangoon, Burma and Phnom Penh, Cambodia from November 17-20.

Cambodia: Free Human Rights Defenders

Messrs Ou Virak, Pen Bonnar, Chhay Thy and Sok Ratha, all questioned over land rights activism.

(SALEM) - Four Cambodian land rights activists were have been summoned and questioned by police for their advocacy.

In fact two of those in police custody; Pen Bonnar and Chhay Thy, have been on the government's radar since they began investigating the land conflict between local ethnic minority groups in 1998.

Cambodia: Stop Any Judicial Actions Against Mr. Chan Soveth

Cambodia seeks to jail a Human Rights Defender, our Human Rights Ambassador contacts the government representative in UN.

(SALEM) - After its long history of Genocide and years of self-destruction, Cambodia's political leaders must join the modern world and adhere to international laws that protect human beings from heinous political persecution.

It seems more than bleak when a nation's Human Rights Defenders become the target of aggressive, negative government interest.

Joint Letter Calling for Dismissal of Phnom Penh Deputy Police Chief Phuong Malay

Cambodia is a party to the UN Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women; yet police are still allowed to abuse and torment female victims.

(PHNOM PENH, Cambodia) - Police abuse of peaceful protestors is a problem that spans the world. Occupy demonstrators in the U.S. have been harmed time and time again, many seriously.