International Human Rights Day 2013

International Human Rights Day planned events and marches

LICADHO will be covering activities marking the 65th International Human Rights Day (IHRD) live today and tomorrow. The day will open with a series of planned marches by grassroots, civil society, as well the Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP).

After a 10 day peace marches covering 1,000 kilometers, monks and citizens part of Friends of December 10's will all reach Phnom Penh by the end of today. On the morning of the 10th, the groups who walked on five national roads are planning to converge nearby the National Assembly:

• National Road #1 group will depart in the morning from Wat Nirot in Meanchey district;
• National Road #3 group will depart in the morning from Wat Stung Meanchey in Meanchey district;
• National Road #4 group will depart in the morning from Wat Neak Kravang in Tuol Kork district;
• National Road #5 group will depart in the morning from Wat Ottara Watey in Russei Keo district;
• National Road #6 group will depart in the morning from Wat Kleang Klang in Russei Keo district;

CNRP has also announced a series of marches during the morning of the 10th in the capital. Two groups will be led by Kem Sokha and Sam Rainsy and the third group by senior CNRP MPs:

• CNRP group #1 will leave from its headquarter in Cha Angre Krom in Meanchey district
• CNRP group #2 will leave from its headquarter in Tuol Kork district
• CNRP group #3 will leave from the public park in front of the Sokimex warehouse in Russei Keo district.

Then, thousands of citizens, monks, and representatives from communities, associations, unions, NGOs, and political parties will mark the occasion with several events tomorrow:

• Friends of December 10: monks and citizens will convene near the National Assembly to present to party leaders the concerns they heard across the country and press for a government commitment to end human rights violations.
• Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC): CHRAC, a coalition of NGOs, will gather around Wat Phnom to voice human rights needs.
• Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP): CNRP plans to organize mass rallies in Phnom Penh’s Freedom Park as well as northern Siem Reap.
• Cambodia People’s Party (CPP): CPP will organize meetings at Koh Pich.
• Phnom Penh municipality: The municipality has activities planned at the Olympic Stadium.

Click on the above map to zoom in on locations. Please note that these plans are subject to change.

Updated at 15:59 ICT

According to statements released yesterday, the Ministry of Interior (MOI) has acknowledged that CNRP may hold gatherings of up to 10,000 people in Freedom Park, between 7 am and 12 noon. Additionally, MOI acknowledged that CHRAC may hold gatherings up to 5,000 people in front of Wat Phnom, between 8 am and 2 pm. MOI has ordered for no marches to take place.

For more information, please see the Ministry of Interior’s publicly released statement.

The Cambodia Daily’s Editor-in-Chief, Kevin Doyle, observes Phnom Penh police in Freedom Park practicing ahead of International Human Rights Day rallies.

Warming up: Phnom Penh police get some practice ahead of Int'l Human Rights Day rallies tomorrow pic.twitter.com/MgoSb2u8Xs

— Kevin Doyle (@doyle_kevin) December 9, 2013

Updated at 15:51 ICT

In a statement released on Saturday, Amnesty International called on the government to respect peaceful freedom of assembly in the light of police violence at protests over the past few months.

The use of numerous roadblocks during the non-violent demonstrations held by the CNRP between 7 to 17 September 2013 unduly restricted freedom of movement in Phnom Penh in such a way that tensions mounted and violent clashes between people and security forces ensued.

To read the full press release, click the link below.

In the lead up to Human Rights Day we ask #Cambodia's Government to respect the right to peaceful public gatherings http://t.co/uG0UIuePTZ

— Amnesty Australia (@amnestyOz) December 8, 2013

Updated at 16:40 ICT

Marching for What?

Starting on December 1, civil society groups, led by monks, have been marching from five different provincial locations down five National Roads towards Phnom Penh to commemorate the 65th anniversary of International Human Rights Day.

Now it's Day 9 of the 10-day march, and the groups of monks, communities, associations, networks, federations, unions and NGOs are nearing Phnom Penh.

Throughout the long march to the capital, local residents have been cheering the procession on, receiving blessings form the monks and donating food and water to the participants.

The five groups have been sleeping in pagodas along the way. Last night, authorities blocked access to three pagodas - Wat Sleng on NR 3, Wat Chompu Von on NR 4 and Wat Monysakor on NR 5 - where three groups were planning to sleep. The marchers blocked the roads and negotiated with authorities until they backed down and finally allowed the walkers to rest in the pagodas.

For more details on why monks and citizens are marching for IHRD, see this statement from civil society groups.

The group that walked on National Road #3 arrives to Stung Meanchey pagoda for the night and the marchers are warmly welcomed by the head monk.

After nine days of marching, not every group receives a warm welcome in Phnom Penh. Marchers from National Road #4 arrive only to find locked gates at Wat Neak Kravang. This has been a problem through the march where authorities routinely pressured pagodas to shut their doors.

For marchers from National Road #4, this is the third pagoda to be locked prior to their arrival. In previous days, blocking the national road led to the unlocking of the gates.

Our monitors report that all groups, aside from National Road #4, have reached their pagodas safely for the night. The National Road #4 group continues to wait outside Wat Neak Kravang while monks negotiate entry.

Gates of Wat Neak Kravang have been unlocked and National Road #4 marchers are settling in for the night.

CNRP senior member Kem Monovithya has posted details routes for her party's three planned marches. The groups are set to start walking shortly after 7AM.

All the peace march groups have started walking from the pagodas where they spent the night towards the National Assembly. There, they will convene to present to party leaders the concerns they heard across the country and press for a government commitment to end human rights violations. So far, there have been no obstructions against the marchers.

The Ruom Collective, a group of Phnom Penh-based photographers, were watching monks as they prepared to march.

The group of peace marchers from National Road #1 has reached the National Assembly, while all the other groups are progressing smoothly to convene there.

There are two Amnesty International prisoners of conscience involved in this year's International Human Rights Day celebrations. Land activist Yorm Bopha has been walking with the group on National Road #4 since December 1. She is joined by former Amnesty International prisoner of conscience Mam Sonando, who is walking with the group on National Road #6. Amnesty International Asia Researcher Rupert Abbott was also there:

Former @AmnestyOnline prisoner of conscience Mam Sonando with marchers @ Neakavoan pagoda. #ihrdkh13 pic.twitter.com/K9I60DfLGp

— Rupert Abbott (@RupertBAbbott) December 9, 2013

Updated at 08:23 ICT

The CNRP marches have begun. The Cambodia Daily's Lauren Crothers is with Sam Rainsy:

Rainsy and CNRP supporters on the move #cambodia #ihrdkh13 pic.twitter.com/8pg9R8Xqew

— Lauren Crothers (@laurencro) December 10, 2013