Overview of Human Rights in Cambodia

Cambodia is a multiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchy which was established in 1993. Cambodia is one of the world’s poorest countries, with 36.1 percent of the population living beneath the poverty line. This, coupled with the demographic imbalance (more than 50 percent of  the population is under 21), does not make for a very stable environment in which the respect of civil and human rights takes precedent. In recent years, the government's human rights track record actually worsened.

The police and military commit extra-judicial killings with impunity. There were reports that members of the security forces tortured or otherwise found means to force confessions out of detainees. Prison conditions remain harsh and often life threatening to prisoners.

Democratic institutions are ineffective, as members of the government often interfere with them, especially the judiciary. The government also influences the media, as well as limits the freedoms of assembly and association.

Discrimination against people with disabilities and the ethnic Vietnamese minority is widespread. Cambodia is reported to have the highest HIV/AIDS infection rate in Asia. Forced child labor, especially in the commercial sex industry, also continues to be a problem in the region.

In 2001, a law was passed which established a special tribunal to bring Khmer Rouge perpetrators to justice for the genocide and other war crimes committed from 1975-1979. This tribunal is continually troubled due to a lack of promised international funding and inadequate provisions for victim and witness protection.  However, in later years, progress was advanced with the inclusion of international jurisprudence norms in 2007, and the commencement date for the trials set for 2008.

Human Development Index (HDI) Rank:

129th out of 177

Note: Human Development Index (HDI) is a composite index that measures the level of well-being of nations in the world. It uses factors such as poverty, literacy, life-expectancy, education, gross domestic product, and purchasing power parity to assess the average achievements in each nation. It has been used in the United Nation’s Human Development Report since 1993.