"Adhoc: Local authorities restricting right to gather", 8 August 2019

The Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (Adhoc) has asked the Interior Ministry to investigate allegations that local authorities are violating ministry guidelines that allow communities and organisations to hold gatherings…

Srey Naren, Adhoc’s Oddar Meanchey provincial coordinator, said … that even though Sar Kheng had said … that organisations and associations could organise gatherings without asking for permission, a series of training courses planned by Adhoc … to publicise human rights were restricted by the local authorities.

…, Path Kim, the police chief of Konkriel commune in Oddar Meanchey province’s Samrong town, allegedly banned 134 families from gathering to speak about the forestry law because they had failed to inform him in advance…

Yong Rann, a Thma Da community member in Pursat province, said the Community Legal Education Centre in Veal Veng district … organised a training course on land rights and the use of natural resources for food security.

She said an official prevented 34 residents from participating because the organisers had failed to ask for permission from the commune chief…

… Sar Kheng said in a directive …: “NGOs and associations, including local communities that have already registered with the ministry, have complete freedom to legally carry out activities without having to inform local authorities three days beforehand as they did before.”

… Oddar Meanchey deputy governor Vath Paranin said the province had not ordered the district and commune officials to ban the gatherings but he said Adhoc should inform the authorities in advance when they run a training course or want to publicise something…