Last December, freedom of association received a serious setback with the arrests and one-month detention of two human rights workers from the well-respected group Licadho after they monitored a demonstration against toxic dumping in Sihanoukville. (The two were finally granted bail by the Cambodian Court of Appeals on January 20, 1999 but charges are still pending against them for robbery and inciting a riot). Also, on December 19, 1998, Pourng Tong, an activist member of another human rights group, Adhoc, was killed in Kandal Province and the person responsible for his murder has yet to be apprehended and prosecuted. During 1998, several Cambodian rights workers were physically attacked in the course of performing their duties.

A proposed new law on NGOs and Associations, if passed by the National Assembly, could further undermine the ability of NGOs to operate. The draft law would increase and complicate registration requirements for both national and local NGOs. It would prohibit associations from receiving foreign funds (including from USAID), and would give the Ministry of Interior greater latitude in dissolving NGOs.

Freedom of assembly was also dealt a blow by the threat of arrest and ongoing court action against Kem Sokha, former chairman of the National Assembly's Human Rights Commission, for his involvement in the post-election demonstrations. The pending court against him not only discourages others from joining demonstrations, but also effectively silences a leading human rights advocate.