(New York) -- Political violence and intimidation are increasing as Cambodia prepares for commune-level elections on February 3, Human Rights Watch said in a backgrounder released today.
Human Rights Watch called on the government to vigorously investigate and prosecute any persons, including government agents, found to be involved in election-related violence or voter coercion.
"The violence and intimidation are clearly increasing as election day draws near," said Sara Colm, senior researcher at Human Rights Watch. "The international community cannot sit idly by." The rights organization called on donor countries that support Cambodian development projects to demand concrete action from national and local authorities in promptly investigating violations and punishing those responsible.
The run-up to the official campaign period, which begins January 18, has seen at least 250 reports of intimidation, threats and harassment, almost exclusively directed against candidates and supporters of parties running against the incumbent Cambodian People's Party (CPP), including twenty-one death threats. Fifteen opposition party members and commune council candidates have been killed since the start of 2001, including two women candidates who were shot dead during the first week of January 2002.
Cambodia has not held local elections since the late 1960's, when only candidates from the ruling party could stand for office. The commune-level elections in February have been repeatedly delayed since 1993.
The mechanisms put in place by the government ostensibly to deal with violations have so far been totally inadequate, Human Rights Watch said. The National Election Committee, and its local level sub-commissions, have not once exercised their considerable powers to punish perpetrators of electoral abuses, despite hundreds of reports flooding in to Cambodian rights organizations. The Central Security Office for the Defense of the Elections has been similarly ineffective, merely making occasional declarations that do little or nothing to ensure the safety of opposition candidates and supporters.
"Every act of violence or intimidation takes its toll," said Colm. "Candidates are more fearful to run and voters more fearful to vote with their consciences."
Human rights violations have been reported in all twenty-two of the provinces and municipalities around the country, with a concentration in former Khmer Rouge strongholds in the south and northwest.
Colm urged the Cambodian government to send a strong message to its citizens that this time around, they can vote for the party of their choice without fear, that their choice will be secret, and that the final results will accurately reflect the will of the Cambodian people.
The long overdue commune elections will not only provide the first opportunity for Cambodians to vote for local leaders, but they will also set the tone for upcoming national elections slated for July 2003.
