Dec 9, 2010
DPA
Phnom Penh - A leading rights group warned Thursday that Cambodia's new penal code, which is to be enacted this week, could be used to criminalize freedom of expression.
Speaking ahead of Friday's International Human Rights Day, Licadho director Naly Pilorge said the law contained a number of clauses that could result in fines and imprisonment for people speaking out.
'Unfortunately, with the new penal code taking effect on December 10, we may see two or three steps backward for 2011,' she said.
Pilorge said that from Friday, comments like those made this year by UN human rights head Navi Pillay, who criticized Cambodian court judgements against the leader of the opposition and a senior member of his party, could see the person making them jailed for up to six months.
In a brief accompanying report, Licadho said it was concerned the 'courts will stretch this provision to include literally anything the judiciary does and thus criminalize all criticism of the judiciary.'
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