VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh
Monday, 04 April 2011
"The draft is also vague in scope and contains ambiguous language that could make it easier for the government to arbitrarily shut down civil society groups or deny registration."
In a statement issued Friday, Freedom House, a global watchdog for democratic principles, said the new NGO law “contains provisions that place troubling restrictions on the ability of NGOs to organize and function effectively.”
The statement comes as local groups say talks with the government over the law have yielded few changes to the draft, creating unease within the sector that the law can hamper NGO work.
Proponents of the law say it will regulate a large sector and have dismissed concerns the law will be abused to make work harder for groups that don’t see eye to eye with the government.
“The proposed law, in its current form, undermines the very basis of an independent and vibrant civil society and would have a chilling effect on democratic development in the country,” Paula Schriefer, Freedom House director of advocacy said in the statement. “These regulations should not be used as a tool to undermine fundamental freedoms related to association, expression, and assembly. Such rights are protected under the Cambodian Constitution and under the international treaties to which the Royal Government of Cambodia is a signatory.”
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