The Alliance for Freedom of Expression in Cambodia (AFEC) is an alliance of Cambodian non-governmental organizations working to promote in Cambodia: * freedom of expression; * freedom of information; and * freedom of assembly. The AFEC logo is a yellow ribbon in an "f" shape, signifying freedom. AFEC is coordinated by the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) and led by the CCHR's President, Ou Virak.

Formation

AFEC was formed in December 2005 by Ou Virak, in response to the imprisonment of the then President of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) Kem Sokha and others who were accused of defaming the Cambodian government."We are trying to change the law", Reebok Human Rights Award (2007), http://www.reebok.com/Static/global/initiatives/rights/awards/recipients/virak.html

Achievements

In December 2005, in response to the imprisonment of the human rights activists, AFEC distributed 100,000 yellow ribbons as a symbol of the need to support freedom of expression throughout Cambodia. The launch of this campaign echoed throughout the world and large numbers of Cambodians wore yellow ribbons to public events sending a clear message to the government that Cambodian civil society did not accept repression against its leading activists. Assisted by international pressure, AFEC succeeded in securing the release of the human rights activists. In February 2006, AFEC organized a march for freedom of expression that resulted in Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen promising to

decriminalize Decriminalization or decriminalisation is the reclassification in law relating to certain acts or aspects of such to the effect that they are no longer considered a crime, including the removal of criminal penalties in relation to them. This reform ...

defamation Defamation is the act of communicating to a third party false statements about a person, place or thing that results in damage to its reputation. It can be spoken (slander) or written (libel). It constitutes a tort or a crime. The legal defini ...

. Although prison terms are no longer given in defamation cases, defamation is still a criminal offense. The government can also use other means, such as criminal disinformation and incitement laws, to silence critics of corruption,

land grabbing Land grabbing is the contentious issue of large-scale land acquisitions: the buying or leasing of large pieces of land by domestic and transnational companies, governments, and individuals. While used broadly throughout history, land grabbing as ...

and illegal evictions. From 25 February to 15 March 2007, AFEC organized a 314-kilometre march from

Phnom Penh Phnom Penh (; km, ភ្នំពេញ, ) is the capital and most populous city of Cambodia. It has been the national capital since the French protectorate of Cambodia and has grown to become the nation's primate city and its economic, indus ...

Angkor Wat Angkor Wat (; km, អង្គរវត្ត, "City/Capital of Temples") is a temple complex in Cambodia and is the largest religious monument in the world, on a site measuring . Originally constructed as a Hinduism, Hindu temple dedicated ...

for freedom of expression, non-violence and political tolerance in Cambodia ahead of commune council elections. On 13 April 2009, a coalition of non-governmental organizations - coordinated by AFEC and assisted by the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) - made a joint submission on freedom of expression and assembly in Cambodia to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva, for inclusion in its summary of stakeholder information for the purposes of th
Universal Periodic Review (UPR)
of Cambodia's Human Rights record.

Notes

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External links

Cambodia Human Rights Portal (Sithi)Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR)Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) Facebook Group
Cambodian democracy movements Human rights in Cambodia

Formation

Achievements

Notes

See also

External links