How Cambodia’s Law on ‘Freedom Parks’ Curtailed People’s Right to Protest

This story by Mong Palatino originally appeared on Global Voices on October 02, 2026.

Cambodia’s Law on Peaceful Demonstration was supposed to ensure the right of citizens to organize and participate in public assemblies by designating freedom parks in every province. But since its passage in 2009, only one park has been identified, and authorities often impose prohibitions on the use of this space for protests.

As early as 2009, several human rights groups flagged some of the restrictive provisions of the law.

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Amnesty International also pointed out that the law is silent on “spontaneous” protests.

In 2011, the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) warned about the potential designation of freedom parks that are inaccessible to the public.

The Phnom Penh freedom park became crucial for opposition groups to stage protests in 2013 and 2014. A new freedom park was named in 2017, but this was far from the city center and surrounded by warehouses and industrial buildings.

“Moving Freedom Park to a location far from their [protesters’] target audience, resulting in a loss in the expressive value of assemblies, would therefore clearly impede the exercise of fundamental rights,” said the U.N.’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights country representative in Cambodia in an interview with VOA Khmer news outlet.

CCHR has documented numerous instances when the government explicitly prevented groups from holding protests in the Phnom Penh Freedom Park.

For example, protesters from eviction-hit communities were blocked in January 2015.

Barricades were placed in September 2020 ostensibly to maintain security and public order during the pandemic. UN Special rapporteurs issued a statement expressing concern over the security measures that undermined the use of the freedom park.

This year, authorities denied permission for the use of the park to celebrate International Women’s Day and advised groups to mark the day by organizing activities in their respective offices. The city also warned that organizers could face legal action if they proceeded to hold the event and “disrupted security, public order or social stability.”

The same prohibitions were made during the May 1 Labor Day, and authorities only allowed ten people to walk and submit petitions to government agencies.

CCHR cited the experience of groups in coordinating their plans with authorities.

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It also summed up how the law has been weaponized to undermine protests.

Human rights groups are calling for the review of the law since more protests and assemblies are expected to be organized ahead of the 2027 Commune/Sangkat Council elections and the 2028 National Assembly elections.

[VP]

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