What?

The Digital Rights Project (“The Project”) aims to defend online freedoms and to mount an effective and targeted advocacy campaign to ensure any proposed legislation shall guarantee the online freedom. It is an innovative project, which is at the heart of CCHR’s defense of fundamental freedoms including freedom to expression online in Cambodia. It can help Internet users to understand their digital rights and to enhance their online security, and to advocate for full respect for digital rights and online freedoms. Online activists and Internet users are often the victims of attacks, arbitrary arrests, cyber threats and intimidation as a result of their online activities, and thus their rights must be protected, defended, and promoted as a matter of priority.

Why?

Internet use has gained momentum in Cambodia and an increasing number of “netizens” – including bloggers, journalists, news outlets, non-governmental organizations (“NGOs”), activists, and university students – have started to use the Internet, including social media sites, to spread information and opinions to the public. Internet is fast becoming the primary arena for free political debate, where the activism and advocacy of ordinary Cambodians is connecting and democratizing a predominantly rural population. Moreover, online communications have grown to be an essential tool in the realm of human rights and election monitoring, enabling rapid reactions to incidences of human rights violations. In addition, in May 2012, the RGC announced its intention to adopt Cambodia’s first ever ‘Cybercrime Law’. Then a draft of the law was leaked in April 2014, but RGC refused to publish an official version. In late 2014, the Council of Ministers’ Press and Quick Reaction Unit announced the creation of a “Cyber War Team”, with the stated aim of monitoring all online activity to “protect the government’s stance and prestige”. Worryingly, in late May 2015, Ministry of Post and Telecommunication announced that the Cybercrime Law was still under consideration and it would include criminal sanctions for “people with bad intentions” who “criticize the government”. These moves by the Royal Government of Cambodia are seriously threatening digital rights in the Kingdom.

How?

The Project will undertake the following activities in order to ensure that digital rights and Internet users are respected according to international human rights standards. For this reason, the Project will:

• Monitor traditional and social media to identify positive and negative instances concerning the exercise of human rights online in Cambodia. Information gathered will form the foundation of the advocacy to be carried out by CCHR in collaboration with its partners.
• Organize a targeted and effective advocacy campaign, which aims to ensure any proposed legislation shall in line to guarantee the fundamental freedoms such as the freedom of expression online so to protect the rights of Internet users in Cambodia.

Who?

The target groups of the project are:

• Bloggers, online activists, journalists, human rights defenders and civil society in general. The Project focuses particularly on students and young people, the main users of the Internet but also the most vulnerable to intimidation and threats.
• Relevant decision makers, including key members of the ministries, members of the Parliament, members of the judiciary and political parties, will be the key audience for dialogue and advocacy.