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Joint statement: World Bank must respond to repression against civil society organisations in Cambodia

FEMNET and more than 160 international human rights organisations call on the World Bank to take a stand on the increasing attacks by the Cambodian government on human rights defenders. The joint statement is addressed to World Bank President Ajay Banga and calls for a clear signal against the repression of civil society in Cambodia.

In recent months, there have been massive intimidation attempts against leading Cambodian NGOs such as the Center for Alliance of Labor and Human Rights (CENTRAL) and Equitable Cambodia (EC). Both organisations are committed to the rights of workers and disadvantaged communities, including in projects supported by the World Bank. The attacks are directly related to their legitimate work and critical reports of human rights violations.

The World Bank has policies that explicitly reject reprisals against project participants, but so far there has been no determined response to recent incidents. The signatory organisations are therefore urging the World Bank to reconsider any investment in Cambodia as long as such intimidation is not stopped.