CCHR Briefing Note - Discrimination against LGBT people in the Cambodian legal framework

Dear all, 

The Cambodian Center for Human Rights ("CCHR") releases today - 21 August 2014 - a Briefing Note on discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender ("LGBT") people within the Cambodian legal framework. Although domestic law in the Kingdom of Cambodia (“Cambodia”) does not criminalize homosexuality, LGBT Cambodians face discrimination and abuse due to their sexual orientation and gender identity (“SOGI”), both at the hands of the State and within society in general. This is due in large part to the legal framework, which does not specifically protect LGBT people, failing to include SOGI in the list of prohibited grounds for discrimination. This impacts the way in which LGBT Cambodians are seen by society and contributes to fueling discrimination and marginalization.

The first section of the Briefing Note provides a brief introduction to the way SOGI is perceived in Cambodia. The second section looks at the low level of protection Cambodian laws offer to LGBT people, and the third section examines the level of discrimination and abuses experienced by LGBT people. The Briefing Note concludes with recommendations to the Royal Government of Cambodia (the “RGC”), including the National Assembly and relevant ministries, which would be not only in keeping with current global trends, but also send a clear message to both State actors and society in general that LGBT people are full members of society whose human rights are to be equally protected under the law. Key recommendations to the RGC include: (1) amending existing anti-discrimination laws, or introducing new laws, to include ‘sexual orientation’ and ‘gender identity’ as prohibited grounds, along side existing grounds such as sex, race and religious belief; (2) mainstreaming SOGI in national-level government policies and strategies; and (3) amending Article 45 of the Cambodian Constitution and removing the specification that marriage has to be between one “husband” and one “wife.”

For more information, please contact CCHR Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Project Coordinator Nuon Sidara via telephone at +855 (0) 9796 66566 or e-mail at sidara.nuon@cchrcambodia.org or  or CCHR Consultant Juliette Rousselot via telephone at +855 (0) 1535 0620 or e-mail at julietterousselot@cchrcambodia.org.

Please find the Briefing Note attached in PDF format in Khmer and in English. 

Kind regards,

CCHR