On October 23, 2017, 55 international civil society organizations (CSOs) issued an open letter about the government’s extreme crackdown on Cambodia’s independent media, political opposition, and members of civil society over the past year. In addition to the Cambodian National Assembly’s recent attempt to pass legislation that allows the government to dissolve political parties, the letter notes that independent media outlets have come under new unprecedented attacks. The government forced radio stations to end 31 programs because of politically motivated “licensing infringements” charges, and forced the Cambodia Daily to shutter due to a $6.3 million tax fine in September 2017.

In light of the crackdown, and in honor of the 26th anniversary of the Paris Peace Agreements, the open letter asked the chairs of the 1991 Paris Conference on Cambodia to reconvene the Conference with the participation of the original founders and relevant stakeholders. Additionally, the letter requested the engagement of the Secretary General of the United Nations (UN), Antonio Guterres, as well as the President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, and the President of France, Emmanuel Macron; Indonesia and France served as the Co-Chairs of the 1991 Paris Conference on Cambodia. Signed on October 23, 1991, the Paris Peace Agreements called for democracy in Cambodia, ended the Cambodian-Vietnamese War, and halted 20 years of conflict in the country. Click here to share civil society’s letter on Twitter.