What happens to human rights work in Cambodia when Sweden stops aid? Asa Eriksson (S) posed this question to the Minister of Foreign Aid and Trade, Johan Forssell, in a questioning debate on 23 January 2024.
According to the government's regulatory letter, Swedish aid to Cambodia will be phased out after 2024. In a letter to Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson published by Global Bar magazine, 100 organizations in the country warned of the human rights consequences.
The phase-out decision has now been debated in Parliament, with Asa Eriksson (S) in questioning debate on 23 January asking Foreign Aid and Trade Minister Johan Forssell: What measures does the Prime Minister intend to take in light of the new Swedish aid strategy to support freedom of expression and civil society and protect freedom of expression and civil society? Human rights defenders in Cambodia?
In a written question to Minister of Development and Foreign Trade Johan Forssell, Asa Eriksson (left) wrote:
For several years, the regime has violated United Nations human rights conventions, to which Cambodia has acceded. The violations mainly relate to freedom of expression and freedom of association and assembly. Independent media barely exists, journalists and trade union representatives are imprisoned, and peaceful demonstrations are violently broken up.
The situation for human rights activists is starkly illustrated by the fact that among the Cambodian Right Livelihood Award laureates who were recently traveling to Stockholm to receive the award, at least two were in prison, while three others had not received permission to leave.
In the discussion, Johan Forssell said that he shared Asa Eriksson's description, which is why he started phasing out. Asa Erickson stressed that Cambodia is a one-party authoritarian state. All aid that passed through the umbrella organization Diakonia at the beginning of the year disappeared. 32,000 people who received support lost it. It's about legal aid, monitoring human rights violations and much more. She said that the aid provided to civil society was an important counterforce to the regime.
Sida has been tasked with reducing support for democracy and human rights in the country. He mentioned in the discussion that China and Russia are benefiting from this and gaining more space in Cambodia.
Johan Forssell said it would be better to focus aid on fewer countries because the quality would be better.
– The funds will be used to aid democracy and revolutionary movement fighters in other countries instead. It would be possible to use the CSO strategy in Cambodia. He said that what ends is bilateral aid.
Sweden has provided aid to Cambodia since 1979.
Here you can see the discussion.
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