End indefinite detention for 80 regular Cambodians

Clare Rutz is a student who is traveling throughout Asia this summer and visiting a number of GlobalGiving projects. On June 15th she visited "End indefinite detention for 80 regular Cambodians." When asked what she would tell her friends about this project, Clare said: “Good project."

When traveling through developing countries I’ll frequently ask the locals, “What do you think is your country’s greatest need?” The response I received in Cambodia was almost always about ameliorating corruption and working towards justice. I visited the office of International Bridges to Justice that does just that. They are faced with the difficult challenge of working with the law that some would say doesn’t even exist in Cambodia. Many believe the government is so corrupt that the only thing that speaks in a courtroom is your wallet. I asked Ouk Vandeth at the IBJ office about this corruption, and it wasn’t denied that it is a problem. He believes that the only way to help Cambodia move in the right direction is to teach the people about their legal rights. To be educated about the law gives the people a power they wouldn’t have previously. The training of police officers is also of major concern to IBJ. At this time, the police are not trained to properly collect evidence so in order to receive a confession torture is often used. The torture often continues until the defendant admits to the crime, which he may or may not have committed.

IBJ’s goal is to eliminate torture in Cambodia, and they’re getting closer to that goal through fast intervention and teaching the people about their right to have a lawyer. Since 2007 they have supported approximately two hundred defendants that find IBJ through Legal Aid of Cambodia, the United Nations, or relatives and other connections to the program. During my visit I met with Vandeth, the director of the site in Phnom Penh, and two law students who were interning at the office for the summer. Currently there is a major effort to spread IBJ’s work throughout Cambodia by opening offices and increasing the number of staff, but this of course is difficult with limited funds. Vandeth’s time is stretched thin as he travels throughout the entire country to work with individual defendants and other IBJ programs, which include the Street Law Program, the Round Table Discussion, and the Radio Talk Show. The Street Law Program is an effort to bring awareness to the villages of Cambodia through meetings, discussions, and leaflets that explain their legal rights. The Round Table Discussion brings major players and lawyers together to discuss and determine what can be done to move Cambodia towards justice, and the Radio Talk Show takes place twice a month and allows citizens to call in and have their answers questioned about their rights.

These efforts are crucial and take quite some time to truly change the country. The elimination of torture and the provision of fair legal services are not easy goals to undertake, but without justice and with corruption seeping into the daily life of every Cambodian the country will be faced with incredible hardship. International Bridges to Justice is making strides in the right direction, but support is obviously vital. To learn more about their continuing effort visit their page on the GlobalGiving website: www.globalgiving.com/2223

IBJ Fellow Ouk Vandeth visits two clients held in detention for over 6 months without a lawyer or a trial. One defendant will finally get a trial with Mr. Vandeth defending him.

Links:

• IBJ Legal Aid Cambodia: Pursat Case 2008