A Sudden Surge of Covid-19 Cases in Cambodia

A month after the one year anniversary of the CoVID-19 pandemic, Cambodians are once again NOT getting ready for the spectacular Angkor Sangkran, a Cambodian New Year Festival that supposedly happens from 14th to 16th April. This is the second year in a row that the celebrations have been canceled amid the Novel Coronavirus Pandemic. Moreover, the rapidly worsening situation in 2021 has prompted the Government to go extra miles to curb the spread of the virus. On 7th April, the Apsara Authority that oversees the Angkor Archaeological Site in Seam Reap, announced a ban on both local and foreign tourists from visiting the temples until 20th April, to help combat the spread of the virus.

While intending tourists may be disappointed by this measure, the latest records justify the ban. On 8th April, 2021, Cambodia's Health Ministry announced 113 new COVID-19 cases and 2 deaths, putting the total recorded cases at 3,028 and deaths at 23. A day later, Cambodia recorded a whopping 576 new cases and 1 new death. The following day, 10th April 2021, 477 new cases and 2 new deaths were recorded while Prime Minister Hun Sen called on the Minister of Justice to setup special courts to hastily prosecute violators of CoVID-19 laws, hinting on his willingness to forcefully vaccinate Cambodians. He also called on Provincial Governments to be stricter in their enforcement of travel bans and quarantine policies. On 11th April, Cambodia recorded 157 new cases and 3 new deaths bringing the tallies to 4,238 cases and 29 deaths. While these new developments spell doom and gloom for regular people in society who have to live with the seeming exponential restrictions, it is even direr for incarcerated persons.

Exactly a year ago, I published an article on Cambodian Prisons: Health and Human Rights Crisis Amid the Coronavirus Outbreak, in which I highlighted the issue of overcrowded facilities, the looming health crisis and human rights deterioration in Cambodian jails. Since the publication, multiple human rights groups including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO) have called on the Royal Government of Cambodia to urgently protect the health rights of inmates and take immediate steps to tackle overcrowding. However, even though prisoners have mysteriously died at an alarming rate, the Cambodian Government has made no efforts to adhere to internationally consigned measures and guidelines to mitigate the disaster, including but not limited to the release of certain detainees and prisoners.

As we approach the Cambodian New Year 2021, the cancelation of the Angkor Sangkran Festival unfortunately also means there will be no prison pardons announced by prime minister Hun Sen in a tradition that has only been hampered by the CoVID-19 pandemic. Will there be other types of intervention to prevent the on-coming health and human rights disaster in Cambodian Prisons? That is left to be seen.