Law on Demonstrations

Article 1:

Meetings and gatherings of groups and crowds for staging demonstrations are acceptable.  However, meetings of groups or crowds in public places or on public roads, or demonstration marches that can be detrimental to public tranquility, order or security, are categorically prohibited.

Article 2:

Marching demonstrations on public roads to express views on any issue may be held under the following conditions:

1. Violence cannot be used and arms or any other dangerous instruments cannot be carried;

2. Public tranquility, order and security cannot be jeopardized;

3. Authorities in each commune and ward through which a group of demonstrators will march shall be informed at least three days beforehand, in writing, the following: the surnames, names, addresses and signatures of three of the demonstration's organizers; objectives; locations; dates; streets; and number of people participating in the demonstration.

If demonstrations are to be held in provincial towns or cities, they should be reported as required in Article 2 (3), in writing, to the authorities there.

Article 3:

Authorities, after receiving a notice, should a issue a receipt for it.  However, if the authorities concerned believe that the specific demonstration has characteristics conducive to turmoil, they can ban the demonstration, issuing a decision to do so within 48 hours and communicating this decision to the demonstration's organizers.

A copy of the decision should be immediately forwarded to higher authorities within 24 hours.

In case of disagreement as to the decision of the authorities, demonstration organizers may lodge a protest with higher authorities.  These higher authorities shall make a decision on the grievance of the demonstrators of either approval or rejection, and shall then communicate the decision to the petitioning party (ies) within 24 hours.

Article 4:

If any demonstration takes place without local authorities being informed beforehand or without authorization from local authorities, the local authorities can take measures to stop the demonstration from occurring.

If, after two notices of the ban by the local authorities, the demonstrators still refuse to discontinue their activities, the local authorities shall disperse the demonstrators with force that does not endanger the lives of the demonstrators.

Article 5:

If demonstrators are armed with dangerous weapons or equipment, security forces can remove the dangerous weapons and equipment from the demonstrators.

If the demonstrators persistently refuse to hand over the dangerous weapons or equipment, the security forces can detain the demonstrators temporarily and remove their dangerous weapons and equipment.

After the demonstrators acknowledge their wrongdoing, they shall be released and the dangerous weapons and equipment shall be returned to the rightful owners, except in cases of other offenses related to the dangerous weapons and equipment.

Article 6:

If a peaceful demonstration turns into a violent demonstration or a riot, the appropriate authorities will take the most appropriate measures to stop the violent demonstration or riot.

The measures mentioned in Article 4 should be applied on a temporary basis.

Article 7:

Any demonstrator resorting to violence so as to cause damage to private or public property or to inflict bodily harm or death on other people or officials on duty shall be punished according to the law in effect, depending on the degree of the committed offense.

Disguised demonstrators and those who incite demonstrators to use violence shall be punished according to the law currently in effect.

Article 8:

If any official, carrying out his duty at a demonstration, commits an offense causing damage to private or public property, or commits an offense causing injury or death to other people, shall be punished according to the law currently in effect.

Article 9:

Anyone taking advantage of a demonstration to commit burglary, looting, robbery or other offenses shall be punished to the maximum degree according to the law currently in effect.

Article 10:

Reparation of all damages caused by a demonstration shall be the responsibility of the province or city where the demonstration occurred.

If the damages are caused by the fault or negligence of the victims of the damages themselves, the reparation of the damages by the province or city shall be reduced or cancelled.

If the provincial or municipal authorities find the offenders who caused the damage in the demonstration, they can sue these offenders to repay to the city or province the cost of reparations to the victims.

Article 11:

This law is declared urgent.

Adopted by the National Assembly of the State of Cambodia on 27 December 1991, and reaffirmed by the Ministers of the Interior of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

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