Hun Vannak is an environmental rights defender and a former member of Mother Nature Cambodia, a movement advocating and fighting against land-grabbing and to defend environmental rights. In early 2020, the defender started Khmer Thavarak, a youth movement advocating against social injustices and environment issues.
The Cambodian authorities use legislation and the judicial system, and threats of arrest or legal action, to restrict free speech, jail government critics, and disperse workers, trade union representatives and farmers engaging in peaceful assembly. The authorities routinely forcibly and often violently disperse public protests. In August 2015, King Norodom Sihamoni signed in effect the Law on Associations and Non-governmental Organisations (LANGO), under which severely hampers local rights groups ability to operate and permits the government to arbitrarily terminates partnerships with international organizations.
