Cambodian dissidents in Japan are systematically intimidated through family members in their home country. This is apparent from a report from Human Rights Watch (HRW) published on Wednesday.
According to interviews from HRW, activists living in Japan are regularly given their manet and his people’s party to the Cambodian Prime Minister regularly calls or messages from their family in which they say that the police have visited, there have been threats or opposition symbols.
For example, a woman told how a family member in Cambodia was forced to sign a statement that she would stop her political activities in Japan, in an attempt to silence her. Another activist was sentenced by a Cambodian court in absence to a fine of 10 million Riel (around 2,300 euros) because he had criticized decisions around elections.
“It is transnational repression,” says HRW researcher Teppei Kasai. “A way in which governments look up their critics outside of national borders and put pressure.”
It turned out that Thai and Chinese critics were threatened or mistreated in Japan. In 2019, the Thai former diplomat Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a pronounced critic of the Thai monarchy, was attacked in his house in Kioto with a corrosive liquid. The perpetrator did not give a clear motive for the attack, but Chacohavalpongpun pointed to the Thai authorities.
Chinese dissidents in Japan also speak of intimidation. In an earlier HRW report, dozens of Chinese exchange students and political activists from Xinjiang, Tibet and Binnen-Mongolia told them that they were put under pressure through family members in China to stop protests or even to return.
The human rights organization calls on Japan to take action against the cross -border intimidation of political dissidents, and to address the countries involved. “So far, Japan is not doing that,” says HRW researcher Teppei Kasai NRC. In May the Cambodian Prime Minister met their manet the Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, but human rights were not discussed during the consultation.
Also at the end of August, during a bilateral human rights dialogue in Phnom Penh, the concerns about dissidents in Japan remained unspoken. The consultation was mainly used as a diplomatic photo moment. “Geopolitical and economic interests are given priority over human rights,” explains Kasai. In earlier reports, HRW pointed out that Japan As the greatest donor for humanitarian aid in Cambodia can exert influence.
Strict asylum policy
Japan is known for its strict asylum policy. Even after it joined the Refugee Convention in 1981, the country has recognized few refugees. Procedures are long, not transparent and exceptionally strict. Researchers point to the culture within the government, where asylum seekers are seen as “illegal migrants” rather than people who need protection.
“A few dissidents we spoke finally received a refugee status this year after years of procedure. That was a huge relief, because such a process is not only financially heavy, but also mentally debilitating. It is urgently needed that these applications are handled much faster,” says researcher Kasai.
Japan presents itself on the world stage as a defender of human rights. In 2024, Tokyo joined a statement in the UN Human Rights Council in which transnational repression was convicted, and emphasized the importance of freedom and rule of law within the G7.
According to Kasai, “the Japanese government urgently needs to set up a hotline so that people in exile have a place to seek help if they are harassed.” In addition, Japan should publicly take a position against Cambodia and other countries that are guilty of cross -border intimidation, says the researcher. “Only in this way can Japan remain credible as a country that says it defends human rights.”