Organisations critical of a
government project to rebuild a railway link that could displace
thousands of families have been suspended or told to toe the government
line, reports the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR). Critics say
it's a sign of what's to come if a controversial bill that aims to
regulate the country's non-governmental groups gets passed.

NGO Forum, an umbrella group of
88 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) whose donors include Christian
Aid and Oxfam, confirmed it had received a "warning letter" from the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs over its concerns relating to communities
affected by a railway rehabilitation project linking Phnom Penh to
Thailand, which is funded by the Asian Development Bank and AusAID. The
government said the group had made "false" and "unfair" claims about the
deaths of two children relocated by the railway.

In a meeting last week, the
Foreign Affairs Ministry accused NGO Forum and international
organisation Bridges Across Borders of inciting families to oppose the
project. The groups were told to "readjust their work in order to work
closely with the government," reports CCHR.

The claims come on the heels of
the government's suspension of land rights group Sahmakum Teang Tnaut
(STT), which had been critical of government-backed evictions as a
result of the railway project. According to STT, a higher number of
affected households than officially reported will be displaced and
probably at unfair compensation rates.

Earlier this month, 130
Cambodian groups - including CCHR - issued a joint statement condemning
the suspension, calling it arbitrary and illegal.

The groups say the suspension is
a "preview into the future of government control over civil society
organisations and associations" under the draft law on associations and
NGOs, which is on the verge of being passed.

The law has been widely
criticised for imposing registration on grassroots movements and
community-based organisations and the lack of transparency in the
assessment process. STT has been told it can seek reinstatement when the
law comes into force.

"This law will be a disaster for
freedom of expression in Cambodia. Sadly, it's clear this is precisely
the intent of the highest levels of government, who don't want to face
any sort of criticism from anyone," Human Rights Watch told the "Phnom
Penh Post".

Human Rights Watch has also
warned that the government's moves will have a chilling effect on the
media. "Information sources for the media among local associations will
likely dry up because those association officials will rightly worry
that the government could shut them down overnight," said Human Rights
Watch.

In another sign of the
government's increasing intolerance, more than 100 activists working to
protect the large Prey Lang forest in northeastern Cambodia were
detained last week in the capital, Phnom Penh, for handing out "save the
forest" flyers, reports the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR).
Authorities said the flyers could "disrupt social order." Some activists
were held for questioning and "re-education," reports CCHR.

Villagers living near the
forest, which spans over four provinces, say their livelihoods are being
threatened by deforestation and continuous government concessions to
private rubber and other companies. They maintain that the forest is
critical to the preservation of wildlife and flora that are sacred to
indigenous communities.

One of the villagers, Svay
Phoeun, said major development loans from foreign aid and international
banks were potentially driving some of the destruction of the forest.

"Once again we see the phrase
'disruption of social order' being used to justify cracking down on
freedom of expression," said CCHR. "The real threat here is to the
elite's ability to exploit Cambodia's natural resources. And the real
threat to social order is the disregard for the homeland and livelihood
of hundreds of ordinary citizens."

Villagers have since delivered a
petition with around 300 signatures to embassies, the World Bank and
the Asian Development Bank calling for their intervention.