How human rights groups can help Cambodia’s COVID-19 response

East Asia Forum, Opinion, 15 September 2021 (Link)

According to the Asian Development Bank, Cambodia’s economy contracted by 3.1 per cent in 2020. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) predicts that Cambodia’s poverty rate will rise to 17.6 per cent, around 8 percentage points higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic.

UNDP modelling suggests that a social protection stimulus of 3.5 percent of GDP in Cambodia would prevent 570,000 people from sliding back into poverty. In response, the Cambodian government is providing cash transfers to poor and vulnerable households, wage subsidies, low-interest loans and tax relief for businesses in hard-hit sectors, a cash-for-work program in rural areas and support to small and medium-sized enterprises. Government cash relief has reached nearly 700,000 poor and vulnerable families.

The economic contraction adversely affected employment. According to a study by the Asia Foundation and the Center for Khmer Studies, average households in the garment and footwear sector lost one-third of their income. Disruption or closures of businesses due to the COVID-19 surge meant that many migrant workers were forced to return to Cambodia. Tourism workers were hurt the worst by COVID-19, reportedly losing 90 per cent of their income.

The study suggested some policy recommendations for financial institutions to improve loan restructuring policies to better provide protection to borrowers, including vulnerable workers. This study is a good example of how civil society organisations can provide practical assistance and policy advice. Such an approach prioritises looking for solutions from different angles instead of blaming institutions for the impacts of an unprecedented crisis.

Human rights groups tend to focus solely on political rights, yet this results in an incomplete picture, especially during COVID-19. During the COVID-19 crisis, fundamental human rights — including the right to life, to a decent job, to food, shelter, healthcare, education and subsistent livelihood — should be equally prioritised.

COVID-19 is life threatening. As such, every element of society, including human rights groups, should put the right to life above anything else. Political rights and individual freedoms — such as the right to spread disease, disseminate fake news and conduct civil disobedience — are harming society at this critical time.

Human rights groups should refrain from sowing disunity, hatred and distrust within Cambodian society, for example through providing advocacy support and encouragement to people spreading fake news. Instead, rights groups can educate people about their civic duties and encourage them to fully cooperate with necessary government measures, such as mobility restrictions and quarantine. Human rights groups can also help promote awareness of rights to healthcare by disseminating information about where to go for medical advice and how to adhere to the state’s COVID-19 preventive measures.

Human rights group can also help promote awareness of the importance of vaccination. For instance, the British embassy in Hanoi has offered a grant of up to US$165,000 to support ASEAN in addressing vaccine hesitancy. Human rights groups and foreign embassies should follow its lead.

In Vietnam, companies have managed on-site manufacturing by imposing a strict isolation policy and providing personal-care products to stop workers from going outside. Any worker who chooses to stay at the factory is rewarded with US$239.

Cambodia does not need to emulate Vietnam’s example but human rights groups should make suggestions and recommendations on how to protect the health security of workers. Again, blaming private companies should be avoided as an approach to find appropriate solutions for the promotion of the rights of workers.

Oxfam Cambodia’s program is another good example. COVID-19 has made women working in the informal economy more vulnerable due to unemployment, domestic violence, unintended pregnancies and financial insecurity. Women also tend to be forced to take on greater responsibilities to care for the sick and educate their children during school closures. Oxfam is advocating for more attention and programs to support maternity protection. This advocacy is encouraging the government to better align labour legislation and regulations with the ILO Maternity Protection Convention No 183 and the business community to promote family-friendly policies and better distribute unpaid care work in households.

Human rights groups can also help educate people about how to distinguish fake news on social media and receive information from reliable sources, who to contact when help is needed and where to get information about vaccinations.

Human rights groups in Cambodia need to be aware that their voices are important. Rights groups engage at the grassroots level, so they can directly mobilise local people to conduct civic engagement in the joint fight against the pandemic. Their voices are vital in shaping international solidarity and multilateral actions which address fundamental human rights holistically.