A/HRC/39/73
44.
The Ministry has also cooperated with international specialists to train 21 national
master trainers on counselling, care and treatment services for substance abusers. The
Special Rapporteur welcomes the plans of the Ministry to progress with work on
counselling and recognized therapies to reduce cravings, particularly given the prevalence
of methamphetamine use. These centres support those with drug dependencies who remain
in communities.
45.
The Special Rapporteur welcomes the awareness-raising programme on drug and
substance abuse being implemented through the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports.
F.
Prisoners
46.
The prevalence of pretrial detention, the lack of alternatives to custodial sentencing
and the ongoing anti-drug campaign combine to increase the pressure on prisons. The
Government notes a 35 per cent increase in the number of prisoners between 2016 and
2017, attributing this to the anti-drug policies. Overcrowding has reached such levels at
some detention centres that prisoners can no longer be appropriately segregated; juveniles
and adults are mixed, as are pretrial and post-conviction detainees. Conditions in prisons
vary. The Ministry of Interior is aware of the problem and notes that it is working on
improving access to recreation facilities and outdoor areas. In March 2018, the Special
Rapporteur visited Phnom Penh Capital Prison. The conditions there were noticeably better
in terms of numbers in cells than in Correctional Centres 1 and 2. As of 31 May 2018,
according to government records, there were 28,829 people in detention, of whom only
7,684 had received a final, confirmed conviction. The Special Rapporteur was concerned to
learn of plans for a pay-per-stay prison with improved conditions for those willing to
privately fund their detention. All detainees should be afforded the same conditions of
detention, conditions that meet, and even exceed, the minimum standards specified in the
United Nations treaties Cambodia accepts and additional guidelines.
G.
Persons with disabilities
47.
Given the ongoing efforts of the Government and its chosen partners to clear land of
unexploded ordnance and the deep psychological trauma suffered by so many during the
Khmer Rouge era of Democratic Kampuchea and civil war periods, Cambodia should be a
leading country in the rights of persons with disabilities.
48.
While the Special Rapporteur received information about positive measures in place
to protect the rights of persons with disabilities, the lack of centralized data on persons with
disabilities and the lack of documentation certifying that they are persons with disabilities
often hamper their access to specific services, particularly those related to health. Reports
of discrimination at schools, health centres and private banks reinforce the need to continue
building awareness among the population on the rights of persons with disabilities. Access
to justice also remains a challenge for persons with disabilities, whether victims or alleged
offenders.
H.
Women
49.
The Special Rapporteur reiterates her concerns about the issues of violence against
women and diversion to mediation, the need for destigmatization of victims of domestic
and sexual violence and education and awareness-raising on these matters, issues that were
also raised by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in its
examination of the report of Cambodia (CEDAW/C/KHM/CO/4-5). The Special
Rapporteur welcomes the information provided by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs that an
increasing percentage of women who suffer intimate partner violence have been able to
leave abusive relationships. However, she remains concerned at the number of cases in
which women feel forced to live with an abuser and the instances of sexual violence and
assaults, including rape, that go unpunished. Many sexual assaults, including alleged rapes,
do not result in prosecutions; some cases remain open for several years after the claimed
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