while documenting river pollution levels in in areas designated as “red zones” were 3 Phnom Penh. The MNC members were prohibited from leaving their homes for any among 26 activists released in mid- reason, which seriously impacted their November who also included Rong Chhun access to food, healthcare and other and all those detained for protesting against essential goods and services. Humanitarian his arrest. All were released subject to various NGOs were barred from distributing food and conditions including limits to their rights to other aid to at-risk residents in these areas. freedom of movement, association and Some individuals who posted concerns or peaceful assembly. pleas for help on social media were ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION AND threatened and intimidated by local authorities. INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ RIGHTS Severe overcrowding in prisons and drug Indigenous peoples and grassroots forest detention centres, exacerbated by the anti- defenders were denied access to their drug campaign, continued to violate traditional lands for conservation activities. In detainees’ right to health. Civil society February, a request by the Prey Lang repeated calls for urgent action to curb the Community Network (PLCN) to hold their spread of Covid-19 among detainees, annual tree blessing ceremony in the Prey including through non-custodial alternatives Lang rainforest was rejected by the Ministry to detention, but government action was 7 of the Environment for the second year limited and inadequate. 4 running. PLCN members – most of whom were Indigenous Kuy people – remained 1. “Cambodia: 150 opposition politicians and supporters face jail in banned from entering the Prey Lang Wildlife mass trials”, 14 January Sanctuary to conduct community patrols. The 2. “Cambodia: 'Outrageous' conviction of five environmental activists Prey Preah Roka Forest Community Network must be overturned”, 6 May were also prevented from engaging in forest 3. “Cambodia: Assault on environmental defenders escalates as four patrols in Prey Vihear province. more charged”, 22 June In September, PLCN member Chan Thoeun 4. “Cambodia: Widespread illegal logging in Prey Lang rainforest amid was convicted of “intentional violence with ban on community patrols”, 25 February aggravating circumstances” and given a two- 5. “Cambodia’s Prey Lang: how not to protect a vital forest”, 13 April year suspended prison sentence after a 6. “Cambodia: Authorities must avert Covid-19 humanitarian crisis”, confrontation with an alleged logger during a 30 April forest patrol in 2020. In February, Ministry of 7. Cambodia: Urgently Address Covid-19 Outbreak in Prisons (Index: Environment officers arrested and arbitrarily ASA 23/4172/2021), 24 May detained five environmental defenders for investigating illegal logging in Prey Lang forest. They were released three days later CAMEROON after committing not to enter the forest without permission from authorities.5 Republic of Cameroon Deforestation rates increased by over 20% in Head of state: Paul Biya 2021, which impacted severely on the Head of government: Joseph Dion Ngute ancestral lands of Indigenous peoples. Companies implicated in illegal logging In the Northwest and Southwest regions, continued to operate with impunity. the army and armed separatist groups RIGHT TO HEALTH committed serious human rights violations and abuses. In the Far North region, armed In April, amid rising Covid-19 infection rates, groups continued to carry out deadly raids the authorities imposed severe lockdown on villages. Dozens of opposition party measures – some lasting several weeks – in supporters and anglophone leaders 6 parts of the capital and other cities. People remained arbitrarily detained. The Amnesty International Report 2021/22 113