70 Dictating the Internet: Cambodia In Cambodia, the criminal offence of lesè majesté was introduced into the Cambodian Criminal Code in the midst of a steep deterioration in human rights protection and rule of law leading up to the 2018 general elections.232 In February 2018, following an exclusively internal and speedy review process, the Cambodian government introduced a new lesè majesté law, along with other constitutional amendments which imposed impermissible limitations on the rights to free association and freedom of assembly.233 Introduction of the lesè majesté provision under article 437 bis of the Criminal Code is one of a number of highly problematic legal measures brought into force by the ruling Cambodian People’s Party to restrict fundamental freedoms surrounding the 2018 elections (which the party won by a landslide).234 Article 437 bis criminalizes “insults to the King’ with up to five years’ imprisonment or a fine of up to ten million Riel (approx. USD 2,460) or both.235 Legal entities found in violation of the law, including non-governmental and media organizations, can be subject to a ban on their activities, fines between ten million to 50 million Riel (approx. USD 2,460 to USD 12,300) and/or dissolution.236 232 ICJ, ‘Misuse of law will do long-term damage to Cambodia’ 26 July 2018, Available at: https:// www.icj.org/misuse-of-law-will-do-long-term-damage-to-cambodia/; ICJ, ‘Cambodia: deteriorating situation for human rights and rule of law (UN statement)’, 27 June 2018, Available at: https:// www.icj.org/hrc38-cambodia/; ICJ, ‘Cambodia: weaponization of the law (UN Statement)’, 22 March 2018, Available at: https://www.icj.org/hrc37cambodia/ 233 ICJ, ‘Submission of the International Commission of Jurists to the Universal Periodic Review of Cambodia’, 12 July 2018, para 12, Available at: https://www.icj.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/ Cambodia-UPR-Advocacy-Non-legal-submission-July-2018-ENG.pdf 234 ICJ, ‘Cambodia: end efforts to introduce lèse-majesté law’, 2 February 2018, Available at: https://www.icj.org/cambodia-end-efforts-to-introduce-lese-majeste-law/; Human Rights Watch, ‘Cambodia: July 29 Elections Not Genuine’, 25 July 2018, Available at: https://www.hrw.org/ news/2018/07/25/cambodia-july-29-elections-not-genuine-0; Amnesty International, ‘Cambodia: First ‘royal insult’ conviction a new low for government’, 5 October 2018, Available at: https:// www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2018/10/cambodia-first-royal-insult-conviction-a-new-low-forgovernment/ 235 Leonie Kijewski, Soth Koemsoeun, ‘National Assembly passes lèse majesté law, limits to freedom of association’, Phnom Penh Post, 14 February 2018, https://www.phnompenhpost.com/nationalpolitics/national-assembly-passes-lese-majeste-lawlimits-freedom-association 236 Ben Sokhean and Andrew Nachemson, ‘As UN raises concerns over amendments, government says new lèse majesté law will apply to media’, Phnom Penh Post, 22 February 2018, https:// www.phnompenhpost.com/national/un-raises-concerns-over-amendments-governmentsays-newlese-majeste-law-will-apply-media; Niem Chheng, Andrew Nachemson, ‘Lèse-majesté law now in effect’, Phnom Penh Post, 5 March 2018, https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/lesemajeste-law-now-effect