By Lauren Crothers

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia

A leading anti-corruption organization has called on Cambodia’s government to reconsider a draft law whose passage appears imminent despite recent protests and critics’ concerns that it will impede NGO efforts.

In a strongly worded statement released Thursday afternoon, Transparency International said the proposed Law on Association and Non-Governmental Organizations, or LANGO as it is more commonly known, would “greatly restrict the voice of the people.”

Expressing concerns based on sections of the “pernicious” law that have been leaked over past weeks, it warned that its interpretation of the wording “could be used to effectively stop the ability of NGOs to freely criticize government policies or public officials.”

The organization said that criteria upon which NGOs can be registered is couched in vague language, and unfairly requires informal grassroots organizations to have to register formally as NGOs in order to conduct any activities.

A copy of the law obtained by the Phnom Penh Post last month found that it also contains a provision allowing for groups to be punished according to the criminal law if they are found to be “jeopardizing peace.”

Another challenging aspect pertains to provisions that NGOs must always behave in a neutral manner with regard to political parties, but does not elaborate.

Transparency International warned that it thus “raises concern the law will be applied to stop groups from criticizing government policies because it could be considered criticism of the ruling party.”

The statement quoted the organization’s chair, Jose Ugaz, as saying that civil society is “the strongest, most unified representation of the voice of the people” in Cambodia and worldwide.

“If Cambodia attempts to restrict or shut down civil society, it comes ever closer to having an authoritarian leadership that cannot be criticized, cannot be held to account and, if it chooses, can act corruptly with impunity,” he said.

The statement comes a day after ruling party lawmaker Chheang Vun was quoted by the Post as having said that the law should “pass right now, so that it will guarantee social stability, [and] prevent foreign interference, which can sour the political environment.”

On Tuesday, police prevented protesters opposed to the law from marching on the National Assembly, only for around 200 of them to regroup outside the legislature after barricades were removed.

Last month, a coalition of human rights groups including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Oxfam wrote a letter to Prime Minister Hun Sen asking for the law to be scrapped.