Cambodia: UN offers Covid assistance at Preah Sihanouk prison

The UN resident coordinator in Cambodia, Pauline Tamesis, told The Post on May 19 that the UN has engaged with prison authorities and humanitarian partners to assess the situation. They will provide support for the affected inmates and preparedness to prevent and contain the disease in the prison. “In particular, the UN in Cambodia will donate PPE (personal protective equipment) clothing like plastic aprons, masks, gloves, rapid test kits and vitamins to the affected prison population and prison staff as requested by the general department of prisons”, she said.

Tamesis said that since the onset of the Covid-19 outbreak in Cambodia early last year, her organisation has been advocating for policy and legal changes, in particular calling for mass releases of prisoners and the use of alternatives to detention – especially for low-level offenders and vulnerable prisoners.

General Department of Prisons spokesman Nuth Savna said on May 19 that after 34 infections were detected on May 8, no new Covid-19 cases among detainees were found as of May 19. But they will have to undergo the second test on May 23.

With regard to mass releases or the use of alternatives to detention to avoid overcrowding in prisons, ministry of Justice spokesperson Chin Malin said Cambodia could not just free prisoners. He noted however that the ministry had instead launched a campaign to clear the backlog of court cases in a fair process.