Prime Minister Hun Sen urged Cambodians to respect free speech, as a workshop on human rights got underway in Siem Reap Thursday.
The Asia-Europe meeting is the eighth unofficial workshop to be held on human rights. Thursday's focus was freedom of speech.
By following international conventions on human rights, the government was focusing on the promotion of rights for its people, Hun Sen said.
Asean too was working toward the creation of a human rights body, he said.
Ou Vireak, director of the Cambodia Center for Human Rights, said groups were skeptical of Cambodia's commitment to human rights.
Cambodians still suffer discrimination and other rights abuses, he said.