A government spokesman has dismissed a recent report on prison torture as an NGOs attempt to secure more funding, and nothing more.
The well-established rights group Licadho published a report this year claiming nearly 200 inmates were tortured or abused in prison in 2006.
Between January and April, 2007, 49 inmates reported torture during police detention, but the group said the number was likely higher.
Government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said the government was dedicated to solving the problem and was a signatory to an international treaty banning torture.
He said the report was a way that Licadho was "looking for a budget."
Licadho monitors 18 prisons across the country and has been issuing reports on their conditions since 1997.
