Samrong Tbong community members march in Phnom Penh to submit a petition to the King on 18 March 2024.

The Phnom Penh Capital Court yesterday convicted nine Samrong Tbong community members of intentional acts of violence and obstruction of a public official with aggravating circumstances under Articles 218 and 504 of the Criminal Code, with 2-year prison sentences that were fully suspended by the judge.

The charges stemmed from an incident on 1 October 2022, when the defendants Kong Tue, Phorn Sokhom, Prak Sophea, Say Sarith, Soeun Chamroeun, Soeun Sreysot, Tav Ny, and Yorn Kimyoeun attempted to reinforce a wooden door at Heng Meang’s home in order to improve security and protect her belongings. During this process, authorities told the defendants to stop, claiming that this activity was in violation of a construction ban. The defendants disagreed, leading to a dispute in which the authorities attempted to take down the door while the community members attempted to keep it up. Despite not being present at the time of the dispute, Heng Meang was convicted and received the same sentence as the other defendants.

The Samrong Tbong community has faced a pattern of state harassment, criminal charges and threats of eviction as the government has filled in and given away large swathes of Boeng Tamok lake, where many community members have lived for decades, to various government ministries, officials and well-connected individuals.