LIBRARY

11 January 2016

Today, communities gathered in three provinces across Cambodia to protest forced evictions and call for an end to their land conflicts.

In Kampong Speu, communities from Oral district gathered outside HLH Agriculture Co. on the first of a planned multi-day protest against land grabs perpetrated by the company since 2009. The group, of about 100 community members, plans to continue their demonstration for three more days.

In a separate land protest, about 40 people from Ochheuteal beach community, Spean Chhes community and Kampenh Chas community in Sihanoukville gathered outside the provincial government office to demand a resolution to their land conflicts.

3 January 2016

This morning, around 300 unionists, garment factory workers, monks, NGO staff and land rights activists gathered for a memorial ceremony on Veng Sreng Road in Phnom Penh where two years ago state security forces shot at striking workers, killing four and injuring many more.

Today’s commemoration went ahead despite heavy-handed policing throughout: around 500 police and security guards attempted to disrupt the gathering by shoving participants, confiscating banners and breaking up groups of people as they congregated. Among the participants were family members of the deceased, and workers and union leaders who were arrested and wrongfully imprisoned following the violence two years ago.

2 December 2015

This afternoon, three community representatives were sentenced to two years in prison by Ratanakiri court as over 100 supporters gathered outside the courtroom to protest the proceedings.

The community representatives were first summonsed in May 2015 as an intimidation tactic in the midst of a land conflict which started in 2012, when workers hired by Phnom Penh businessman Heang Socheat – and with the support of armed police – began clearing hundreds of hectares of land which had supported the livelihoods of 100 families living in Borkeo district.

Sout Soeun, Em Chan, and Chreuk Touck were convicted of charges relating to infringement of ownership under Articles 247, 248 and 253 of the Land Law. Only Article 253 carries a prison sentence, and is defined as ‘violence against a possessor of immovable property’. Despite a complete lack of any evidence of violence, all​ three received maximum prison sentences and were immediately sent to Ratanakiri prison following their sentencing. After the verdict was announced, supporters were pushed away from the entrance of the courthouse by armed military police.

30 October 2015

This morning, Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) leader Kem Sokha was removed as first vice president of Cambodia’s National Assembly in a vote passed unanimously by all 68 ruling party lawmakers following a walkout by all present CNRP lawmakers earlier this morning. The vote took place while almost half of CNRP's MPs are out of the country.

The removal comes four days after CPP-orchestrated protests in the capital calling for Kem Sokha to stand down outside the National Assembly left two CNRP MPs badly beaten, as well as protests against him by armed soldiers in northwestern Oddar Meanchey and Preah Vihear provinces. Two days after the protests, senior CPP lawmakers Pen Panha and Cheam Yeap officially requested for Kem Sokha to be removed.

23 October 2015

Groups across Cambodia gathered today to mark the 24th anniversary of the Paris Peace Accords by calling on the government to respect human rights and peaceful democracy.

About 50 land activists from Boeung Kak Lake community, as well as about 200 youths and monks across Battambang, Kampong Cham, Takeo and Phnom Penh, urged the government to respect the agreement by ensuring peace, upholding fundamental rights, including a democratic political system, and ensuring Cambodia’s sovereignty. The calls for peace come after comments from Prime Minister Hun Sen warning of civil war in Cambodia should the opposition CNRP party win the next national election.

7 October 2015

The trial of Sam Rainsy Party Senator Hong Sok Hour was suspended shortly after resuming this afternoon to reinvestigate documents submitted by the defence team and to call in specialists to analyse methods of finding and downloading documents from the internet.

Hong Sok Hour was charged with forgery of public documents, use of forged public documents, and incitement to commit a crime after posting an altered version of a reproduction of the 1979 treaty between Cambodia and Vietnam on Facebook. He has been detained in CC1 prison since his arrest on 16 August.

There is no date set for the trial resumption, which began on 2 October immediately following Hong Sok Hour’s rejected bail hearing.

7 October 2015

This morning, Areng Valley community representative and CPP commune councillor Vein Vorn was arrested on charges relating to his activism and sent to Koh Kong provincial prison.

He has been at the forefront of Areng Valley community’s campaign to stop the controversial development of a hydroelectric dam by the Pheapimex group – headed by ruling party senator Lao Meng King – and their Chinese partner Sinohydro. He now faces charges under Article 98 of the Forestry Law and 533 of the Criminal Code for leading the construction of a small communal meeting space built by the Areng Valley community to support their activism. About 40 community members are currently outside the court protesting his arrest.

Three activists from NGO Mother Nature, who were also active in protesting the hydrodam, have been in detention since August 17 for their role in an ongoing campaign to end alleged illegal sand dredging in Koh Kong.

2 October 2015

This morning, monks from the Independent Monk Network for Social Justice (IMNSJ) gathered in Battambang town to call for an end to deforestation in Prey Lang forest.

The group of monks, led by Venerable But Buntenh, urged authorities to conserve Cambodia’s natural resources, particularly the endangered Prey Lang forest. The event was the latest in an ongoing campaign to protect Prey Lang. In July, monks from IMNSJ, together with other land activists, had submitted a petition to the Forestry Administration demanding an end to illegal logging in the forest.

21 September 2015

This morning, three activists from NGO Mother Nature were again denied bail after an Appeal Court hearing in Phnom Penh.

The three – Try Sovikea, 23; Sun Mala, 23; and Sim Samnang, 28 – were arrested on August 17 amid an ongoing campaign to end alleged illegal sand dredging in Koh Kong. They have been charged under Article 424 of the Penal Code with threatening to cause destruction, defacement or damage and ordering others to do so, and are currently detained in Koh Kong prison.

The bail verdict came after more than a month of sustained protests outside Koh Kong provincial court calling for their release, as well as for the resolution of other Koh Kong land conflicts. The activists were first denied bail by Koh Kong provincial court on August 31.

16 September 2015

Two men from Andoung Trabek community were tried by Svay Rieng provincial court this morning under charges of clearing state forest as dozens of security forces, as well as soldiers, mobilized outside to prevent about 40 of their supporters from gathering.

Suon Seiha and Suon Hongly were charged under Article 97 of the forestry law in 2012 as an intimidation tactic against Andoung Trabek community, who have repeatedly contested multiple land-grabs by local authorities – allegedly including forestry administration officers – which date back to 2008. The verdict of today’s trial is due on 23 September.

The deployment of soldiers, which obstructed the community gathering in support outside the court, has become common practice in Svay Rieng whenever authorities perceive a risk of communities gathering in the provincial town.

10 September 2015

This morning, imprisoned activist Ouk Pich Samnang was convicted of intentional violence and obstructing authorities - in defiance of testimony and lack of evidence - and sentenced to a further two years in prison relating to an October 2014 protest.

He was arrested following a protest outside the Prime Minister’s house by a Preah Vihear community calling for a solution to their land conflict. Police arrested him as he tried to recover from injuries caused by beatings from security guards during the protest, in which several other protesters were injured, including one who was hospitalised. No one has faced legal action for the excessive force used to disperse the protesters.

During his trial, not one civil party or witness who testified identified Ouk Pich Samnang as using violence, including the chief of the Daun Penh district security guards, and three civil parties actively said he was not responsible for their injuries. He was convicted nevertheless under Articles 218 and 503 of the penal code as well as being fined four million riel and ordered to pay 10 million riel in compensation to the civil parties.

19 August 2015

Supporters of three arrested activists from Mother Nature have been blocked from entering Koh Kong city to protest their arrests.

The three activists – Try Sovikea, 23; Sun Mala, 23; and Sim Samnang, 28 – were arrested on August 17 amid an ongoing campaign to end alleged illegal sand dredging in Koh Kong. They have been charged under Article 424 of the Penal Code with threatening to cause destruction, defacement or damage and ordering others to do so, and are currently detained in Koh Kong prison. About 40 supporters, who were planning to gather outside Koh Kong provincial court to protest their arrests, have been blocked from entering the city by military police. Another 45 supporters, who managed to enter the city before the road block was in place, are protesting the arrests outside Koh Kong prison.

16 August 2015

Sam Rainsy Party Senator Hong Sok Hour, who was arrested yesterday, has been sent to CC1 prison.

He has been charged with forgery of public documents (Article 629 of Cambodia’s Criminal Code), use of forged public documents (Article 630), and incitement to commit a crime (Articles 494 & 495). The Senator was accused of treason by Prime Minister Hun Sen in a speech on Thursday for allegedly publishing an altered version of a 1979 treaty between Cambodia and Vietnam on his Facebook page on Wednesday.

15 August 2015

Sam Rainsy Party Senator Hong Sok Hour, who was arrested early this morning, has been sent to the Phnom Penh Commissariat following an interview in Phnom Penh’s Municipal Court this afternoon.

The Senator was accused of treason by Prime Minister Hun Sen in a speech on Thursday for allegedly publishing an altered version of a 1979 treaty between Cambodia and Vietnam on his Facebook page. He was arrested by a group of armed police at 6am this morning from the house of CNRP MP Yon Tharo, and there was a large presence of armed police surrounding the court throughout his appearance. He will be detained in the Phnom Penh Commissariat overnight and interviewed further by a prosecutor tomorrow.

12 August 2015

Today, a full session of the Constitutional Council declared the draft Law on Associations and NGOs (LANGO) constitutional in both its content and the process of its drafting and approval.

The LANGO was passed by the National Assembly on July 13 and by the Senate on July 24 amid widespread national and international criticism. It is now due to go before the King for final approval.

12 August 2015

This morning, about 200 youths aged 18-25 celebrated International Youth Day in Siem Reap with a bike ride, balloon release and public forum under the theme ‘Youth are important for development’.

About 200 more children joined the youths for the forum which also included traditional dancing, games and music. The question-and-answer session of the event revealed that the most common concerns among those present are poverty and economic opportunities, education and corruption in the education system, and youth engagement in such political, social and economic issues. Today's event was organised by about 10 youth groups from different districts and organisations across Siem Reap.

26 July 2015

Five men and one woman from youth groups based in Preah Vihear and Phnom Penh were arrested this morning after gathering in front of the National Assembly to protest the Law on Associations and NGOs (LANGO), which was approved by the Senate on Friday.

The six youths - Chum Hour and Chum Hout from Khmer Youth Empire group, Veoun Ratana, Moung Sony and Soun Veana from Khmer Student Intelligent League Association, and Meas Leakhena from the CNRP Chroy Chanvar women’s movement - were among about 45 people from three youth groups affiliated to NGOs Moha Norkor and Mother Nature protesting LANGO outside the National Assembly this morning, some wearing prisoners’ outfits in protest of the repressive law. They are currently detained in Chamkor Mon district police office in Phnom Penh, where land communities and monks’ networks have joined their youth groups protesting outside for their release. About 120 mixed riot police, traffic police and security guards are also present.

24 July 2015

The widely-criticized Law on Associations and NGOs (LANGO) was approved by the Senate at about 10 o’clock this morning as over 400 people from grassroots groups, unions, monks’ groups and other associations gathered outside to protest against it.

Amid widespread national and international criticism, including months of protests across the country against the law, attending ruling-party Senators voted to approve the LANGO which was passed by the National Assembly on 13 July. The 11 SRP Senators boycotted the vote.

Protesters had gathered outside the Senate in the early morning, singing, holding anti-LANGO banners, and distributing stickers as monks performed a Buddhist ceremony symbolizing rejection of the law. Protesters also submitted a petition from grassroots groups, unions and NGOs to the Japanese Embassy to take action over the law.

22 July 2015

Two days before the repressive Law on Associations and NGOs (LANGO) goes before the Senate, community and civil society groups across 13 provinces continue ongoing protests against the law.

Across the country, over a thousand people from community groups, monks’ networks, unions and NGOs released balloons with anti-LANGO messages, held community forums to discuss the impact of the law, distributed leaflets on the law, and in some areas marched through towns to provincial lawmakers’ officers. In Siem Reap, police blocked the road as marchers approached the hall and dispersed the protest.

The LANGO is a widely-condemned draft law that will give the government sweeping powers to restrict civil society. It was passed by the National Assembly on 13 July to national and international criticism, and is due before the Senate on July 24.

20 July 2015

This afternoon, about 250 farmers from Svay Rieng, Sihanoukville and Takeo gathered at the National Assembly in Phnom Penh to submit petitions relating to land disputes in Sihanoukville and Svay Rieng.

One petition called for the National Assembly to conduct an investigation into ongoing land disputes in Svay Rieng, including alleged corruption by officials in the sale of farmers' land to companies which has prevented farmers from obtaining land titles. The second petition called on the National Assembly to address ongoing land issues in Sihanoukville. Some of the land conflicts date from 2011, and together have affected nearly 2,000 families across the two provinces. After the farmers submitted the petitions, members of National Assembly committees agreed to investigate the disputes.

Authorities blocked a group of about 200 people from Romeas Heak district in Svay Rieng from going to Phnom Penh to join the rally this morning.