LIBRARY

3 November 2007

The Housing Rights Task Force (HRTF), Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC) and The NGO Forum on Cambodia deeply regret the action taken by authorities of Khan Russey Keo to demolish houses and evict 132 families from Chong Chrouy village, Sangkath Chruoy Changva, Khan Russey Keo, Phnom Penh, on November 2, 2007.

Investigation of this event by civil society organizations disclosed that at approximately 5am, a mixed force of 300 men led by Khan Russey Keo Governor Khleang Huot blocked access to the eviction site to prevent human rights defenders as well as reporters from monitoring and reporting these actions. During this forced eviction, the authorities threatened and confiscated the camera of an observing member of national parliament. In addition, authorities hired workers to destroy people's houses and in doing this arbitrarily looted people's properties.

25 October 2007

The Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO) deplores the prison sentence given this week to a community representative involved in a long-running land dispute in Siem Reap.

Despite an overwhelmingly lack of evidence against her, 24-year-old So Socheat was convicted in the Siem Reap Provincial Court on October 22 of committing battery with injury and destruction of private property. Judge Kun Sokhal sentenced her to eight months in prison and a 500,000 riel (US$125) fine.

Although Socheat was accused of assaulting a police officer, the only evidence of battery with injury presented to the court was the opposite - that police officers had in fact beaten Socheat.

17 October 2007

LICADHO strongly condemns last night's violent abduction and deportation by authorities in Phnom Penh of land protesters who had come to the capital from Svay Rieng province. This action was unacceptable and a blatant violation of Cambodians' Constitutional rights to freedom of expression and assembly.

Shortly before 7pm, approximately 80 police and military police - some armed with pistols - surrounded the group of about 200 Svay Rieng villagers camped in the park outside Wat Botum near the National Assembly. The villagers, who had only arrived at the park a few hours earlier, were forced into vehicles including two buses and sent back to Svay Rieng. According to witnesses, some of the villagers were beaten during the raid on the park, and two persons were later taken to hospital unconscious. NGO workers were blocked by authorities from entering the area, but heard cries coming from the villagers.

8 October 2007

The Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO) is appalled by the weak prison sentence given today by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court to Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) colonel Chhor Dara. Arrested for attempted murder, the court's ruling in effect allows Chhor Dara to walk free from jail.

On the night of March 14th, 2007, the victim Chem Sopheap accompanied Pen Roathet, Chhor Dara's estranged wife, to a restaurant with a group of friends including one man. The next day, a jealous Chhor Dara attacked Chem Sopheap, accusing her of bringing his wife to see another man. He beat her and allegedly fired a gunshot which grazed her head during the attack.

30 September 2007

We are writing to you on behalf of the undersigned human rights organisations. We have followed recent developments in Burma/Myanmar with horror. You will of course be well aware of the brutal manner in which the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) has responded to demonstrators who have been doing no more than peacefully exercising their internationally recognised human rights. We pay tribute to the courage and determination of the peoples of Burma, and stand alongside them as they struggle for democracy and human rights.

We therefore warmly welcome the decision of the Human Rights Council to convene a Special Session on the situation of human rights in Myanmar on 2 and 3 October in Geneva. If the Council is truly to establish itself as a credible and positive force for the protection of human rights, it is essential that it is able to respond in a decisive manner to gross and systematic human rights violations of this nature.

27 September 2007

LICADHO is concerned that Phnom Penh police may seek to arrest a representative of the Dey Krahorm community on unjustified allegations of stealing or damaging a mobile phone.

The community representative, a woman, was involved in an incident with a 7NG company security guard during a news media conference by the Dey Krahorm community this morning. The security guard approached the woman, who was standing several meters away from the media conference, and attempted to photograph her with his mobile phone. The woman brushed the security guard's hand away, trying to prevent him from photographing her, and the phone fell to the floor. The security guard then left the area, without picking up his telephone, and made a complaint to local police that the woman had stolen his phone. The phone was later given to the police by Dey Krahorm community members.

30 August 2007

The Housing Rights Task Force (HRTF) condemns the manner and tactics used by the military police and 7NG in yesterday's eviction of homes at Deykrahorm, or Red Earth village in, Chamkarmorn, Phnom Penh yesterday.

In particular, we reject the use of "construction workers" armed with crowbars and hatchets to disperse the villagers, the use of force in handcuffing individuals and decision by the police to not protect a villager when a 7NG employee physically assaulted her.

Mr. Pa Socheatvong, the Phnom Penh deputy governor's description of the incident as a "small non-violent confrontation" (Cambodia Daily, August 30, 2007) is misleading and incorrect. Photographic and video evidence clearly show an excessive use of force by the police.

26 August 2007

LICADHO is organizing a march against child trafficking and sexual abuse in Sihanoukville. The march, themed: "Let's work together to combat child trafficking and sexual exploitation", aims to spread awareness about these forms of abuse and the devastating effects they have on children.

26 June 2007

For more than a decade Cambodia has failed to honor its obligations to prevent and punish the use of torture, and strong action is needed to tackle the widespread practice, according to LICADHO.

"Torture is committed every day in Cambodia, and most torturers are not punished in any way," LICADHO president Kek Galabru said on June 26, the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. "Cambodia is blatantly violating its obligations under international and domestic laws, and it is time that the government, police and courts took real action to stop the barbaric practice of torture."

Cambodia ratified the UN Convention Against Torture in 1992 but has failed to properly implement it. Early this year, the government also signed on to an additional international human rights treaty, the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture, which contains further obligations to prevent torture.

31 May 2007

September 2006, ten girls aged between 14 and 17 years were persuaded by a fellow villager in Kompong Cham province to travel to Phnom Penh after they were promised jobs as domestic workers. However after arriving in Phnom Penh they were promptly taken to a local market where they were openly sold for 50,000 riel each. Fortunately this "auction" was witnessed by an LICADHO staff who obtained information from one of the victims and proceeded to work with LICADHO colleagues and other NGOs to ensure that all girls were found and returned safely to their families in the provinces.

Celebrating International Children's Day this year, LICADHO is promoting the theme of "Working Together to Combat Trafficking, Exploitation and Abuse of Children". Activities have been planned which highlight and promote children's rights, in particular, trafficking, the rights of children in prison and children involved in the worst forms of child labour.

28 May 2007

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and its member organisations in Cambodia, the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO) and the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) express their deep concern regarding the situation of human rights in Cambodia.

Despite the recommendations made by Mr. Yash Ghai, the UN Special Representative of the Secretary General on human rights in Cambodia, in September 2006, before the UN Human Rights Council little progress has been made. The Cambodian government has ratified 13 human rights international instruments and the Constitution of the Royal Kingdom of Cambodia has incorporated the Universal Declaration of HR. However, Cambodians are increasingly subject to a wide range of human rights abuses - often committed by State personnel.

1 May 2007

We, the undersigned, call upon the Cambodian authorities to conduct a professional and thorough investigation into the murder of Hy Vuthy, the President of the Free Trade Union of Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia, (FTUWKC) at the Suntex factory.

Hy Vuthy was shot dead, reportedly by two men on a motorbike, on the morning of February 24, 2007 while on the way home after finishing his night shift at the Suntex factory.

His murder comes after at least nine violent attacks on union leaders in Phnom Penh in 2006, seven of which were against FTUWKC officials at Suntex or the co-owned Bright Sky factory. No one has been brought to justice for these attacks.

Endorsed by 242 groups from Cambodian and 82 countries worldwide

25 April 2007

The Cambodian League for Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO) and the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) condemn the sudden violent eviction of 117 families in Commune 4, Mittapheap District, Sihanoukville.

On the morning of April 20, 2007, some 150 military police and police officers armed with guns, electric batons and tear gas, raided the disputed land, burning down 80 houses and demolishing the remaining 26 houses. The evicted families were not permitted to remove possessions from their houses before they were destroyed.

LICADHO and ADHOC question the legality of the eviction, which was apparently based on an order by Sihanoukville Municipality despite the fact that the ownership of the land is disputed and at least some of the families have a good claim to the land under Cambodia's Land Law. In addition, the police action was based on a search warrant - but not an eviction notice - issued by the Sihanoukville Municipal Court.

12 April 2007

The Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC), a coalition of 23 NGO members, deeply regrets the Court of Appeal's decision to uphold the Phnom Penh Municipal Courts verdict in the case of Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun, who were convicted of murdering Chea Vichea and sentenced to 20 years in prison and ordered to pay U$5000 each in compensation.

CHRAC considers that the verdict announced by the Appeal Court presiding judge Mr. Saly Theara this morning is very unjust and politically biased, and that the court did not use its independent power to make a fair and reasonable decision on this case.

4 April 2007

The Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC), a coalition of 23 NGO members expresses our grave concern over unresolved fees imposed on foreign lawyers to practice before the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) by the Bar Association of the Kingdom of Cambodia (BAKC) which is creating a stalemate and derailing the ECCC process.
We are particularly concern regarding the most recent standoff between the BAKC and the international judges in their inability to come to an agreement, and to learn that because of the failure of the BAKC to compromise on this issue of fees, the plenary session scheduled for the end of this month will not be convened. We urge the BAKC and the ECCC to arrive at an appropriate agreement which ensures freedom of choice of counsels immediately.
CHRAC squarely places the onus of resolving this issue of fees on the shoulders of the BAKC and holds it accountable for the inability of the ECCC to adopt Internal Rules.

29 March 2007

The Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC), the Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (COMFREL), the Cambodian Committee of Women (CAMBOW), the Alliance for Freedom of Expression in Cambodia (AFEC) and the Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (NICFEC) are deeply concerned about the threat made by the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) to expel the Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI), an international organization, from the country or to revoke staff visas.

Expulsion of OSJI would be inconsistent with Article 12 (2) of the Agreement between the United Nations and RGC which ensures that "representatives... of national and international non- governmental organizations will at all time have access to the proceedings before the Extraordinary Chambers." By making this threat the government risks giving the impression to an international audience that it will not allow the activities of ECCC to be properly scrutinized and monitored.

20 March 2007

The Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC), a coalition of 23 local NGO members and the Bangkok-based Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development Forum Asia), applaud the progress made by the Review Committee on Internal Rules during the 10-day meeting in resolving the major disagreements. We trust the agreement of these issues responded to CHRAC's nine key concerns submitted to the First Plenary Session held in November 2006 (ie, power of the Pre-Trial Chamber, nature of supermajority voting, defence rights, victim participation, protection and reparations, widespread public access to reasoned decisions of the Court, etc.).

CHRAC and Forum Asia would like to express our deep concern about the newly-raised issue of fees for foreign lawyers in terms of application and when they are selected to practice as imposed by the Bar Association of the Kingdom of Cambodia (BACK) as stated in the statement of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Court of Cambodia (ECCC) released on March 16, 2007 and newspaper articles.

We urge the BAKC to reconsider its request, in particular the exorbitant, prohibitive amount in light of spirit of larger goals of the ECCC and in light of other international and mixed tribunals (ICTY, ICTR, and SCSL) which on the whole do not charge a fee or a limited amount. We believe the BAKC's request practically and severely limits the freedom of choice of counsel afforded an individual, a legal principle that is recognized both by Cambodia and Cambodia with other nations.

10 March 2007

On the morning of March 10, 2007, approximately 300 indigenous people from the villages of Chrop, Sre Sranok, and Kbal Romeas in Kbal Romeas commune peacefully rallied in front of Bopeakta Yaram pagoda located in Chrop Village to call for an urgent resolution to the dispute. Community land used by the indigenous people has been grabbed and cleared by four companies (Sopheak Nika Investment Agro-Industrial Co. Ltd, Sal Sophea Peanich Co. Ltd, Siv Guick Co. Ltd, and Phou Mardy Co. Ltd) which have been given government concessions to plant trees in the area. The dispute was caused by unclear marking of the boundaries of the concessions.

CHRAC investigators monitoring this land dispute believe the authorities of Stung Treng province have failed to address the concerns of the indigenous villagers, instead supporting the concession companies. Furthermore, there were threats by local authorities and soldiers employed as security guards for the concession companies to arrest villagers before and after the peaceful gathering which would seriously violate the villagers' right to peaceful assemble to express their grievances.

27 February 2007

LICADHO, ADHOC & CCHR are shocked and condemn the deployment of mixed forces used to crack down on a peaceful demonstration by monks on the morning of February 27, 2006 in Phnom Penh near the Vietnamese embassy.

52 Khmer Kampuchea Krom monks had planned to gather in front of the Vietnamese embassy in Phnom Penh to demand the reversal of a decision made last Saturday by Vietnamese authorities to defrock three monks who allegedly took part in a Khmer Krom demonstration in Southern Vietnam. Today's initiative was part of a bigger campaign taking place in several countries throughout the world to protest the defrocking.

26 February 2007

LICADHO, ADHOC & CCHR condemn the assassination of Hy Vuthy, President of the Free Trade Union of Workers in the Kingdom of Cambodia (FTUWKC) at the Suntex garment factory, and demand a proper investigation by the authorities to bring his killers to justice.

Hy Vuthy, aged 34, was shot dead at 5.15am on February 24 while riding his motorbike home after finishing his nightshift at the Suntex factory in Phnom Penh's Dangkao district. The murder, which took place a kilometer from the factory, was reportedly committed by two men on a motorbike.

Hy Vuthy had been President of FTUWKC members at the factory for less than a year. He had previously been a member of the Cambodian Union Federation (CUF), a rival union widely considered to be close to the government. According to preliminary investigations by LICADHO, ADHOC and CCHR, Vuthy had received telephone death threats approximately three months ago.