LIBRARY

21 October 2014

On October 20, 2014, security guards in Phnom Penh were once again captured senselessly beating peaceful land protesters. About 80 villagers from Preah Vihear province had come to Phnom Penh to ask for assistance from national institutions, to help resolve their land dispute which has affected over 200 families. However, shortly after noon, the villagers were violently dispersed by the guards while military police and police officers stood by near the Prime Minister's home.

The violence left a total of 18 people injured. Several of them, including an 18 year-old boy, suffered head wounds.

20 October 2014

Following the violent dispersal of protestors nearby Prime Minister Hun Sen’s home earlier today, LICADHO is now treating 17 patients. At least 4 of them (one woman and three men) have moderate injuries from beatings sustained by security guards. One of the injured is an 18 year old boy who was beaten on the head. He is currently being observed and may be admitted to hospital later.

The protestors from Kantuot commune, Choan Ksan district, Preah Vihear province, included men, women, and young children who were protesting in Phnom Penh to request assistance in ongoing land conflicts that have affected over 200 families.

They intended to march to the Chinese, Russian, and Australian embassies, before submitting a petition to the home of Prime Minister Hun Sen. However, the protestors were blocked on their way to the Prime Minister’s house, where they were severely beaten.

20 October 2014

Earlier this morning, four people were injured after security guards at Independence Monument beat protestors from Kantuot commune, Choan Ksan district, Preah Vihear province, while military police stood by.

The group of protestors included men, women, and young children. They had come to Phnom Penh to request assistance in ongoing land conflicts that have affected over 200 families.

They intended to march to the Chinese, Russian, and Australian embassies, before submitting a petition to the home of Prime Minister Hun Sen. However, the protestors were blocked on their way to the Prime Minister’s house at Wat Botum, where they were severely beaten.

16 October 2014

We, the undersigned civil society groups, condemn the actions of the Oddar Meanchey authorities who have, since September 2014, been engaged in the obstruction, harassment, intimidation, and assault of rights workers. Most recently, a four-person team from Equitable Cambodia (“EC”) was in the province to conduct field research on the impacts of forced evictions resulting from economic land concessions granted for the development of sugarcane plantations. The plantations are owned by the Mitr Phol Group, one of Coca-Cola’s top three global suppliers. Research data collected will be provided to the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (“NHRCT”), which is investigating Mitr Phol’s operations in Cambodia.

11 October 2014

This afternoon, police in Oddar Meanchey beat a staff member from Equitable Cambodia after they refused to allow officers to search their car without a warrant and gain access to a camera.

Police stopped the car as it was transporting villagers back to their community, following interviews with Equitable Cambodia staff at an office belonging to ADHOC.

Following the illegal search and beating of the staff, police confiscated the car and deleted a number of photos from the camera. The staff from Equitable Cambodia are now in Oddar Meanchey Provincial Police Station negotiating with police but are not currently detained.

9 October 2014

This morning 250 villagers from three villages, Trapaing Kandorl, Chi Khor, and Chhouk, marched to deliver a petition to Chi Kha Leu commune hall and Sre Ambel district office to petition authorities over a long running land dispute regarding an overlapping economic land concession, that involved Oknha Ly Yong Phat and is used to produce sugar for Thai sugar-manufacturer, Khon Kaen Sugar (KSL).

The district governor and commune leader for Chi Kha Leu received their petitions after which the villagers then marched to Koh Kong Sugar, where a representative for the company accepted their petition as well.

The villagers plan to deliver another petition to the provincial hall if there is no resolution between district authorities and Koh Kong Sugar following today's activities.

6 October 2014

Today as communities all over the world stand in solidarity for World Habitat Day, some 600 community members gathered at the National Assembly to demand 'development for all' and an end to forced evictions across Cambodia. This video highlights the ongoing land dispute between the Borei Keila community in Phnom Penh and local development company, Phanimex.

12 September 2014

We the undersigned condemn the continued intimidation and harassment of human rights defenders in Cambodia. We call upon the competent authorities to investigate those responsible for ordering the groundless detention of Equitable Cambodia Staff Meg Fukuzawa and Lida Sok.

29 August 2014

Today at around 4pm, five Lor Peang community members who were arrested and detained in the last month have been provisionally released by the Investigating Judge of Kampong Chhnang Provincial Court. Three of the villagers were arrested during a 60km-long peaceful march from Kampong Chhnang province to Phnom Penh. The march was undertaken to call for a resolution to a long-standing land dispute between the villagers and K.D.C Company, while also calling for the release of two community members, arrested weeks earlier.

All five members have been released under judicial supervision with three conditions: 1. That they appear before the court when summonsed; 2. That they do not change residence without informing the court; and 3. That they present themselves to their local police station every month.

The release follows repeated attempts by the Lor Peang community to submit petitions to various government institutions over their conflict with K.D.C Company.

29 August 2014

This morning at around 9.20am, four community activists from Boeung Kak Lake Community were arrested at Wat Chas, Chroy Chang Va district. The activists had arrived to support rural land communities from Pailin, Banteay Meanchey, Battambang and Svay Rieng, who were preparing a march to petition the National Assembly and Prime Minister Hun Sen this morning. The four activists arrested were Song Sreyleap, Tep Vanny, Kek Chanrasmey and Kong Chantha. They were detained at Chroy Chang Va district office before being released before noon, with one of the arrested requiring medical attention at Calmette Hospital. Following the arrests of the four activists, authorities locked the communities inside the grounds of Wat Chas.

22 August 2014

This morning approximately 100 land activists from Borei Keila, Lor Peang and Boeung Kak Lake communities marched to the Council of Ministers to submit petitions for the resolution of their respective land disputes.

Their peaceful assembly was disrupted by riot police and 7 Makara district security guards, who temporarily detained three activists amid an unsuccessful push to disperse people.

This morning, Prime Minister Hun Sen plans to meet at the Council of Ministers with a number of top officials to discuss unresolved land disputes across the country.

21 August 2014

On August 18, 2014, the Phnom Penh Sugar Co. Ltd., took out advertisements in several major Cambodian newspapers accusing Equitable Cambodia’s Executive Director, Mr. Eang Vuthy, of making false and misleading statements about Oknha Ly Yong Phat, and causing “irreparable damage” to the Senator’s reputation as well as that of his business, Phnom Penh Sugar.

While the Senator may currently have no involvement in the management or ownership of Khon Kaen Sugar Company’s in Koh Kong province or Mitr Pohl Sugar Company’s in Oddar Meanchey province, there is strong evidence that Ly Yong Phat was involved with each of these companies and with the forcible eviction of thousands of villagers.

12 August 2014

LICADHO condemns the violent dispersal of more than 50 villagers from Lor Peang community who had begun their 60km-long peaceful march from Kampong Chhnang province to Phnom Penh, calling for a resolution to their long-standing land dispute. Amid the violent dispersal, three villagers – including the husband of the main Lor Peang community representative Um Sophy – were arrested and sent to the provincial court.

21 June 2014

This morning, Surya P. Subedi, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights in Cambodia, visited and held discussions with land grab victims in Chikhor Leu village, Sre Ambel District, Koh Kong province. The land overlapped with an economic land concession given over to the production of sugar which was linked to ruling-party senator Ly Yong Phat.

In the afternoon, Subedi also visited Spean Ches community, Village 6, in Preah Sihanouk province. Some residents of this community were among the over 100 families violently evicted on April 20, 2007 from a plot of land 500 meters away in Commune 4, Mittapheap District, Sihanoukville, by 150 armed forces including military. Subedi held discussions with community members before meeting with the provincial governor.

Subedi’s visit throws light on long-standing land grabbing cases that remain unresolved. In both cases, the state-involved land grabs happened over half a decade ago.

10 June 2014

In the lead-up to World Day Against Child Labour, LICADHO is releasing a two-part digital photo essay series highlighting linkages between child labour and issues such as poverty, school drop-out rates and land eviction. The second video looks into the life of Kompieng , 16, who dropped out of school and started doing odd jobs to help support her family.

6 April 2014

This morning, two houses were partially destroyed in Boeung Kak Muoy Commune, Toul Kork District, Phnom Penh. Ly Srea Keng, whose house was attacked, has been involved in a longstanding dispute with Khun Sea Company and has suffered a number of previous attacks against him including physical assault and attempted arson. Some people were injured during the violence and were sent for medical treatment.

LICADHO highlighted this case last week in a statement that marked a renewed upswing in violent land grabs since the start of 2014. Today's action is further evidence that the Cambodian government is failing to address the ongoing land crisis in Cambodia.

1 April 2014

The number of people affected by state-involved land conflicts in Cambodia since 2000 passed the half-million mark in March, according to data collected by LICADHO.

To mark this somber milestone, LICADHO has published a new video and map which together illustrate the wide distribution of conflicts and the rapid growth of land grabbing as an issue over the past 13 years. The first few months of 2014 have seen a renewed wave of violent land grabbing that has affected 2,246 families across the provinces monitored by LICADHO.

1 April 2014

Between January 2000 and March 2014, LICADHO documented more than 500,000 Cambodians affected by state-involved land conflicts in investigations covering roughly half the country. After 13 years, land grabbing shows little sign of slowing down and the first few months of 2014 have seen continued destruction of homes, forest and livelihoods.

24 March 2014

2013 was dominated by one event: the National Assembly elections. Throughout the year, Phnom Penh saw some of its largest demonstrations in decades as Cambodian people took to the streets to demand their rights.

However, as documented by LICADHO in the report ‘Human Rights 2013: The Year in Review’, the elections witnessed an unprecedented level of fraud and left the country in a state of political turmoil; conflict over land and natural resources continued to be a major source of human rights violations throughout the year; strikes and labor issues gave rise to discord, often attracting violent action from the authorities; and human rights defenders remained a target of harassment, threats, unjustified criminal charges and violence.

21 March 2014

Elections aside, land remained the single most contentious issue in Cambodia in 2013, as it has been for at least the last 10 years. Over 2.2 million hectares of Cambodian land have been granted to large firms in the form of economic land concessions (ELCs).