LICADHO calls for the immediate suspension of an ongoing violent eviction led by Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) soldiers in Kampot province which has seen numerous homes burned down and at least three people injured by beatings.

Since yesterday, armed soldiers from RCAF Infantry Brigade 31, along with police, military police and Forestry Administration officers, have been trying to evict approximately 300 families from land in Anlong Kraom village, Taken commune, Chhuk district of Kampot. They burned down about 130 wooden shacks belonging to the families yesterday, and most of the remaining 170 homes today. They have instructed all the families to leave the area by tonight.

The evicted families are not being offered any alternative land but simply being told to leave the area. The people whose houses were destroyed yesterday spent last night sleeping in the ashes of their burned homes.

Three men were injured yesterday when they tried to protect their homes and belongings from the soldiers and other authorities carrying out the eviction. All three were hospitalized. One of them required more than 10 stitches to his head after being beaten with a stick and a gun butt. Another man had a tooth knocked out and suffered bruises to his legs, and the third man suffered chest injuries, from beatings.

Yesterday morning, Brigade 31 soldiers unlawfully blocked a main road leading into the area and for hours refused access to human rights and medical workers, while they continued to burn down homes.
The ownership of the land in question is unclear, but authorities claim that it is protected State forest. Some of the people living there say they have been there for several years, while others settled there more recently. Regardless, the people were not shown any lawful eviction order or given any advance notice of the eviction.

This is not the first time that Brigade 31 has used force against the civilians in this area. Since early this year, the brigade has sought to take control of much of the land around Anlong Kroam and neighboring Chey Sena village. In April, the soldiers clashed with villagers - firing gunshots over their heads and beating one woman - as they seized a portion of land. In June, Brigade 31 soldiers and Forestry Adminstration officers forcibly evicted about 200 families in another nearby area, claiming that they were on protected forest land. The area was cordoned off by military roadblocks, and human rights workers were refused access for days. Soldiers beat civilians during the eviction and four villagers were arrested and remain in prison until now.

"The situation in this area continues to worsen and it needs to brought under control before more villagers get injured or even killed," said LICADHO president Kek Galabru. "Soldiers armed with AK47s should never be used against civilians in any circumstances, and they also have no right to be blocking roads and restricting the freedom of movement of local people and NGO workers."

LICADHO calls for an immediate halt to the eviction, pending a review of the land claims of the families living there. Anyone who has been living there for at least five years should be considered to have ownership of the land, in accordance with the Land Law. If there are other people living there who do not meet this requirement but are legitimately poor and in need of land, the government should permit them to remain on the land and grant them a social land concession.

In addition, all roadblocks in the area should be immediately and permanently withdrawn, and all Brigade 31 soldiers should be ordered to return to their barracks.

Finally, LICADHO calls for the Ministry of Defense to issue an order prohibiting RCAF forces nationwide from being involved in any way in evictions and land-grabbing.

For more information, please contact:
▪ Kek Galabru, LICADHO president, 012-940-645
▪ Am Sam Ath, Monitoring Supervisor, 012-327-770

PDF: Download full statement in English - Download full statement in Khmer