licadho's Media

Villagers Unit to Release Community Representatives in Land Dispute

licadho — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 02:27:00 -0700

2,000 hectares of land belonging to more than 300 villagers in 10 villages was confiscated on 23 September 2009 by Okhna Ly Yong Phat, a Senator from the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, for use as a sugar plantation. Ly Yong Phat Company was granted 9,052 hectares of land by the government as an economic land concession, affecting families in the Thpong district’s Omlaing commune.

The villagers were offered – and refused – a paltry sum $100 to $200 per hectare to abandon their farms and livelihoods. The villagers started to protest after they saw bulldozers and tractors clearing their farmlands in Omlaing commune, Thpong district.

On 17 March 2010, more than 30 soldiers from RCAF’s 313 battalion were deployed on the concession area where a number of violations occurred. The battalion is one of the military units officially sponsored by the Senator Ly Yong Phat in a patronage system, whereby private companies can sponsor specific military units.

On 18 March 2010, some 500 villagers staged a protest to stop workers of the company from clearing the land but failed to do so. Villagers then torched two makeshift shelters owned by the company.

Community representative Khem Vuthy and commune council member You Tho were then summoned for questioning at Kompong Speu provincial court on 18 March 2010. On 24 March 2010 they were detained and charged with incitement, colluding to set the structures on fire, and colluding to incite violence. Two other men were also summoned for questioning over the incident, but went into hiding after Mr. You and Mr. Vuthy were arrested.

The two representatives appeared in court on 24 March 2010. The same day, more than 500 villagers drove for hours on farming trucks to Kompong Speu town, so that they could support their community representatives. Numerous eyewitnesses have claimed that the men were not present when the structures were burnt to the ground. Mixed police lined their path, and reported the group’s progress to their superiors.

Early the next day, hundreds of other villagers headed to Kompong Speu town to also show support. At least three of them were beaten by police and seven others suffered minor injuries. Other villagers from the same group were prevented from reaching the town altogether, with police disabling the engine of one farmer’s truck. This conduct by police intimidated the villagers and severely restricted their freedom of movement and assembly.

On 26 March 2010, more than 600 villagers gathered on National Road 4, blocking the road for almost two hours, and demanded the release of their two representatives, Khem Vuth and You Tho. This led to heavy traffic congestion and prompted the deputy provincial governor, court officials and provincial police commissioner to talk with villagers. After lengthy negotiations, the villagers agreed to move and discuss the matter at the provincial court.

On 29 March 2010 Mr. You and Mr. Vuthy were released on bail and placed under surveillance.

Cambodian Military Police Involved in Brawl with Villagers Outside Takeo Provincial Court

licadho — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:29:53 -0700

On September 30, 2009, more than 30 villagers fought with military police outside Takeo Provincial Court in an attempt to prevent authorities from detaining a community representative from being arrested on groundless disinformation charges.

After several hours of questioning by Takeo Provincial Court Director and Investigating Judge Tith Sothy, Sib Sen and Ny San were charged with disinformation and wrongful damage of property, which stemmed from a 2008 incident where they had removed a fence built by the mosque leaders to cover village land after declaring that it belonged to the community. No reasons were given by court which subsequently released Sib Sen on bail but arrested and detained Ny San.

Five military police officers escorting Ny San from the court house to prison were confronted by the group of villagers and a scuffle ensued as they attempted to stop the police from detaining Ny San. After a tense standoff between the villagers and the military police, the armed officers eventually managed to get Ny San into a waiting car and drove him to prison.

Community representatives Ny San, 57, and Sib Sen, 61, were the first of six people to be questioned by the court. The court summons appeared to be an exercise in intimidation against the ethnic Cham Muslim community, following accusations by the community members that local mosque funds had been mismanaged.

Violence used against Peaceful Phnom Penh march following Mu Sochua’s Court Verdict

licadho — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 03:23:19 -0700

Police used intimidation and violence against MP Mu Sochua and SRP supporters, as well as journalists and other independent observers, following the announcement of the Sochua’s verdict on Tuesday August 4. As Sochua, party president Sam Rainsy, SRP National Assemby MPs and supporters proceeded to march along the streets back to the party headquarters from the court, police attempted to violently disperse the impromptu march.

Anti-riot police repeatedly tried to drag participants away from the peaceful march, and several marchers were pushed or fell to the ground. Police also beat or kicked several other marchers. Police officers repeatedly directed cars, motorcycles and even a bus to drive through the marchers, in an obvious attempt to create a traffic accident which could have led to serious injury or worse.

Two men were arrested during one of the police’s attempts to violently disperse the crowd of marchers; one of the men, as he was being led away by police, was kicked in the groin by a policeman.

The Eviction of Group 78 in Cambodia's Capital

licadho — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 07:15:16 -0700

The small community know as Group 78 located in the riverside area of Phnom Penh have live on their land since 1983. Over the years, Group 78 families were served with a number of eviction notices by local authorities while witnessing two violent forced eviction that took place in the same area, namely Dey Krahorm and Sambok Chap. The 3-years-long coercion campaign of Group 78 residents to leave their homes and land, culminating in this morning's final eviction of the area.

At 4 am this morning [July 17, 2009], dozens of armed police took up positions around Group 78 in order to enforce a municipal order that they dismantle their homes or be forcibly removed. This followed 53 families yesterday “agreeing” to the authorities’ demand that they accept an offer of $8,000 compensation or their homes would be forcibly destroyed. Negotiations this morning with the remaining 7 families who had not “agreed” led to a final offer to them of up to $20,000 in compensation which they all accepted, except for one family whose home was destroyed against their will.

As the sun rose on Friday July 17, 2009, dawn bore witness to the heart wrenching sight of the homes of the Group 78 community being dismantled piece by piece.

Testimony from Forcibly Evicted Dey Krahorm Residents

licadho — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:17:28 -0700

In the early morning hours of Saturday January 24, 2009 approximately 500 demolition workers escorted by 300 mixed police in full riot gear surrounded the community of Dey Krahorm. Their mission, to forcibly evict the approximately 400 families that were living on the disputed land in the heart of Phnom Penh.

This video bares witness to the personal testimony of the Dey Krahorm villagers who were evicted.

Imminent Eviction in the Heart of Phnom Penh

licadho — Thu, 07 May 2009 08:28:16 -0700

The small community know as Group 78 located in the riverside area of Phnom Penh have live on their land since 1983. Over the past 3 years they have seen their neighbouring communities vanish in the face of forced and violent evictions.
In May 2006 over 1300 families from the neighbouring Sambok Chap village and in January 2009 over 400 families in the neighbouring Dey Krahorm village.
Group 78 was told to move by Friday April 17, 2009 and they fear the worst will come with the authorities threatening to bring 200 police to evict them. However for now the villagers are staying to ensure they are fairly compensated for the prime land they own.

People Living With HIV/AIDS Living in Fear of Forced Eviction

licadho — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 21:21:28 -0700

Over 30 families living with HIV/AIDS in the "green shed" at the Borei Kila social land concession are facing the prospect of eviction.

The Borei Keila social land concession was meant to be a government sponsored land exchange whereby land was given to land developers in exchange for them building apartments for existing families living on the land.

The land concession has been ongoing for the past 5 years with the apartment allocation process rife with allegations of corruption and unfair practices.
The families living in the temporary "green shed" have been waiting for apartments to be allocated to them for the past 2 years, but they are now faced with the prospect of being evicted again to the Toul Sambo relocation site 20km outside of Phnom Penh.

At Toul Sambo there is inadeuqate housing, no clean water and is far from any markets, schools, employment opportunities and most importantly medical facilities.

UPDATE, 27 July: 100+ HIV/AIDS and human rights organizations - including WITNESS, Human Rights Watch, and the International HIV/AIDS Alliance - co-sign a letter to the Royal Government of Cambodia expressing "deep concern about the discriminatory and potentially life-threatening treatment of HIV-affected families from the Borei Keila community." The statement says that "there has been no consideration of the impact on health of the poor living conditions at Tuol Sambo [the relocation site]"
and notes that the risk to those living with HIV can be life threathening. The organizations are calling on the Royal Cambodian Government to cease moving HIV-affected families to Tuol Sambo; ensure full access to quaiity medical services for those families; and improve conditions at Tuol Sambo to meet minimum standards for adequate shelter, sanitation, and clean water. Read the full statement here.

Shooting in Chi Kreng, Siem Reap

licadho — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 22:31:40 -0700

LICADHO calls upon the Royal Cambodian Government to take urgent action in response to the unjustified violence by authorities against villagers involved in a land dispute in Chi Kreng district of Siem Reap province.
Four villagers were wounded when members of a joint force – including police, military police, border police and soldiers – opened fire on a crowd of farmers in Anlong Samnor commune on Sunday, March 22.

Land Crisis in Cambodia: Kratie Province

licadho — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 18:12:37 -0800

750 ethnic minority families in Kratie Province, Cambodia are embroiled in a land dispute over farming land, that the provincial authorities say they have leased to a private company for a rubber plantation. In October 2008 the bulldozers came into clear the land and the villagers were there to stop them. [Music courtesy of the Messengers Band]

$79 million for who?

licadho — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 19:25:05 -0800

In February 2007 the Municipality of Phnom Penh entered into a 99-year lease agreement for US$79 million for 133 hectares, including Boeung Kok lake and surrounding land, with a private developer, Shukaku Inc. According to the government, the company will turn the area into “pleasant, trade, and service places for domestic and international tourists,” including by filling in 90% of the lake. On 26 August 2008 a company began filling the lake, which has worsened flooding and caused the destruction of some houses. The development will lead to the eviction of almost 4,000 families, despite many of the affected families having strong legal claims to the land under the Land Law.