Phnom Penh, August 14, 2014
The civil society organization are calling for the release of 5 Lor Peang villagers who were arrested and detained by Kampong Chhnang provincial authority, due to the land dispute between KDC Company of Ms. Chea Kheng who is a wife of H.E. Suy Sem, the Minister for Industry, Mines and Energy. We also call the resolution on the land dispute for them as soon as possible.
On 21 July 2014, 2 people living in Lor Peang villag, Ta Ches commune, Kampong Tralach district, Kampong Chhnang province were arrested by Kampong Chhnang provincial authority from their village, and later on 3 other villagers were arrested on 12 August 2014 while marching on the street to Phnom Penh city, in order to submit petition to the national institution. Meanwhile, violence erupted because hundreds of police came to stop their journey, beat and shock them with electric stick that caused 8 people to be injured and fainted, as well as their food and property were destroyed. Moreover, the Phnom Penh authority kept mistreating them, blocking their journey to Phnom Penh city, and this act made 5 other people fainted.
Samdech Decho Hun Sen, Prime Minister of Cambodian Royal Government, said on 15 March 2006 that he would not allow having the arrest of the people involving land dispute anymore, and then called for the release of the representatives of people involving this case. While, root cause of the arrest of Lor Peang villagers is made because of the land dispute.
Civil society organizations observed that the activities such as the arrest and subpoenaing the people’s representative including mistreatment were made to threaten and oppress them to stop their protest and agree to hand over land to Ms. Chea Kheng’s company. This act was a serious human rights violation, civil society organization noticed that these authorities were supporting the business people and the powerful people without considering to the harm the poor people suffered because of losing their land.
The civil society organization would like to call insistently for the Cambodian Royal Government, authorities at all levels, and Kampong Chhnang provincial court to reconsider and release the people who detaining, and stop subpoenaing the people including all form of mistreat to Lor Peang villagers. In addition, we call for solving land dispute to them as soon as possible, as they were suffering with this chronic land dispute.
For more information:
- Mr. Sok Sam Oeun CHRAC Chairman Tel: 012 901 199
- Mr. Ny Chakriya Head of Human Rights and Legal Aid Section, ADHOC
Tel: 011 274 959
- Mr. Sie Phearom Director of HRTF Secretariat Tel: 012 852 325
- Mr. Tek Vannara Executive Director of NGO Forum Tel: 012 793 489
- Mr. Suon Bunsak Chief of CHRAC Secretariat Tel: 092 344 357
- Mr. Yong Kimeng President of PDP-Center Tel: 016 828 211
CSO endorsed this joint statement are:
- Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC)
- NGO Forum on Cambodia (NGO Forum)
- Housing Rights Task Force (HRTF)
- The Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC)
- Coalition of Cambodian Farmer Community (CCFC)
- Cambodia's Independent Civil-Servants Association (CICA)
- Cambodian Youth Network (CYN)
- Independent Democracy of Informal Economy Association (IDEA)
- Indigenous Community Support Organization (ICSO)
- Cambodian Volunteers for Society (CVS)
- Working Group for Peace (WGP)
- Cambodian Food and Service Worker Federation (CFSWF)
- Khmer Youth Association (KYA)
- Coordination of Action Research on AIDS and Mobility (CARAM Cambodia)
- Indradevi Association (IDA)
- The Cambodian Center for Protection of Children's Rights (CCPCR)
- Building Community Voices (BCV)
- Khmer Institute for National Development (KIND)
- Cambodian Defenders Project (CDP)
- People Center for Development and Peace (PDP-Center)
- Khmer Kampuchea Krom for Human Rights and Development Association (KKKHRDA)
- Legal Aid of Cambodia (LAC)
- Human Rights Vigilance of Cambodia (VIGILANCE)
- Protection of Juvenile Justice (PJJ)
- Mission of Generous Cambodian Alliance (Generous)
- Cambodian Health and Human Rights Alliance (CHHRA)
- Human Right Organization for Transparency and Peace (HROTP)