Press Release: 2007

December 18, 2007 - The Cambodian Civil Society Organization Coalition wishes to express its deep concern about the recent direct attack by the Head of the Royal Government of Cambodia on Professor Yash Ghai, Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Human Rights in Cambodia, during his fourth visit to Cambodia, which just took place.

The Cambodian Civil Society Organization Coalition has noted that his fourth 10-day visit in Cambodia gave him more opportunity to meet and discuss with representatives of civil society organizations, political parties and members of the legal profession regarding the human rights situation in Cambodia. Mr. Yash Ghai was not only denied the opportunity to meet with some senior government officials during his visit, but the possibility of future meetings were also strongly rejected and his mandate as UN Special Representative for Cambodia attacked.

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December 17, 2007 - We, representatives of civil society, strongly condemn the excessive use of violence by the authorities against a group of Khmer Kampuchea Krom monks who gathered peacefully in front of the Vietnamese Embassy on the morning of 17 December 2007.

A group of 48 Khmer Kampuchea Krom monks, ethnic Khmer originally from southern Vietnam, had convened peacefully in front of the Vietnamese Embassy to submit a petition calling for the release of Kampuchea Krom Buddhist monk Tim Sakhorn and five other monks imprisoned in Vietnam, the resolution of land issues, and respect for minority rights. The Ministry of Interior responded swiftly by deploying a large contingent of police and anti-riot forces who arrived armed with shields, electric batons and guns.

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December 4, 2007 - LICADHO is deeply concerned by the ongoing provocative actions of the 7NG company toward the people of Dey Krahorm, whom it is trying to evict.

The most recent incident occurred last night when 7NG employees attempted to bring a large mechanical excavator into Dey Krahorm, which provoked an angry reaction from community residents who feared the earth-moving machine would be used to knock down their houses.

About 8pm, a large truck carrying the mechanical excavator stopped on the road outside the south entrance to Dey Krahorm. Local residents gathered along the roadside and asked the 7NG employees not to enter their community land with the excavator at night-time. Ignoring their requests, the truck driver began reversing the vehicle onto the Dey Krahorm land, clearly intending to unload the excavator there. As a crowd of people gathered round, another 7NG employee in the cab of the excavator began moving the machine's mechanical arm in the direction of the crowd - an extremely dangerous act which could have led to injuries.

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November 29, 2007 - The Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO) deplores the violent dispersal by provincial and district police of a garment workers' strike on November 29, 2007 in Prek Khsev village, Rokar Khpous commune, Saang district, Kandal province.

This morning, around 9am, armed district and provincial police were sent to disperse the strike. Claiming the workers were causing traffic jams, the authorities forcefully cracked down on workers using tear gas. During the operation, at least one female worker, 20-year-old, was injured after being hit on her leg by a tear gas canister. The police also arrested and detained 4 workers who were later on during the day sent to the Kandal Provincial Police Commissioner.

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November 22, 2007 - The government and courts must take strong action to investigate and punish police and military personnel responsible for serious abuses - including the alleged execution of a woman in front of her children - during the November 15 land eviction in Preah Vihear province.

According to eyewitnesses, the two people shot dead during the eviction, Mr Oeun Eng, 31, and Mrs Toeun Chheng, 29, were unarmed and posing no threat to the authorities at the time of their shootings.

Mr Oeun Eng was shot in the chest, reportedly by a uniformed man hidden in bushes some distance away, and died almost immediately. Another man standing next to him was shot in the shoulder but survived. The two men were standing amidst a group of people, most of whom leapt to the ground by the authorities began shooting; they may have been shot simply because they were too slow to get to the ground. The fact that both men were shot in the upper body indicates the bullets were fired directly at them.

The death of Mrs Toeun Chheng is even more disturbing. According to further investigation by LICADHO, initial reports that she was shot while protesting the arrest of her husband were incorrect. In fact, according to multiple witnesses, she was shot in cold blood by police while she was alone with her four children at her house.

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November 19, 2007 - As part of the 16 Days Campaign, CAMBOW will be broadcasting TV spots and radio spots, highlighting true stories of violence and the discrimination faced by Cambodian women. CAMBOW will also publish and distribute the report titled Violence Against Women: How Cambodian Laws Discriminate Against Women in print and audio formats.

The 16 Days campaign is conducted each year in many countries around the world between November 25, International Day Against Violence Against Women, and December 10, International Human Rights Day. The 16-day period also highlights other significant dates including December 1, which is World AIDS Day, and December 6, which marks the anniversary of the 1989 Montreal Massacre where 14 women were murdered in a school shooting.

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November 16, 2007 - LICADHO is gravely concerned by the killings of two people during a land eviction in Preah Vihear province and calls for the government to quickly launch a full investigation into the shootings.

An initial investigation by LICADHO indicates the excessive use of force by the authorities, and the unlawful participation of soldiers in the eviction. In addition, the eviction violated an agreement signed by local authorities stating that the villagers could remain temporarily on the land until a resolution to the dispute was found.

The shootings occurred on the morning of Thursday, November 15, when more than 150 police, military police, soldiers and Forestry Administration officers violently evicted a group of 317 families who had settled on land in Choam Ksan district of Preah Vihear. According to eyewitnesses interviewed by LICADHO, the authorities made no attempt to warn or negotiate with the people on the day of the eviction.

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November 3, 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.

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October 25, 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.

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October 17, 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.

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October 8, 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.

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September 30, 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.

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September 27, 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.

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August 30, 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.

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August 26, 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.

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