The Cambodian Human Rights Actions Committee (CHRAC), a collation of 18 human rights NGOs, strongly condemns the means of enforcement of the Banteay Mean Chey Provincial Appeals Court’s decision in a controversial Poipet land case. Enforcement lead to violence against villagers that resulted in six deaths. Six others are seriously injured, three people have disappeared, and 29 others were arrested and released the same day.

According to CHRAC sources, court clerk Chan Savath (a representative of the prosecutor in the Banteay Mean Chey court) enforced the verdict of the appeal court by deploying over one hundred police and military police officers to contain the 218 families living in Kbal Spearn village, and to protect workers hired to destroy their property in Poipet commune, O’Chreu district, Banteay Mean Chey province. When confronted by villagers, the authorities fired a threatening shot, which caused one injury and chaos among villagers. Authorities then shot at individuals and the crowd causing six deaths and six injuries; three villagers have disappeared since the incident.

Article 32 of the constitution clearly prohibits any violent act that results in death, including capital punishment, and article 36 of the land law states that the authorities can suspend the enforcement of the verdict in cases where enforcement causes chaos and serious social problems.

The Action Committee considers this action a serious human rights and legal violation. Perpetrators must be held responsible before the law. The Action Committee insists that authorities at all levels conduct an independent investigation, arrest the perpetrators and prosecute those responsible for the incident.