Community members call for the release of imprisoned community representatives at the Dambae district hall. From the Srae Prang community Facebook page.

The Appeal Court denied bail for Tbong Khmum community representative Phon Chhoeun in Phnom Penh this afternoon. Chhoeun was arrested in October alongside fellow community representative Sam Sang and faces multiple charges related to a land dispute between Chinese rubber company Harmony Win Investment and several communities in Dambae district, Tbong Khmum province.

In October, villagers in Dambae marched to protest the two representatives’ arrest and were blocked by security forces from observing the initial court process at Tbong Khmum Provincial Court. They were also prevented from observing an ongoing civil case filed by Harmony Win Investment seeking to deny the villagers access to their communal forest land.

More than 600 families who have relied on the land for housing and farming have been affected by the dispute, which has been ongoing since 2012. As recently as last month, Harmony Win Investment representatives brought in multiple tractors to clear the disputed land and were accompanied by approximately 30 soldiers and police. Villagers have continued to call for local and national authorities to resolve the conflict.