LIBRARY

29 September 2009

On August 27, 2009, the Phnom Penh municipal court sentenced Toch Ly, a village chief from Kompong Chhnang, to 16 months imprisonment after she was found guilty of forging thumbprints in an ongoing land dispute. She was also ordered to pay a fine of 1 million riel (USD$250) and compensation of 5 million riel (USD$1250) to the private company KDC International. Toch Ly was accused of forging a thumbprinted document in which 77 families denied that they sold their land to KDC International. The company is owned by Chea Kheng, the wife of Suy Sem, the Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy. Despite testimony from community members supporting the authenticity of the document, the court ruled that some of thumbprints did not belong to the people named on the document, but were instead made by their relatives.

10 September 2009

This speech was delivered by LICADHO President Chhiv Kek Pung on September 10, 2009, during the US Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Hearing on Cambodia.

I wish to express my gratitude to the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission for assisting the Cambodian delegation to participate in this important and timely hearing. Cambodia is currently facing a crisis in human rights, which constitutes a backward slide in the country’s democratization and efforts to promote good governance. The international community, including the United States, made a significant contribution to bringing peace and the concept of democracy to Cambodia in the early 1990s. Sadly, the hard-won steps which have been made toward pluralistic democracy, and towards economic and social development, are now in danger.

Today I would like to focus on some of the most pressing threats to human rights: specifically, violations of land rights; restrictions on freedom of expression; and Cambodia’s fundamentally dysfunctional justice system.

9 September 2009

In the past 5 years LICADHO has documented cases of land grabbing that have affected more than a quarter of a million Cambodians. The rampant land grabbing has seriously undermined the development of Cambodia, depriving entire communities of their livelihoods and dignity.

This video was shown on September 10, 2009, during the US Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Hearing on Cambodia.

2 September 2009

The Cambodian League for Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO) and the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) jointly condemn the decision by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court to acquit former National Military Police Deputy Chief of Staff General Chea Ratha and her accomplices accused of an acid attack on Ya Soknim. The August 31 verdict, issued by judges Sin Visal, Din Sivuthy and Sem Sakola came after several inexplicable delays in the case over the past months.

Human rights activists believe the attack on Ya Soknim, that left her severely mutilated, was an act of revenge against her and her niece, the TV celebrity In Solyda, who has been estranged from Chea Ratha since early 2008.

24 August 2009

On July 24, 2009, 30 protestors were arrested in connection with a land dispute in Kbal Spean Village, Poipet Commune, Poipet City, Banteay Meanchey Province. The day before, 50 armed military and police officers had escorted court prosecutor Tan Sei Hak, investigating judge Ang Meal Tei and court officials to enforce an eviction notice by blockading the area and surrounding the houses. In response, residents barricaded their houses and set fire to car tires in attempt to defend their homes. Police managed to break the dead lock by using water cannons and an excavator to level the houses.

4 August 2009

LICADHO condemns this morning's court verdict convicting opposition MP Mu Sochua of defamation and ordering her to pay a total of 16.5 million riel (US$4100) in fines and compensation.

"This verdict is a significant blow to freedom of expression and will have serious ramifications on the ability of National Assembly members to publicly speak their minds," said LICADHO director Naly Pilorge. "It is yet another example of the perilous state of democratic freedoms in Cambodia."

Mu Sochua, a Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) MP for Kampot province, was convicted by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court of defaming Prime Minister Hun Sen and ordered to pay 8.5 million riel in fines and 8 million riel in compensation to Hun Sen. Mu Sochua was tried on July 24 but the verdict was delayed until today.

The Prime Minister filed a defamation lawsuit against Mu Sochua in response to her attempting to sue him for defamation for comments he made during a public speech in April. The court threw out Mu Sochua's lawsuit against the Prime Minister but proceeded with his counter-suit against her.

4 August 2009

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.

26 July 2009

LICADHO deplores the authorities' renewed campaign to unlawfully arrest homeless persons, beggars, sex workers and other "undesirables" from the streets of Phnom Penh. In recent days, such arrests have led to women and children being sent to stay in a government social affairs center whose staff include alleged rapists and murderers, and to sex workers who have HIV/AIDS being detained at an NGO shelter where they were denied their life-sustaining anti-retroviral medicines.

"Once again, the government is treating poor people who live and work on the streets as though they are criminals," said LICADHO director Naly Pilorge. "This has nothing with to do with actually trying to help these people - it is simply intended to drive them off the streets in order to 'beautify' the city."

17 July 2009

Joint civil society organizations strongly condemn 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. 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.

At 4 am this morning, 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.

17 July 2009

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.

9 July 2009

On June 26, 2009, opposition-affiliated Khmer Machach Srok newspaper director Hang Chakra was convicted in absentia of disinformation, sentenced to one year in prison, and fined 9 million riel (USD $2,250). Hours later, Hang Chakra was arrested in Cambodia's Northeast Battambang province and taken to Prey Sar prison.

30 June 2009

I get up at 5:30 a.m. so I can let the dogs out of the house. Then I clean the dog droppings, wash the dishes, and prepare food for the dogs. At around 8 a.m., I have to leave the house to work at the private school that my employer runs. I also bring clothes which need cleaning with me so I can hand-wash them. After I arrive at the school, I have to go to the market, help with the cooking, and prepare lunch for my employer. Then, I do the washing-up and clean the school building and the clothes. In the afternoon I also have to tend to the bikes of the students who study at the school.

This is the story of a 16-year-old domestic worker and the conditions she works and lives in. Her story is shared by thousands of exploited children across Cambodia.

30 June 2009

The eviction of 31 families affected by HIV/AIDS from the inner-city community of Borei Keila in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, raises serious discrimination, health and other human rights issues. Twenty of the families were banished to a de facto AIDS colony created by the government on the city outskirts, where they were given grossly sub-standard housing, on June 18. Three days later, the remaining 11 families were also evicted, sent to stay in rental houses while they wait to see whether the authorities will honor a dubious verbal promise of permanent new housing for them at Borei Keila in three months time.

This briefing paper discusses the history of the HIV/AIDS community at Borei Keila and their eviction and forced relocation in June 2009.

23 June 2009

The Cambodian government has created a de facto AIDS colony by relocating a group of HIV/AIDS-affected families, evicted from their homes at Borei Keila in central Phnom Penh, to live in sub-standard housing at Tuol Sambo village on the city outskirts.

22 June 2009

We, the undersigned members of Cambodian civil society, condemn the lifting of parliamentary immunity from SRP members Ms. Mu Sochua and Mr. Ho Vann by the National Assembly today, Monday 22 June 2009. The National Assembly’s action is a significant blow to democracy and freedom of expression in Cambodia.

In addition to the decision to lift Ms. Mu Sochua’s parliamentary immunity, which was made to allow Prime Minister Hun Sen’s criminal defamation lawsuit against her to proceed, the National Assembly also made a surprise decision to lift Mr. Ho Vann’s immunity this morning. In his case, the decision clears the way for a lawsuit, filed by a group of military officers, for criminal defamation, disinformation and incitement to be made against him.

The manner in which the lifting of the two SRP MPs’ immunity was conducted this morning leaves no doubt that the government understands that this process was unfair. The decision to include Mr. Ho Vann’s immunity in the vote was made in secret and only known at the last minute. National and international observers - including foreign diplomats - were refused access to the National Assembly to observe the vote. One open handed vote, rather than separate ones, was used to lift the immunity of both MPs.

11 June 2009

We, the undersigned organizations, are strongly concerned about the perilous state of freedom of expression in Cambodia. Since the end of April 2009, Cambodian government officials have filed complaints of defamation, disinformation or incitement against several Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) lawmakers as well as a lawyer, a journalist and an NGO president.

In addition, Phnom Penh authorities have taken harsh action to suppress freedom of expression by residents of Boeung Kak lake. Such events have serious negative impacts on the freedom of expression in Cambodia.

10 June 2009

A concert to raise awareness about child domestic workers’ rights will be held at Provincial Stadium of Kampong Cham, on June 12, from 4:30pm to 9:30pm.

Organized by human rights organization LICADHO and World Vision Cambodia (WVC), the concert aims to highlight the rights of child domestic workers to education, health-care, and protection from physical, psychological, and sexual abuse and exploitation. The 12 June event coincides with the World Day against Child Labor, the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the landmark International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention Number 182 which requires signatory countries to take action to end the worst forms of child labor.

6 June 2009

Cambodia's epidemic of land-grabbing - often committed in the name of so-called "development" - is fueling poverty and jeopardizing the government's claimed development goals. LICADHO's latest report entitled Land-grabbing and Poverty in Cambodia: The Myth of Development, concludes that: "The Cambodian government's policies and practices on land management have failed. Rather than contributing positively to the development of the country, they are swelling the ranks of the landless, the unemployed and the poverty-stricken".

6 June 2009

In recent years it has become a tragic cliche to say that Cambodia is suffering from an "epidemic" of land-grabbing by the rich and powerful - an epidemic which is resulting in the loss of residence and livelihoods by the poor and vulnerable on a massive scale.

In the 13 provinces in which LICADHO works - roughly half the country - more than a quarter of a million people have been affected by land-grabbing and forced evictions since 2003.

1 June 2009

In recent years, senior Cambodian government officials including Prime Minister Hun Sen have stated the government's wish is to have a Law on Associations and Non-Governmental Organizations, commonly referred to as the “NGO Law”. In late September 2008, the Prime Minister announced that the NGO Law would be one of three priority laws to be completed.

But while these officials have claimed a need to address crime and corruption on the part of NGOs, a brief examination of the reasons they put forward suggests that the reverse is actually true - in reality, this proposed legislation is intended to restrict the lawful activities of Cambodian civil society organizations.