LIBRARY

24 August 2005

The members of the Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC), a coalition of 18 NGO members, is concerned about the lack of information concerning the process through which judges will be selected by the Royal Government of Cambodia. The government has not released a list of the candidates to be considered, the criteria by which they will be evaluated, or information about the process and timeframe for recruitment and selection. CHRAC respectfully asks the Government's Khmer Rouge Trials Task Force to make this information public, in order to strengthen this critical process.

17 August 2005

The Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC), a coalition of 18 NGOs, would like to express its dissatisfaction with the Battambang Provincial Court for dropping charges against 128 police, military police and civilians accused of killing five villagers and injuring eight others during a forced eviction on March 21, 2005 in Kbal Spean Village, Poipet Commune, O' Chrov District, Banteay Meanchey Province. Victims sustained extensive property damage during the eviction.

9 August 2005

On Tuesday morning August 9, Military Court Judge General Nay Thol sentenced opposition Law maker Cheam Channy to 7 years Imprisonment on charges of organizing illegal armed forces and committing fraud, despite lack of credible testimony or evidence to back up charges.

LICADHO condemns the August 8 trial of Cheam Channy, a parliamentarian for the Sam Rainsy Party, which should not have been held in the Military Court. The Military Court does not have jurisdiction over civilians such as Cheam Channy. LICADHO is also deeply concerned by the grossly unfair treatment of Cheam Channy during the course of the trial.

8 August 2005

The Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC), a coalition of 18 local NGOs, closely followed the trial proceedings at the Military Court on August 8th, 2005 to try H.E. Cheam Channy, a member of parliament from the opposition party.

During the hearing, CHRAC observers noted that there was a lack of adequate evidence or credible testimonies to support the charges, of organized crime and committing fraud, against H. E. Cheam Channy by the prosecutor. CHRAC members observed many procedural violations, including the following:

3 August 2005

The Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC), a coalition of 18 NGOs, is deeply concerned by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court's guilty verdict for Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun, accused of the murder of Chea Vichea, Free Trade Union leader and Sam Rainsy Party activist. They were each sentenced to 20 years in prison and ordered to pay $5,000 compensation each to the plaintiff.

CHRAC considers the verdict, returned on August 1, 2005 by Judge Kong Set, as unfair and based on political bias rather than on independent and reasonable judgment.

29 July 2005

Civil Society Organizations are deeply concerned on the decline of the rights and function of Member of Parliament (MP) mainly the freedom of expression. Civil Society Organizations have noted that political Parties influence has been increased, mostly political leader over the MP in 1st legislation started from the parliamentary membership withdrawal of H.E.Mr. Sam Rainsy from FUNCINPEC 3 senators; H.E.Mr. Chhang Song, H.E.Mr. Phay Siphan and H.E.Mr. Pou Savath; of Cambodian People Party (CPP), and the recently attempt for parliamentary membership withdrawal of H.E.Mr. Khem Veasna from Sam Rainsy (SRP).

20 July 2005

On Tuesday, July 19, 2005, approximately one hundred (100) Montagnards whose applications for refugee status had been rejected by UNHCR were handed over to Cambodian officials for deportation proceedings. UNHCR’s decision came despite protestation by its implementing partner, the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), that some of those being forcibly returned had “fair claims” for refugee status.

20 July 2005

The Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC), a coalition of 18 local NGOs, is deeply concerned by today's forced and violent repatriation of 100 Montagnards in Cambodia to Vietnam. The CHRAC condemns the deportation including the extensive use of electric batons which was used against the Montagnards by Cambodian police while loading them onto buses to begin the deportation from a center in Phnom Penh. This was despite the fact that the Montagnards did not act violently, but only tried to passively resist being taken away.

19 July 2005

On August 9, 2004, the Cambodian government agreed to give land in Mondulkiri province to the Wuzhishan L.S. Group, a Cambodian-Chinese company, to operate a pine tree plantation. While Cambodia's Land Law restricts land concessions to a maximum of 10,000 hectares, the Cambodian government agreed in principle to give Wuzhishan Group a total of 199,999 hectares. It approved an immediate 10,000 hectares for testing and planting, with the remainder to be given later after further deliberations and discussions with Cambodia's foreign donors.

6 July 2005

The coalition of civil society organizations has noticed that the Senate and the National Assembly, who adopted the proposed law on election of members of the senate, plan to elect senators as a result of the votes of members of both the national assembly and commune council. The coalition of civil society organizations, however, strongly regrets that recommendations of the coalition, electoral stakeholders, and political parties are not included in the Senate Election Law.

5 July 2005

The Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC), a coalition of 18 NGOs, is strongly disappointed by the decision made on June 30 by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court's prosecutor to condemn Mr. Suon Visal and his colleagues for "counterfeiting a seal and letterhead."

CHRAC believes that the accusations made by the prosecutor run counter to legal principles because they lack criminal action; the new stamp was made with majority support of the Bar Council and Mr. Suon Visal had informed all relevant authorities about this new stamp. He therefore did not commit any crime.

29 June 2005

Cambodia should establish an independent body to receive and investigate complaints of torture and other abuses committed by police officers, according to LICADHO.

"Torture is all too common in Cambodia and it is time for meaningful action to prevent and punish this brutal practice," said Kek Galabru on June 26, the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. "Establishing an independent agency to investigate such abuses committed by the police is long overdue."

22 June 2005

The Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC), a coalition of 18 NGOs, is deeply concerned about the development plans of the Wuzhishan Company's land concession in Mondulkiri Province. As currently described, their plans will violate the historic land, customs, traditions, and daily life of Phnong tribe communities in seven communes. In particular, the company's intention to clear more than 10,000 hectares of land to plant pine trees represents an illegal action that seriously impacts the livelihood of the tribes in the communes of Dakdam and Sen Monorum of Oraing District.

3 June 2005

Civil society is deeply saddened to hear that the Government now claims it cannot contribute its $13.3 million share to the Khmer Rouge Tribunal (KRT) three-year budget. It declares that it can only give $1.5 million leaving a short fall of $11.8 million. It is interesting to note that the $4.4 million per year required from the Government to run the KRT amounts to only 0.5% of the Annual National budget of $792 million. This seems like a ridiculously small price to pay for the possible achievement of justice and reconciliation for victims of the Khmer Rouge regime and for Cambodia as a whole.

30 May 2005

A children’s art contest and a comedy stage show are among activities to be held by LICADHO on June 1 to mark International Children’s Day and highlight the need for greater action to protect the rights and improve the live’s of Cambodia’s children.

In celebrating International Children’s Day this year, LICADHO is promoting the theme of “Working Together to Combat Trafficking, Exploitation and Abuse of Children.” Day-long activities will be undertaken in Sihanoukville; Siem Reap; Chamkar Leu in Kompong Cham, Kien Svay and Muk Kampul in Kandal; Koh Kong; and Dangkao in Phnom Penh.

26 May 2005

A slideshow presentation on the situation of women in Cambodia.

26 April 2005

We welcome the Royal Government of Cambodia and the International Community’s determination to ensure the fairness, credibility, independence and impartiality of the Extraordinary Chambers (EC). In order to achieve this, CHRAC and other members of civil society have made multiple requests on the above topics, yet many of our questions remain unanswered. The International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH), ADHOC and LICADHO held a meeting and discussed these issues with members of civil society on 2 - 3 March 2005 and again reiterated these requests in a press release on 15 April. CHRAC respectfully requests again today, as the second training course for judges and prosecutors begins, that the Royal Cambodian Government (RGC) and International Community (including the United Nations), kindly respond to the concerns of civil society.

26 April 2005

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) and the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO) will hold a media conference in Phnom Penh on April 28, 2005, on the occasion of the publication by the Observatory of its worldwide 2004 Annual Report on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders.

18 April 2005

On the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the genocide in Cambodia, on 17 April 2005, FIDH and its two member organisations in Cambodia, ADHOC and LICADHO, make public recommendations concerning the Khmer Rouge Tribunal and the International Criminal Court.

The Cambodian people want the perpetrators of international crimes committed in their country between 1975 and 1979 to be tried. The Cambodian people have a right to truth and justice. The question is whether the KRT will be able to meet those expectations.

28 March 2005

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. As well, six others are seriously injured three, 3 people have disappeared, and 29 people were arrested and released the same day.