LIBRARY

28 January 2015

Ly Seav Minh is 23 years old and lives with her mother, father and brother in Toul Kork district, Phnom Penh. The family has lived on the land for 35 years and despite possessing evidence of their lengthy occupation of the land, they have been involved in a long-running land dispute with the municipality and the Khun Sea Company, to which the municipality sold the land in 2010. Originally six other families were involved in the dispute but all have now accepted compensation payments and moved away after facing consistent intimidation from the company.

26 January 2015

We the undersigned civil society groups condemn the indefensible verdicts issued this morning by the Court of Appeal in the cases of ten land activists and one monk.

26 January 2015

The Court of Appeal has upheld the convictions of two cases concerning 10 wrongfully convicted Beoung Kak Lake (BKL) activists and one Buddhist monk.

In the first case, Tep Vanny’s sentence has been upheld with a reduced fine of $375. Song Srey Leap, Kong Chantha, Phan Chhunreth, Po Chorvy, and Nong Sreng have received reduced sentences of 10 months in prison with a $375 fine. Nget Khun received a reduced sentence of 6 months in prison and a $250 fine.

In the second case, Heng Pich, Im Srey Touch, and Phoung Sopheap all had their convictions upheld with a reduced sentence of 10 months in prison and a fine of $375.Venerable Seung Hai had his conviction and sentence upheld.

22 January 2015

This afternoon the Phnom Penh Court of Appeal heard appeals in two cases concerning 10 wrongfully convicted women land rights activists and one Buddhist monk. After hastily conducting the two hearings in just over four hours today, the Court of Appeal will announce a verdict in both cases on January 26, 2015 at 8 a.m

In the first case, Nget Khun, Tep Vanny, Song Srey Leap, Kong Chantha, Phan Chhunreth, Po Chorvy, and Nong Sreng, all long-term Boeung Kak Lake (BKL) activists were convicted of obstructing public traffic on November 11, 2014 and were sentenced to one year in prison and a $500 fine.

In the second case, three more long-term BKL activists, Heng Pich, Im Srey Touch, and Phoung Sopheap, and Buddhist monk Venerable Seung Hai were convicted on November 12, 2014 of aggravated obstruction of public officials and also sentenced to 1 year in prison and fined $500.

8 January 2015

This Khmer audio book contains two radio shows that were originally broadcast during the 2014 campaign, 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence. The shows accompany the report "Good Wives": Women Land Campaigners and the Impact of Human Rights Activism, and include interviews with four female land activists who discuss how their lives have been changed by their activism and share their experiences of domestic violence and family breakdown.

15 December 2014

To celebrate International Human Rights Day (IHRD) this year, 600 monks marched alongside land activists, associations, unions, rural and urban residents, and NGOs, on six national roads towards Phnom Penh from December 5 to December 10. This year’s IHRD theme was “Respecting Human Rights Leads to Peace!” For the first time, indigenous communities in Ratanakiri province participated in IHRD by organizing their own march on National Road 7, which began on December 4.

8 December 2014

On November 10 and 11, 10 Boeung Kak land rights activists were arrested while staging peaceful protests in Phnom Penh. By November 12, all had been sentenced to a year in prison. The imprisonment of the women occured during a wave of arrests which targeted not only land rights activists but also opposition party members and activist monks. Nineteen of those arrested remain in detention.

This photo album focuses on the 10 female Boeung Kak activists whose struggle for a just resolution to their land dispute has now lasted seven years. For five of them, this is their second prison term.

8 December 2014

On Wednesday, Cambodia will celebrate International Human Rights Day. LICADHO takes this opportunity to recall attention to the 19 men and women who have been wrongfully imprisoned following a recent spate of arrests in Phnom Penh. LICADHO condemns these imprisonments and the continued abuse of the judicial system by the ruling party and well-connected individuals.

28 November 2014

At around 8.30am this morning, one volunteer from local NGO Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT) and one tuk tuk driver were arrested near the National Assembly before being detained for part of the morning by Chamkarmon district authorities at Wat Toul Tompong. The STT volunteer and tuk tuk driver had been attending a demonstration with over 250 land activists and monks who were calling for the release of recently arrested activists and monks, currently detained at Prey Sar’s CC1 and CC2 prisons. Authorities also confiscated one loudspeaker.

The land activists – from Boeung Kak lake, Borei Keila, Preah Vihear, and Lor Peang – and monks, had gathered in front of the Buddhist Institute before marching towards the National Assembly to submit the petition.

The peaceful protestors were met by over 100 security forces who threatened violence as they blocked off access to the National Assembly while Prime Minister Hun Sen was in attendance.

24 November 2014

Renowned human rights defender Venerable Loun Sovath will appear before the Phnom Penh Municipal Court in a flawed and protracted judicial process aiming to silence him. He has been charged with “incitement to commit a felony” for joining and supporting demonstrations by victims of land disputes throughout Cambodia.

23 November 2014

To mark the start of the global campaign, 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence, LICADHO has published a report exploring how the lives of women campaigners are changed by their activism. It reveals the high price women pay, suffering not only serious economic and emotional impacts but also often domestic violence and family breakdown.

18 November 2014

This morning some 150 community members and monks gathered in front of the Embassy of the United States in support of Venerable Luon Sovath, while demanding the release of more than a dozen activists and monks who were arrested and imprisoned last week.

Venerable Sovath is submitting letters of invitation to 13 embassies, calling on dignitaries to witness his trial on November 25 at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court. He is being tried on alleged charges of incitement.

Additionally, community members and monks are submitting petitions at the same embassies to request the release of more than a dozen activists and monks who are being detained at CC1 and CC2 in Prey Sar Prison. Venerable Sovath and the 150 community members and monks, will march to a total of 13 embassies including Britain, Singapore, Russia, Thailand, China, Australia, Republic of Korea, the European Union, and Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

16 November 2014

This morning around 200 monks, NGO representatives and land activists from Borei Keila, Boeung Kak, Thmor Kol and Lor Peang communities gathered outside Prey Sar CC1 and CC2 prisons to call for the release of 17 imprisoned activists. Demonstrators, including relatives of the land activists held speeches and released balloons before marching near the prisons.

Last week ten land activists, three newly-defrocked monks and two CNRP members were arrested and sent to prison for exercising their right to peacefully protest. Eleven of them have already been swiftly tried, convicted and sentenced to one year in prison. Two other CNRP members have been in prison since last month.

14 November 2014

This morning approximately 200 people including monks, community representatives, media and NGO staff gathered in front of the National Assembly to call for the release of activists recently arrested.

Earlier in the day protestors in two tuk tuks were temporarily prevented from reaching the site of the gathering.

Since Monday, 15 people including three newly-defrocked monks and two CNRP members have been arrested and sent to prison for exercising their right to peacefully protest.

12 November 2014

The trial of three land activists and one monk (defrocked following his arrest) is now underway. All four were arrested yesterday morning as supporters gathered outside Phnom Penh Municipal Court to protest the arrest of seven Boeung Kak Lake (BKL) activists. Some 100 riot police and security guards violently broke up the peaceful protest in front of the court.

The three land activists – Heng Pich (BKL), Im Srey Touch (former BKL), Phoung Sopheap (Thmor Kol) – and monk, named Venerable Seung Hai, are currently being tried in a single court room for two separate cases at Phnom Penh Municipal Court.

The trial comes after two monks were arrested and detained earlier today as they made their way to support a land community from Preah Vihear.

12 November 2014

On the morning of Tuesday, November 11, approximately 50 representatives from several land communities gathered outside the Phnom Penh Municipal Court to protest the detention of seven Boeung Kak Lake activists who had been arrested the day before while protesting outside Phnom Penh City Hall against the alleged failure of city authorities to deal with the issue of flooding around the site of the former lake.

Over 100 riot police and security guards violently broke up the protest in front of the court and arrested three additional land activists and one monk.

12 November 2014

We, the undersigned civil society groups, condemn the arrest, detention, and conviction of the seven Boeung Kak Lake community representatives following protests outside Phnom Penh City Hall on the morning of November 10, 2014.

11 November 2014

Seven representatives from Boeung Kak Lake community have been sentenced to one year in prison along with the payment of a 2 million Cambodian Riel fine per person, following their arrest yesterday outside city hall.

All seven activists were charged with obstructing public traffic (Article 78 of the traffic law) and are currently being transported to Prey Sar CC2 Prison.

The seven convicted are Nget Khun, Tep Vanny, Song Sreyleap, Kong Chantha, and Phan Chhunreth, who were all previously arrested and convicted in 2012 for peaceful activism. Two other community representatives, Po Chorvy and Nong Sreng were also convicted today.

11 November 2014

Seven representatives from Boeung Kak Lake community, who were arrested and detained yesterday after protesting outside city hall, appeared before Prosecutor Mr. Seang Sok at Phnom Penh Court of the First Instance this morning.

The seven women all appeared before the court, after authorities accused them yesterday of obstructing public traffic (Article 78 of the Traffic Law) and insulting public officials (Article 502 of the Penal Code). 50 supporters gathered outside the court in support.

Areas near the site of the former lake have been flooded for a number of days due to alleged deliberate drainage problems under the control of city hall authorities.

10 November 2014

This morning at around 9:30am, seven female representatives from Boeung Kak Lake community were arrested as they protested outside city hall against defective water drainage facilities in the city.

Areas near the site of the former lake have been flooded for the past three days due to alleged deliberate drainage problems under the control of city hall authorities.

Those detained are Nget Khun, Tep Vanny, Song Sreyleap, Kong Chantha, Phan Chunreth, who were all previously arrested and convicted in 2012 for peaceful activism. Two other community representatives, Po Chorvy and Nong Sreng, were also arrested.