LIBRARY

17 March 2015

This morning, a group of more than 100 protesters from Boeung Kak, Borei Keila, Thmor Kol and Tuol Sangke communities, including around 60 children and a number of monks, gathered in front of the US embassy to call for the release from prison of their fellow community and family members. The group collected signatures in support of a request for intervention by Michelle Obama in the cases of the imprisoned land rights activists. Michelle Obama will visit Cambodia on March 21 and 22 as part of the Let Girls Learn international education initiative.

The imprisoned activists belong to a group of 19 men and women who were all arrested towards the end of 2014. Eleven of the activists were tried, convicted and sentenced within days of their arrest. The remaining eight are still awaiting their trials and are held in pre-trial detention. All 19 are detained in Prey Sar’s CC1 and CC2 prisons.

13 March 2015

To celebrate International Women’s Day 2015 LICADHO, together with the Highlanders Association of Cambodia, organised a forum in Ban Lung, Ratanakiri for people affected by land grabbing. The forum was attended by over 100 representatives from eight different indigenous communities from within Ratanakiri and by land rights activists from other provinces around the country. The theme of the forum was the effect of land conflicts on women and the majority of the participants were women. The participants shared their experiences and ideas and many performed songs they had written telling the stories of their land disputes. We profile six of the women who attended the forum. Their stories illustrate the many hardships faced by women affected by land disputes as well as their remarkable spirit and resilience.

24 February 2015

Today approximately 160 villagers from 19 different land communities in Preah Sihanouk province marched over 8km from Kampenh Chas community to the Provincial Governor’s Office.

The group submitted a petition requesting a resolution to a land conflict affecting the Kampenh Chas community. Today marks the end of three days of activity which began on February 22 with religious prayers. Yesterday the group marched to the Provincial Cadastral Commission to submit the petition.

Today the Provincial Governor was unavailable but community leaders met with the Deputy Provincial Governor this morning.

23 February 2015

Grassroots activist, Alejandro Gonzalez-Davidson from local environmental Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Mother Nature, has been deported from Cambodia on Thai Airways flight TG585, which departed for Bangkok, Thailand, at 8.35 pm this evening. Mr. Gonzalez-Davidson will then board Thai Airways flight TG948 at 00.10 am tonight, bound for Madrid.

The grassroots activist, known for his work in the Areng Valley, Koh Kong province, was arrested and forced into a car near the Phnom Penh night market by government authorities only hours after a warning was issued by Prime Minister Hun Sen during a public speech. More than 100 supporters gathered outside the Department of Immigration where Mr. Gonzalez-Davidson was held since about 2.20 pm this afternoon.

23 February 2015

This afternoon, Alejandro Gonzalez-Davidson from local environmental Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Mother Nature, was arrested and forced into a car near the Phnom Penh night market by government authorities only hours after a warning was issued by Prime Minister Hun Sen during a public speech. Mr. Gonzalez-Davidson was arrested shortly after 1 pm and driven in a black car, followed by bodyguards, to the Department of Immigration at around 2.20 pm this afternoon.

Mr. Gonzalez-Davidson has been at the forefront of a campaign by Mother Nature to halt the controversial development of a hydroelectric dam in Areng valley, Koh Kong province. He was denied a visa renewal earlier this month, in what has been a sustained attempt by the government to quash grassroots advocacy and silence dissent.

19 February 2015

The Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO) strongly expresses its concern at the surge in land disputes documented by its offices in 2014, which resulted in a threefold increase in the number of families newly affected by land conflicts during that year when compared to the previous year.

17 February 2015

We, the undersigned civil society groups, condemn the recent decision to deny a visa renewal for prominent environmental activist Alejandro Gonzalez-Davidson. Mr Gonzalez-Davidson has been at the forefront of a campaign by local Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Mother Nature, to halt the controversial development of a hydroelectric dam in Areng valley, Koh Kong province.

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.