At around 8.00am today more than 100 protesters from Boeung Kak Lake, Borey Keila and airport communities evicted from their homes assembled in front of the Ministry of Justice to demonstrate against violations of their housing rights and to file a petition asking for the release Ms. Yorm Bopha, a community activist imprisoned for more than 8 months so far on spurious charges.
This report presents ADHOC’s findings on issues related to women’s, children’s and migrant workers’ rights in Cambodia. It outlines four key challenges associated with these rights, based on the statistics gathered by ADHOC staff in 23 provinces/municipalities and information from other organizations documenting rights violations in Cambodia. The four key challenges are: domestic violence, rape, human trafficking, and abuses of migrant workers.
On 13 March 2013 at Srecha Commune office, Mrs. Tim Narin, ADHOC Kratie Coordinator cooperated with Mr. Ouk Sara, Commune Chief, and Mrs. Lim Savorn, a Commune Councilor to mediate in a longstanding land dispute between two sisters: Ms. Ourn Dany, a 47 year old farmer and Ms. Ourn Sreypove, a 32 year old businesswoman.
On 30 April 2013, ADHOC organized a press conference on threats to Human Rights Defenders and Activists. The following statement was issued on this occasion.
The Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) is gravely concerned at the increase in threats and intimidation of Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) and activists in the last three months. So far in 2013, 48 HRDs and activists have been threatened for their work relating to the protection of environmental and natural resources, according to ADHOC’s research. Activists working to counter illegal logging have been particularly targeted. [...]
The Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) learned today that Mr. Prom Ngoun, Chief of Thmor Da commune, Veal Veng district, Pursat province filed a complaint for “incitement” against the Deputy Head of its Land and Natural Resources Rights Program, Mr. Chan Soveth, not its Pursat Coordinator Mr. Phuong Sothea, as mentioned yesterday in a statement issued by ADHOC.
It seems that the complaint follows the publication of an article in the Phnom Penh Post on 3rd April 2013 (“Pursat Land Dispute Makes Hay in Capital”), in which Chan Soveth declared: “The people in remote areas […] are easily threatened by authorities and the rich and powerful.” The newspaper article was attached to the complaint filed with the Prosecutor at Pursat.
The Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) is concerned over the intimidation of Mr. Phuong Sothea, its Coordinator in Pursat province. Following an advocacy campaign on land rights and an interview Phuong Sothea did with Radio Free Asia, Mr. Prom Ngoy, Chief of Thmor Da commune, Veal Veng district, Pursat province filed a complaint against him for “incitement” and “disinformation.” ADHOC emphasizes that Phuong Sothea has always acted in a manner consistent both with Cambodian law and ADHOC’s mandate, and calls on the judicial authorities not to open any criminal case against him.
At 8 am on the morning of April 22, 2013, around 80 former Boeung Kak Lake residents staged a protest in front of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) headquarters in Phnom Penh. They were requesting that the party president, H.E. Chea Sim, help them solve their longstanding land conflict with Shukaku Inc., a politically connected company that has begun work on a multi-million dollar development where their homes once stood. The former residents have been given inadequate compensation and have been repeatedly harassed and intimidated by the authorities. They were also demanding the release of Yorm Bopha, a former Boeung Kak resident and prominent activist jailed in December 2012 on charges widely perceived as baseless. There is very thin evidence connecting her with the crime she is purported to have committed and her sentence is likely related to her advocacy work.
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