By Moeung Tum
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
The Alliance for Freedom of Expression in Cambodia (AFEC) is demanding that the Cambodian authority release 3 people jailed in Battambang province.
AFEC officially declared on Thursday that the demand will be accompanied by the release of 300 yellow [protest] balloons in front of the Battambang jail between 9 and 11:00 AM on Sunday 19 Nov 2006.
200 human right activists from the province of Battambang and Phnom Penh will participate in the demand to the authority to carefully investigate on the case of the 3 land activists jailed by the same authority.
AFEC recalls that the 3 jailed activists are: Chea Ny who was arrested on 01 Sept, and Mol Sab and Hem Lak who were arrested on 04 Sept 2006. The three were arrested because they asked the local authority and the prime minister located in Boeung Pram village, Bavel district, Battambang province, to divide the 20,000-hectare land concessionamong 3,170 poor families.
The arrest was made after the three led the 3,170 families to live on the land which a group of 4 businessmen claim to be theirs.
However, AFEC said that neither the businessmen nor the soldiers and the villagers have any proof to the legal ownership of the land yet.
AFEC is concerned about the action taken by those in power who want to restrict the people’s rights, and prevent them from protesting land disputes which currently plague Cambodia.
AFEC officially declared on Thursday that the demand will be accompanied by the release of 300 yellow [protest] balloons in front of the Battambang jail between 9 and 11:00 AM on Sunday 19 Nov 2006.
200 human right activists from the province of Battambang and Phnom Penh will participate in the demand to the authority to carefully investigate on the case of the 3 land activists jailed by the same authority.
AFEC recalls that the 3 jailed activists are: Chea Ny who was arrested on 01 Sept, and Mol Sab and Hem Lak who were arrested on 04 Sept 2006. The three were arrested because they asked the local authority and the prime minister located in Boeung Pram village, Bavel district, Battambang province, to divide the 20,000-hectare land concessionamong 3,170 poor families.
The arrest was made after the three led the 3,170 families to live on the land which a group of 4 businessmen claim to be theirs.
However, AFEC said that neither the businessmen nor the soldiers and the villagers have any proof to the legal ownership of the land yet.
AFEC is concerned about the action taken by those in power who want to restrict the people’s rights, and prevent them from protesting land disputes which currently plague Cambodia.
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