Land dispute in Rattanakiri in 2008 (Photo: J.L., Cambodge Soir Hebdo)Monday 14 September 2009
By J.B.
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French by Luc Sâr
Click here to read the article in French
The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) demands for an end to harassments against human rights defenders in the province of Rattanakiri.
Because he tried to help villagers who are about to be evicted from their lands, Pen Bonnar, the coordinator for the Adhoc human rights group, as well as Ratha Visal, a reporter for Radio Free Asia, are summoned to show up in court on 14 and 15 September, respectively. The cause for the summons: alleged incitation leading to criminal enterprises, and inciting villagers to use violence and to occupy land illegally.
According to the OHCHR communiqué, Pen Bonnar and Ratha Visal led a long term fight to defend the rights of communities that saw their lands, i.e. their earnings, taken away from them. The two defenders continued their action in spite of the harassments and intimidations dispensed by the local authorities and the court. Furthermore, in August, Judge Thor Saran from the Rattanakiri provincial court, told Pen Bonnar to leave the province, otherwise, he could face lawsuits for “incitation.”
During these past few years, the central and provincial authorities have increased the number of lawsuits using “incitation” charges in order to intimidate human rights defenders who are involved helping land dispute victims, and who demand the respect of the victims’ rights, as stipulated in the Constitution, the OHCHR indicated in its communiqué.
Adhoc decided to withdraw Pen Bonnar from Rattanakiri in order to prevent any attempt against him.
Since then, alleged corruption and professional mistake by the judge have surfaced and a complaint against him is now lodged at the Supreme Council of Magistracy.
The OHCHR indicated that these practices were solely aimed at harassing Pen Bonnar and Ratha Visal, and through them, other human rights defenders as well. The OHCHR is concerned that the aim of this strategy is to restraint the fundamental freedom of assembly and expression under a climate marked by numerous unresolved land disputes.
Therefore, the OHCHR called on the local authorities to stop “all harassment and all intimidation attempts” against human rights defenders in the province. Furthermore, the OHCHR called on the local authorities to get in contact with the communities involved regarding land property problems in order to resolve them through fair and legal manners, as required by the law.
Because he tried to help villagers who are about to be evicted from their lands, Pen Bonnar, the coordinator for the Adhoc human rights group, as well as Ratha Visal, a reporter for Radio Free Asia, are summoned to show up in court on 14 and 15 September, respectively. The cause for the summons: alleged incitation leading to criminal enterprises, and inciting villagers to use violence and to occupy land illegally.
According to the OHCHR communiqué, Pen Bonnar and Ratha Visal led a long term fight to defend the rights of communities that saw their lands, i.e. their earnings, taken away from them. The two defenders continued their action in spite of the harassments and intimidations dispensed by the local authorities and the court. Furthermore, in August, Judge Thor Saran from the Rattanakiri provincial court, told Pen Bonnar to leave the province, otherwise, he could face lawsuits for “incitation.”
During these past few years, the central and provincial authorities have increased the number of lawsuits using “incitation” charges in order to intimidate human rights defenders who are involved helping land dispute victims, and who demand the respect of the victims’ rights, as stipulated in the Constitution, the OHCHR indicated in its communiqué.
Adhoc decided to withdraw Pen Bonnar from Rattanakiri in order to prevent any attempt against him.
Since then, alleged corruption and professional mistake by the judge have surfaced and a complaint against him is now lodged at the Supreme Council of Magistracy.
The OHCHR indicated that these practices were solely aimed at harassing Pen Bonnar and Ratha Visal, and through them, other human rights defenders as well. The OHCHR is concerned that the aim of this strategy is to restraint the fundamental freedom of assembly and expression under a climate marked by numerous unresolved land disputes.
Therefore, the OHCHR called on the local authorities to stop “all harassment and all intimidation attempts” against human rights defenders in the province. Furthermore, the OHCHR called on the local authorities to get in contact with the communities involved regarding land property problems in order to resolve them through fair and legal manners, as required by the law.
2 comments:
បក្សប្រឆាំងនៅកម្ពុជាមិនដែលបាននិយាយអំពីដែលទាហ៊ានថៃដែលវាបានធ្វើបាបប្រជាជនខ្មែរទេ។
បើប្រជាជនខ្លួនឯងប្រមុខរាជ្ធាភិបាលខ្លួនឯងនិយាយពុំដែលបានឈប់ឈរទេ។នេះហើយបក្សប្រឆាំង
ធ្វើការឲ្យជនបរទេសពុំដែលគិតអំពីប្រជនខ្លួនឯងទេទោះជាប្រជាជនស្លាប់រស់យ៉ាងណាក៏ដោយ
ក៏ពួកគេពុំខ្វាយខ្វល់ឡើយដោយធ្វើធ្វីមួយពុំចូល
រួមជាមួយរាជរដ្ធាភិបាលទេ។ពួកបក្សប្រឆាំងនៅ
ស្រុកខ្មែរដោយមានបង្អែកទៅលើសហរដ្ធអាមេរិក
ពេកហើយបានភ្លេចនៅភាពក្រីក្រប្រទេសកម្ពុជា
អស់ហើយ។កុំភ្លេចថាអាមេរិកាំងក៏ធ្លាប់ចាញ់សង្គ្រាមនៅស្រុកខ្មែរម្តងរួចទៅហើយដួច្នេះសហរគេនឹង
បញ្ចុះបញ្ចូលនៅបក្សប្រឆាំងនៅប្រទេសកម្ពុជាជា
ជនអគតិមិនដែលគិតអំពីរប្រទេសរបស់ខ្លួននោះសោះ។ដួច្នេះរាជរដ្ធាភិបាលកម្ពុជាមិនអាចទំនាក់
ទំនងប្រទេសដែលមិនគិតមុខក្រោយថាតើបក្សណាខុសបក្សណាត្រូវឲ្យតែមានបក្សណាមួយបាន
រាយការមុនបក្សនោះជាបក្សត្រឹមត្រូវបក្សណារាយ
ការក្រោយបក្សនោះខុស។ទង្វើររបស់អាមេរិកប្រជា
ជនកម្ពុជាមិនអាចទទួលយកបានទេម៉្យាងវិញទៀត
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គឺចាប់ពីឆ្នាំ១៩៧០ដល់ឆ្នាំ១៩៧៥គឺអាមេរិកទម្លាក់
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ម៉ឺននាក់នៅក្នុងអម្លុងនោះ។ឥឡូវមានតែបក្សប្រឆាំងនៅកម្ពុជាទេដែលអង្វរករឲ្យអាមេរិកជួយពួកគេ។
សូមពួកប្រឆាំងនៅកម្ពុជាគិតថាបើខ្មែរមិនបានអាមេរិកជួយទេក៏មានពិភពលោកគេនឹងជួយកម្ពុជាដែរ។
Life is too short,so better do good rather than doing bad, this theory might help everyone of you who are corrupted, "the righteous will live forever and the wicked will be terminated", So, try to protect your your body and you soul ok, cheers
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