Original report from Washington
10 September 2009
Cambodia’s poor and powerless are increasingly living in fear, as “the rich and powerful” abuse the criminal justice system, Amnesty International said Thursday.
The prominent rights group issued a report Thursday that examines land-grabs in Cambodia, a continuing problem that observers warn could destabilize the country.
“The rich and the powerful in Cambodia are increasingly abusing the criminal justice system,” said Andrew Syed, Dignity Campaign Coordinator for Amnesty International, at a launching for the report, “Losing Ground.”
The report describes different places where land disputes have occurred: in the provinces of Siem Reap, Battambang, Pursat, Kampong Chnang, Koh Kong, Kratie and in Phnom Penh.
He referred the threats against communities that have taken a stand to file complaints against land concessions or contracts without transparency, which affect the land on which they are living or farming.
Cambodia is facing a chronic problem of land disputes.
According to Ny Chakrya, head of investigation at the rights group Adhoc, since 2006, around 20,000 Cambodian families have been affected by land disputes, and villagers have lost between 24,000 and 94,000 hectares of land.
“Certain institutions, like judicial institutions, are using their rights to settle land dispute cases by using arrests [of villagers] to push them to abandon their complaints,” he said.
According to Adhoc, 150 villagers were arrested in land disputes in 2008, with 50 arrested so far this year.
Ang Vong Vathana, Minister of Justice, could not be reached for comment, but Phay Siphan, a spokesman for the Council of Ministers, said the abuse of the courts by the rich or powerful was “only an accusation.”
The prominent rights group issued a report Thursday that examines land-grabs in Cambodia, a continuing problem that observers warn could destabilize the country.
“The rich and the powerful in Cambodia are increasingly abusing the criminal justice system,” said Andrew Syed, Dignity Campaign Coordinator for Amnesty International, at a launching for the report, “Losing Ground.”
The report describes different places where land disputes have occurred: in the provinces of Siem Reap, Battambang, Pursat, Kampong Chnang, Koh Kong, Kratie and in Phnom Penh.
He referred the threats against communities that have taken a stand to file complaints against land concessions or contracts without transparency, which affect the land on which they are living or farming.
Cambodia is facing a chronic problem of land disputes.
According to Ny Chakrya, head of investigation at the rights group Adhoc, since 2006, around 20,000 Cambodian families have been affected by land disputes, and villagers have lost between 24,000 and 94,000 hectares of land.
“Certain institutions, like judicial institutions, are using their rights to settle land dispute cases by using arrests [of villagers] to push them to abandon their complaints,” he said.
According to Adhoc, 150 villagers were arrested in land disputes in 2008, with 50 arrested so far this year.
Ang Vong Vathana, Minister of Justice, could not be reached for comment, but Phay Siphan, a spokesman for the Council of Ministers, said the abuse of the courts by the rich or powerful was “only an accusation.”
6 comments:
what to do about it, instead of bitching and whining about it. if it's true, then demand a stronger rule of law and law enforcement because all of this shows the law is weak, not the people is weak, ok! it's called being proactive and help to make a difference for cambodia, really! if the USA and other western nations can help, they should help to strengthen the rule of law and law enforcement in cambodia, not just complaining about it. also, listen to gov't has to say too, not just being bias toward gov't just because some people don't like gov't, ok! please be smarter than this! there are other ways to solve this social problem. everybody in cambodia and the world can be to make a real difference in cambodia, really. please think about it! god bless cambodia.
Democratic Kampuchea Pol Pot Khmer Rouge Regime had committed:
Tortures
Brutality
Executions
Massacres
Mass Murder
Genocide
Atrocities
Crimes Against Humanity
Starvations
Slavery
Force Labour
Overwork to Death
Human Abuses
Persecution
Unlawful Detention
Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime had committed:
Attempted Murders
Attempted Murder on Chea Vichea
Attempted Assassinations
Attempted Assassination on Sam Rainsy
Assassinations
Assassinated Journalists
Assassinated Political Opponents
Assassinated Leader of the Free Trade Union
Executions
Executed members of FUNCINPEC Party
Murders
Murdered Chea Vichea
Murdered activists and members of Sam Rainsy Party.
Murdered Innocent Men
Murdered Innocent Women
Murdered Innocent Children
Killing innocent Khmer peoples.
Extrajudicial Execution
Grenade Attack
Terrorism
Drive by Shooting
Brutality
Tortures
Intimidations
Death Threats
Threatening
Human Abductions
Human Rights Abuses
Human Trafficking
Drugs Trafficking
Under Age Child Sex
Corruptions
Bribery
Illegal Mass Evictions
Illegal Land Grabbing
Illegal Firearms
Illegal Logging
Illegal Deforestation
Illegally use of remote detonation on Sokha Helicopter, while Hok Lundy and other military officials were on board.
Illegally Sold State Properties
Illegally Remove Parliamentary Immunity of Parliament Members
Plunder National Resources
Acid Attacks
Turn Cambodia into a Lawless Country.
Oppression
Injustice
Steal Votes
Bring Foreigners from Veitnam to vote in Cambodia for Cambodian People's Party.
Use Dead people's names to vote for Cambodian People's Party.
Disqualified potential Sam Rainsy Party's voters.
Abuse the Court as a tools for CPP to send political opponents and journalists to jail.
Abuse of Power
Abuse the Laws
Abuse the National Election Committee
Abuse the National Assembly
Violate the Laws
Violate the Constitution
Violate the Paris Accords
Impunity
Unlawful Detention
Death in custody.
Under the Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime, no criminals that has been committed crimes against journalists, political opponents, leader of the Free Trade Union, innocent men, women and children have ever been brought to justice.
UNDER AGE CHILD SEX
Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime had committed under age child sex.
Svay Sitha is a senior government official from Cambodian People's Party.
Svay Sitha had a sexual relationship with Tat Marina, she was only 16 years old.
Source: Human Rights Watch
ACID ATTACK ON TAT MARINA
Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime had committed acid attack.
"On December 5, 1999, Tat Marina, age 16, was severely disfigured in an acid attack in Phnom Penh. The attack was allegedly committed by Khun Sophal, the wife of a senior government official, Svay Sitha, because she was angry her husband had a sexual relationship with Tat Marina. Neither Khun Sophal nor those suspected of being her accomplices in the attack were brought to justice. Intense media publicity compelled the Phnom Penh Municipal Court to issue an arrest warrant for Khun Sophal for attempted murder, but the police claimed that they could not locate her, although journalists reported that she was living at home as usual."
Source: Human Rights Watch
TORTURE AND MURDER ON PRAK SITHA WHILE IN CUSTODY BY MISNISTRY OF INTERIOR OFFICIAL
Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime had committed torture and murder.
"On the night of January 16, 2003, a street youth named Prak Sitha was beaten to death at the Ministry of Interior (MOI) headquarters after he was arrested and detained by off-duty MOI officers on suspicion of theft. His body - bearing numerous injuries to the head, torso, arms, and legs - was dumped at a Phnom Penh pagoda the following morning by ministry officers, in violation of police regulations regarding deaths in custody. No criminal charges were filed in connection with this death. In December 2004, the case was cited by the UN secretary-general's special representative for human rights in Cambodia - who stated that Prak Sitha died at the ministry "following beatings by a known police officer" - as an example of a "consistent and continuing pattern of impunity" in Cambodia."
Source: Human Rights Watch
PUT SAMPHORS WAS SHOT DEAD BY MEAN SOKCHEA, A RCAF MAJOR WORKING IN BRIGADE 70.
Hun Sen's personal Bodyguards Unit (Brigade 70) is a terrorist organization.
Hing Bunheang is a March 30, 1997 Grenade Attack suspect identified by the FBI.
Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime had committed murder, again.
"On September 4, 2008, Mean Sokchea, a RCAF major working in Brigade 70, shot dead 21-year-old waitress Put Samphors at a restaurant in Kandal province. Mean Sokchea, in a drunken stupor, fired his gun and apparently mistakenly hit Put Samphors in the stomach. She was taken to a hospital but later died of her wounds. Mean Sokchea was detained by the police overnight but was then released, allegedly after intervention by Hing Bun Heang. Put Samphor's family received US$2,700 from Mean Sokchea, and the police told them that their daughter was shot while authorities were chasing robbers."
Source: Human Rights Watch
not always true, here. remember, in the case of situation in cambodia, some people do abuse and take advantage of the chaotic system, this mean even the ordinary people are abusive in their demand this demand that! just look at the illegal sqatters who lived on state's properties, and when told to relocate they want high compensation, etc... what is wrong with this picture! the way i see it, it could be a society problem, not gov't abuse or whatever! that is a lame excuse. ordinary people don't think about the future of the country like job creation, economical prosperity, etc..., all they think about is compensation, compensation all of the time. that is a real abuse in the part of the citizens, if you ask me! gov't is the one that do the thinking, especially for the future benefits of cambodia's economy, etc... sometimes, it takes a little sacrifice to develop the country after the KR nearly destroyed it. people are undereducated, and they failed to see this future benefit. well, i study political science in the USA, and they mentioned that sometime, gov't knows what is best for the people and country. many people still needed to be educated about the future benefits of economical development in cambodia. they need to look into the future as well, not just the present situation! god bless cambodia.
6:57 AM , can you name one case that some people did abuse and take advantage of the chaotic system ?
6:45 AM
You say that the USA and other western nations didn't do anything to help strengthen the rule of law and law enforcment in Cambodia ? You must have been blind or braiwashed .
Read some more 6:45 AM . The USA didn't just send millions of dollars to Cambodai to help , they even invited Cambodian law enforcement to come to the USA to train .
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