Residents from 10 villages in Amlaing commune came to protest against the land clearing operation by two companies belonging to the CPP Tycoon-Senator-Land Thief Ly Yong Phat in Thpong district, Kampong Speu province. The villagers claimed that the land clearing affect their rice fields. (Photo: Sek Bandith, RFA)By Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
25 March 2010
At least 10 villagers were wounded in clashes with police Thursday who tried to prevent them from trucking in supplies for a sustained demonstrators over a court decision to hold two suspects in a Kampong Speu land dispute.
Around 500 villagers have maintained a demonstration in front of the provincial court, which on Wednesday ordered the detention of two villagers and arrest warrants of two others allegedly involved in the arson of property belonging to a powerful ruling party senator.
Upset villagers say they were pushed from their land by Ly Yong Phat’s Phnom Penh Sugar Company.
Villagers said Thursday they ran afoul of police who prevented them from trucking in rice, iron pots and firewood to sustain their demonstration outside the Kampong Speu court.
“Policemen stayed along the road where they’ve never shown up like this, 30 km from our village,” said Sim Ton, one of 10 villagers in a van stopped by police.
“They checked the contents of our vehicle, and the police at the last station, they stopped us, stole our rice and threw it out,” she said. “They ordered us to go back home, and when I escaped and took a motorcycle taxi, they tried to catch me.”
Am Sam Ath, head of the investigation unit at the rights group Licadho, said police were attempting to intimidate people and to prevent their right of assembly.
However, Kampong Speu Governor Kang Heang said there was “no crackdown against villagers.”
The court “will not release the accused,” he said. “Villagers must struggle by legal means.”
Around 500 villagers have maintained a demonstration in front of the provincial court, which on Wednesday ordered the detention of two villagers and arrest warrants of two others allegedly involved in the arson of property belonging to a powerful ruling party senator.
Upset villagers say they were pushed from their land by Ly Yong Phat’s Phnom Penh Sugar Company.
Villagers said Thursday they ran afoul of police who prevented them from trucking in rice, iron pots and firewood to sustain their demonstration outside the Kampong Speu court.
“Policemen stayed along the road where they’ve never shown up like this, 30 km from our village,” said Sim Ton, one of 10 villagers in a van stopped by police.
“They checked the contents of our vehicle, and the police at the last station, they stopped us, stole our rice and threw it out,” she said. “They ordered us to go back home, and when I escaped and took a motorcycle taxi, they tried to catch me.”
Am Sam Ath, head of the investigation unit at the rights group Licadho, said police were attempting to intimidate people and to prevent their right of assembly.
However, Kampong Speu Governor Kang Heang said there was “no crackdown against villagers.”
The court “will not release the accused,” he said. “Villagers must struggle by legal means.”
8 comments:
I'm just sadden and heart broken! Helpless to help these poor innocent people. In the eyes of the law these people have zero chance of winning the case. Unless, PM Hun Sen and Botany step in and intervene. Otherwise, these people will be forced and no compensation whatsoever. They should take the money they previously offered and start to rebuild their new lives. I know, it's not fair! Life is tough, especially on the poor. My advice to you, if you can't win the battle, you might as well surrender!
Good luck! May god Buddha bless you!
The villagers do not want the sugar factory of M. Ly Yong Phat in their village.
The sugar factory is polluting for the environment and will cause many problems and nuisances to the environment.
The villagers want to eat palm sugar naturally produced by the khmer ancestral technique more environmentally friendlier than your polluting sugar factory .
M. Ly Yong Phat go to build your factory within the senate or in the garden of Prime Minister’s residence to Ta Khmao.
There you'll be quiet and the people you will not create problems.
M.ly yong phat you see that the villagers do not want your factory and because you their friends are now arrested by the police.
It is you who created all these problems. If I am you M.ly I go find a another place to build my factory. Because if the problem is not resolved peacefully , villagers angry can one day set fire to your factory because these villagers are at their home in Cambodia..
Leave Mr Ly, it is the common sense.
What these people can do is to united all together (500-700 of them) and burn down K. Speu court house and criminal Phat factory. They will not arrest all them to jail. They should prefer to die and to live in jail together. Then, Phat and the criminal government will be down.
Cambodia always(CTN TV)always criticises Thailand regarding Red Shirt Demonstration...in opposite Thailand has more and more freedon of expression..Demonstration without asking permission from authoirty...Cambodia has Demnostration law...Demonstrators must get permission prior to demontrating...
It is a shame for cambodia...
Prfessor Doctor Phd (Bandit)Oknha General 7 Diamond Achar Knoy(=achar wat)
All Khmers,
The Hanoi's puppet government will killyou without bleeding by CUTTING OFF ALL PHYSICAL NEEDS, so all all of you won't have lands to produce and feed your families. And you will live in STARVATION until death.
An Armed Uprising is a Must to organise as soon as Possible to destroy this Hun Sen's Hanpoi's puppet regime. Otherwise all of you will be Hanoi's slaves on your ancestors' land very soon.
CONFIDENTIAL PROFILE PROHIBITED!
People of Cambodia better hold Soy Sopheap picture than Samdech Akvak mohasena techo Hun Sen and prostitute Bun Rany. In Kampong Speu, court arrested 2 villagers. Hun Sen unable to intervene to release them, but soy Sopheap.
Ha.............. Samdech Dormohemea
Tith Sothia
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