Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Court Calls Three Demonstrators for Assault on Police

Last year, the rights group Adhoc counted some 200 ongoing land disputes, with more than 300 protesters subsequently arrested. (Photo: by Heng Reaksmey)

Sun Bun Chhuon telling the cops to shoot him during the demonstration in Kampong Speu
Tuesday, 26 July 2011
Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh
“The powerful and rich win in their complaints to the court, the poor wait only to suffer.”
Kampong Speu provincial court has sent a summons to three villagers to answer allegations of violence in a 2010 clash with police in a land demonstration.

The three men, who deny assaulting the police, say they are afraid the summonses will mean their arrest.

“The powerful and rich win in their complaints to the court,” said Sun Bun Chhoun, who is among those summoned. “The poor wait only to suffer.”

The charges against the three stem from a protest in Udong district in 2010, where villagers say they were being pushed off 65 hectares of land by a private company.


When police attempted to break up the demonstration, officials say 14 villagers and 10 police were injured. In a similar second clash in June, seven villagers and three police were reportedly injured.

The Kampong Speu investigating judge, Iv Borin, summoned Sun Bun Chhoun, 40; his brother, Sun Bun Chhin, 48; and his nephew, Chhaya Chetha, 24, to answer for the clashes. They are expected to appear in court Aug. 9. They face five years in jail under the Untac penal code if found guilty.

Sun Bun Chhoun said he will answer the summons, but he told VOA Khmer that police, who were armed with weapons, shields and batons, were to blame for the violence.

They fired into the air and threatened the demonstrators, he said. “We did not tolerate this, and began to take up clubs to fight back in self-defense. This was a fair thing, and it didn’t injure any police at all.”

Twelve police in all filed complaints against the three men.

Sun Bun Chhoun said he had done nothing wrong, and if the court arrests him next month, “it will be a surprise to the villagers.”

Am Sam Ath, head of investigation for the rights group Licadho, urged the court to consider no detention and to look more closely at the land dispute at the root of the problem.

“We can solve the land dispute to avoid penal charges against those who have suffered in the land dispute, in fear of losing their land,” he said.

Last year, the rights group Adhoc counted some 200 ongoing land disputes, with more than 300 protesters subsequently arrested.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

People should be taught to carry Cambodian flags and white flags for their protest.
National Flags are symbol of National Sovereignty and white flags are symbol of National sorrow if beaten by foreigners.

Carry Hun Sen pictures and his wife pictures are symbol of defeat and giving land to Yuon

Areak Prey

Anonymous said...


Why Khmer people are stupid to raise the pictures of Hun Xen and Bun Ranny?

In fact, the Hun Sen stand behind the this grabbing land. Every selling piece land in Cambodia, Hun Sen minimal 15% from this selling prices. Hiw clan is not diffrence from Gaddafi, Mubarak and the other dictators on the Globe.

Anonymous said...

ខ្ញែរជាសាសន៏លប់! កើតជាខ្ញែរ ជាការខកចិត្តណាស់!

Anonymous said...

3:56 PM


Why not try holding Barac Abama and Clinton's photos? I'm very sure that these people will get their attention.

Anonymous said...

VOA is sucked, sucked, sucked

Anonymous said...

I hope there will be huge uprising in the future, and the poor kill the corrupted riches and burn down their houses. The riches haven't learn from the khmer rough.

Anonymous said...

Very disturbing and very emotion to know our fellow villagers lose their land/ life to these corrupted and
evil government. No matter what, evenly poor peoples will lose .The rich are powerful and over come any situations with the corrupted government .Also,the commentor are right ,please hold the photos of Barrack Obama and Hiltary Clinton Instead.Any one protest, were wrong and punish .
Therefore ,use arrows and plentiful of it.Shoot them all and be part of history who ever slave to these evil people.If going to dies any way ,take some evil people with you so there were lesser evil.You were so brave to stand up and confronted with them. Please run and son't show up in court.You all will end up in prison. RUN! RUN!

Anonymous said...

i don't think it's about the rich verses the poor, etc, it's the lack is justice is more like it, ok!

Anonymous said...

12:11 AM,

That is what they mean. You are saying the same thing in a different way.

Money can buy injustice so there is no or a lack of justice for the poor. Get it?

Pissed off

Anonymous said...

My Khmer Compatriots, Khmer must struggles for RENEWAL, CHANGE and FREEDOM.

You don't have other choice, but to organise an Armed Uprising right now to against these Hanoi's Puppet Hun Sen's families and it cronies.

All of you are in a loose-loose situation by Legal Means.
Freedom will never fall from the Sky. You have to fight to get that.
Hun Sen and Hanoi will continue to oppress you and confiscate your lands for their Vietnamese bosses and their own interests.

And how many Vietnamese illegal immigrants in Cambodia now ??? there are 6-7 million of them and over 100,000 in armed camouflage inside the government and plus 1 viet soldier per hectare (ha) to live and guard in rubber plantation. 1,000,000 HA = 1,000,000 soldiers in Cambodia land.
The Hanoi's Vietnamisation is step by step and almost finished to their goal.

All of you will be Hanoi's slaves on your ancestors Lands very soon.
They cannot kill all of you in all Sroks and all Provinces, otherwise the whole world will step in to help liberate you from this mess of political CHAOS.

I called to Khmer compatriots to rise up with Axes, Swords, Sticks, Knives, Spears, Arrows, and possible grenades, B40-B41 hand Guns, shot guns to riot and kill THEM for your Freedom and liberate your country from the vietnamese yoke.

If you don't dare to die you won't survive.

Anonymous said...

These Khmer people have no leaders
to lead them to protest against
Hun Sen and land grabbers.
They lacked of communication among
other places around the country.

How about Khmer abroad?
Their heads are cut off,their
bodies are on the soft beds;so they can't get up and encourage
them to protest.

Khmer abroad and Khmer in Cambodia
are wrong.Please don't these
protesters.They can't find the
way out.
Hun Sen and Vietnam govt will
kill Khmer people little by little
until they are gone .

Anonymous said...

Khmericans = Shit the scum of American society, They can't even help Khmer Nation where they were born and how can they help American society! What’s a shameful on khmericans.

Khmericans is the most shameful community in America -> reason why they are just an opportunities people who are not afraid in sell out their Khmer Nation as well as Cambodia and How can American will put trust in these Khmericans in defence democracy and America.

Very shameful Khmericans! over 225 000 but only 100 Khmericans were turn up for Cambodia and Cambodian people justice.
The scum and the most shit cheap community in America is Khmerican. Why? Because over 225 000 Khmericans but only 100 Khmericans were turn up for protest against injustice in Cambodia. 100 Khmericans = less than 0.045% of total Khmericans population in the USA.

If these people who called themself Khmericans can't even stand to protest the injustice in their motherland called Cambodia. How can American people trust these Khmericans in protect America Nation. What’s a joke!
Shame on Khmericans! American people won't trust Khmericans in saying Khmericans will defend America because Khmericans can't even stand to fight the injustice issues in Cambodia. Khmericans in fact are opportunities and selfish community in America. Khmericans are so cheap as they demonstrate last protest 100 Khmericans were turn up out of over 225 000 total Khmericans. Khmericans are scum living beneath AMERICA SOCIETY.

Khmericans have no honour in say they will defence America because Khmericans can't even defend their previous country.

Shame! Shame! On Khmericans, over 225 000. You know you are nothing but scum in American Society.

Pi Anh,

Anonymous said...

Khmer peoples should not carry Hun Sen and nguyen ti toeur pictures . it `s bad luck