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| A woman was arrested in Boeung Kak Lake on 22 May 2012 (Photo: Reuters) |
AFP
PHNOM PENH - Thirteen Cambodian women were jailed Thursday for fighting against a forced eviction, while an activist monk who supported them was detained and risks being defrocked, campaigners said.
The women, including a 72-year-old, were sentenced to between 12 and 30 months for illegally occupying land, rights groups said, slamming their hastily arranged trial in the capital Phnom Penh that lasted mere hours.
Land conflicts are Cambodia’s most pressing human rights issue and protests have intensified this year amid what rights groups say is a worsening crackdown on human rights activists.
The women were arrested on Tuesday when they tried to symbolically rebuild the homes of several families who were evicted to make way for a private development at a lakeside area in the capital.
“This was nothing short of a show trial – a complete charade,” said Sia Phearum, Secretariat Director of Housing Rights Task Force (HRTF), in a statement.
“The women were peacefully demonstrating... They were seeking an end to the ongoing dispute surrounding Boeung Kak lake.”
Cambodia’s most outspoken monk Loun Sovath was among dozens of supporters waiting outside the court during the women’s trial, when he was suddenly forced into a car and taken to meet the city’s chief monk, without any explanation.
The award-winning human rights activist – known as the multimedia monk for his work documenting land disputes – was still being detained at a pagoda in the capital late Thursday, with observers fearing he faces being disrobed for his activities.
Chief monk Non Ngeth could not immediately be reached for comment. In the past, he has told AFP he opposed Sovath’s advocacy work because monks should not get involved in politics.
Rights groups posted a video online (http://youtu.be/0sG6iLwj95o) showing Sovath being forcibly taken away from the court by a handful of monks and plainclothes police.
Land titles are a murky issue in Cambodia where land ownership was abolished during the 1975-1979 rule of the communist Khmer Rouge and many legal documents were lost.
Last week, a 14-year-old girl was shot dead when armed government forces clashed with protesters involved in a long-running territorial battle with a private company.
12 comments:
activists are greedy people that like to exploit chaos and others, you know!
Let’s me emphasis to you regarding the land grabbing and violence against with the police and the people. The company has been compensated to the families but they refused because not enough for them, however, some families have accepted the compensation. Those people who did not they refused, and against the company that ‘s why the violence get start and have been started for years. Thus concerning this situation, you cannot put the blame on Samdech Mohadechu Hun Sen, he does not care if those people mean to commit suicide. I’ve seen it happen all the time so on and on, so it seems never ended. I beg to the people that they should make an agreement with the company, your life is important then the land. Am I clear to you pal?
Former Khmer Rouge soldier
Shame on you the " you know " blogger at 12:19.
On the opposite the activists are people who unselfishly put their safety and life at risk to defend others and the next generation. Some just defend their right which are violated by this corrupt government. What did Bandith defended when he shot the crowd of workers and wounded three women? was he arrested? What did the 2-star general defended when he hit the men in Koh Kong while his body guards pointed a gun at them? What are you defending? Your parents who paid your studies abroad with money from corruption? Maybe they are just very clever and successful business people like all the wifes of corrupt officials in Cambodia claimed to be to justified their wealth!
"Former Khmer Rouge Soldier" Blogger - BTW, was also one but was 13 at that time!
The problem is that the company's owners are just best friends of Hun Sen and his wife. The land was awarded to them without transparency and bidding process. It does not belong to them but to the people who have been living there for years. Of course, some are crooks who try to take advantage of the situation and posed as land owner to get compensation but those usually fight desperately like the protestors in the video. I think those are real victims who has nothing to loose and fight to their rights. Some may want to die for their ideals and rights, it may not only about land but also principles. Why some people like Venerable Sovath risks his freedom or life for what may not be seen as his own property? why Chut Vutty died protecting forest? Because they are heroes fighting for what decent people should all unite to fight for. A fairer society who people can discuss their different opinions in a civilized way without having to kill each others. Maybe too much to dream of...
"Former Khmer Rouge Soldier" Blogger - BTW, I was also one but was 13 at that time!
The problem is that the company's owners are just best friends of Hun Sen and his wife. The land was awarded to them without transparency and bidding process. It does not belong to them but to the people who have been living there for years. Of course, some are crooks who tried to take advantage of the situation and posed as land owner to get compensation. But I think that those usually fight desperately like the protestors in the video are real victims who have nothing to loose and are forced to fight for their rights. Some may want to die for their ideals and rights, it may not only about land but also principles. Why some people like Venerable Sovath risk their freedom or life for what may not be seen directly link to them as personal properties? why Chut Vutty died protecting forest and other villagers' rights? Because they are heroes fighting for what decent people should all unite to achieve. A fairer society where people can discuss their different opinions in a civilized way without having to kill each others. Maybe it is too much to dream of...The 13 women and other activists are not just dreaming or writing like you and me... they are doing something real!
those stupid women are deserved in jail for long times - do not release them.
Comment refer to 4:29:
Whatch out what you wish for, maybe someday you or your family member will be one of them, and you'll real-ize how fair it is.
PS. I think you're one of those CPP family, that's why you've made that comment.
Koun Khmer>
My answer to blogger 12:19>
Sure activist sometime created chaos. For Cambodian people, it's not about greedy or creat chaos, but to live in peace according to Tevada Budhist. But when the corrupted gov. or cracy people would not let you, nobody can keep quite, including blogger 12:19, Im I right? So think
before you start to write next time, thx..
Koun Khmer>
the reality is that most of these so-called activists are biased and one sided only. you always hear whining from them one way only. i bet if you are a neutral person and sit and observe and listen to both sides of the stories on this land grabbing issue, etc, you will be how bias these activists are. yes, it boils down to their greed, your unruly, extreme discrimination of other political party, etc... they always think they are right and the others are all bad or corrupt or what have you, you know. that's why i never buy a bias rumor or make believe story from these political activists or biased people like them, you know. i can hear, see, and think for myself, no thank, really!
I think Hun Sen and CPP need to jail every Khmer that is not party to the CPP and not associated to the Hun Sen Families. Then you can take and sell everything of Cambodia...there will be NO PROTEST...come one HUN SEN...do it!
នេះហើយជាសង្គ្រាមអភិវឌ្ឍន៏ រវាងប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ នឹង រដ្ឋាភិបាល តើពពួករដ្ឋាភិបាលដែលបានធ្វើបាប
ប្រជាជនជាតិឯង ដើម្បីអំណាចបន្តរវេនពីពួកខ្មែរក្រហម បក្សប្រជាជនវាជាបងប្អូននឹងខ្មែរក្រហម វាជាឆ្កែបំរើយួនទាំងអស់នៃជួររដ្ឋាភិបាលនៃបក្សប្រជាជន ពលរដ្ឋខ្មែរមួយចំនួនដែលយល់ថាបក្សប្រជា
ជនបំរើផល់ប្រយោជន៏ប្រទេសជាតិ តើនៅត្រង់កន្លែងណា សូមពិចារណា អោយបានត្រឹមត្រូវ ទាយ
ហេតុផល់ឲ្យច្បាស់ យកប្រវត្តិសាស្រ្តមកដាក់រួមជាមួយ ។ បក្សប្រជាជនមិនបាច់ច្បាំងជាមួយខ្មាំង
សត្រូវណាទេ ច្បាំងតែជាមួយពលរដ្ឋខ្មែរដែលគ្មានអ្វីការពារ មេដឹងនាំបក្សប្រជាជនបានព្រូសថា រឿង
ប្រវត្តិសាស្រ្តខ្មែរវាមិនទទួលខុសត្រូវក្នុងរឿងបាត់បង់ទឹកដី មានតែជនពាលទេដែលប្រើពាក្យទាំងនេះ
វាជាអ្នកដឹកនាំហេតុអីបាននិយាយដូចជាខ្វះការចេះដឹង បង្កើតភាពវឹកវរ ធ្វើបាបរាស្រ្ត បាញ់សម្លាប់
ឆកប្លន់ ចោទប្រកាន់អ្នករាស្រ្ត ។ល។ រួចហើយស្រែកប្រាប់ពិភពលោកថាខ្មែរកំពុងតែអភិវឌ្ឍន៏ប្រទេស
លក់ដីយកលុយដាក់ក្នុងក្រប៉ៅ ខ្ចីលុយបរទេសសំរាប់ក្រប៉ៅគ្រួសារពួកវា រាស្ត្រខ្មែរជាអ្នកសងបំណុល
តើក្រុមបក្សណាដែលកាប់បំផ្លាញ ដែលមានអំណាចធ្វើអ្វីតាមតែអំពើចិត្តគ្មានខ្លាចអ្វីទាំងអស់ មានតែ
ក្រុមបក្សប្រជាជនទេដែលហ៊ានទទួលចេញមុខបំផ្លាញអ្វីៗក្នុងទឹកដីកម្ពុជា ព្រោះពពួកអាឆ្កែទាំងមេកើយកូនចៅ ចៃបក្សប្រជាជនទាំងស្រីទាំងប្រុសក្មេងចាស់សុទ្ធតែជាឈ្លើងបំផ្លាញប្រទេសជាតិ តើពេលណាទើបពលរដ្ឋខ្មែរងើបពីសន្លប់ភ្ញាក់ខ្ឡួនការពារផល់ប្រយោជន៏ជាតិឡើងវិញ ងើបពីសន្លប់ឡើងខ្មែរអើយជាតិត្រូវការអ្នកហើយ!!!!
ងើបពីសន្លប់ឡើងខ្មែរអើយជាតិត្រូវការអ្នកហើយ!!! ងើបឡើងកុំសន្លប់យូរពេក ខ្លាចយួនកែរប្រែដូនតា
ខ្មែរ ឱ្យមានឈ្មោះគោត្តនាម(ឈ្មោះជីតា)មានតែបីបួន ដូចបងប្អូនកម្ពុជាក្រោមទៅ ពពួកអាបក្សប្រជាជនវាចែកគ្នាធ្វើល្អនៅពេលណាដែលវាត្រូវការខ្មែរទេ ពេលណាវាបានសម្រេច ពពួកវានឹងបែក្បាល
ខាំខ្មែរវិញហើយ ដូនតាបានផ្តាំថា សត្រូវស៊ូពូជខ្មែរ គឺអាយួន នឹងសៀម មិនមែនខ្មែរនឹងខ្មែរទេ ៕
ពីតាមោក....
For Khmer Rouge Soldier ( you are still KR not former)
You don't feel anything about loosing personal property . Khmer Rouge has always
believed that all Khmer people and their properties are booty . Therefore; all Khmers
have to give up their personal properties when ANGKAR need( ANGKAR SNEU ). In the world of Democracy and free world , government or developer MUST compensate the owners with reasonable, market price . For exemple, if your house costs one hundred thousand dollars and I take it away from you and give you only
a couple thousand dollars to walk out ; Do you take it lying down ; only Pol Pol
would agree !!. Let me remind you little : - People who have been living BKL are not
squartters . When you was in west jungle, fighting PP' government , the older generation of these people support Hun Sen ; so they were very much welcome
to be there , some of the family lost their siblings at K5 ...
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