Court Detains Two More Land Activists

Yorm Bopha (Photo: The Phnom Penh Post)

Tim Sakmony (Photo: The Phnom Penh Post)

Protesters from both neighborhoods gathered in front of the Phnom Penh court on Wednesday to demand the release of the three.

06 September 2012

Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer

PHNOM PENH - Phnom Penh Municipal Court is holding two more land protesters, following the detention of one woman on Tuesday.

The two activists, from the Borei Keila neighborhood, were detained after they appeared for questioning at the court Wednesday.

Am Sam Ath, lead investigator for the rights group Licadho, said the courts detained Tim Sak Mony, an activist from the neighborhood, and Top Kim Hong, the former village chief of Borei Keila.

Tim Sak Mony is being held for allegedly inciting violence during a protest, and Top Kim Hong is being held on charges related to corruption.

Am Sam Ath said the arrests appeared to be “unfair” and aimed at reducing protests against the development company, Phanimex.

Ousted residents of Borei Keila say Phanimex failed to provide enough housing for the number of people displaced by their project, a charge the company denies.

The detentions follow the Tuesday arrest of Yorm Bopha, a housing activist for the residents of the Boeung Kak development, which has pushed thousands of families from their homes since 2008.

Protesters from both neighborhoods gathered in front of the Phnom Penh court on Wednesday to demand the release of the three.

Among them was Lours Sakorn, the husband of Yorm Bopha, who was briefly detained along with her on Tuesday but was later released. He said his wife had committed no intentional violence.