"Justice to be Sought" - Joint Statement of Civil Society organizations in the arrest of BKL representatives

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Civil Society Joint Statement on the illegal eviction of Dey Krahorm

Workers from the 7NG demolished all the houses in Dey Krahorm (Photo: Cambodge Soir Hebdo)

Saturday 24 January, 2009

JOINT PRESS RELEASE

CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS STRONGLY CONDEMN
ILLEGAL EVICTION OF DEY KRAHORM

Phnom Penh, CAMBODIA - We strongly condemn the forced eviction of Dey Krahorm residents which began at 6 a.m. on Saturday 24 January, 2009. This was carried out by over 300 police officers and up to 500 breakers hired by the private company 7NG. It is yet another example of the violent evictions taking place across Cambodia which are in danger of destabilizing the country.

Today’s eviction was marked by excessive use of force endangering the lives of Dey Krahorm residents, and resulting in over 18 injuries - 5 of which were serious. It also saw the systematic destruction of private property, while the police and breakers hired by 7NG blocked attempts by human rights observers and the press to monitor and report on the event.

Further, the Dey Krahorm forced eviction resulted from an improper land transaction between so-called “community representatives” and 7NG. The forced eviction therefore had no proper or clear legal basis, and has violated the possession rights of Dey Krahorm residents which are guaranteed by the Constitution of Cambodia and Land Law 2001.

We urge the government to ensure that:

• affected families are given immediate humanitarian assistance, including adequate food, water, shelter, sanitation, and medical care;
• affected families are given just and fair compensation for the loss of their property;
• the illegal activities surrounding the eviction are properly investigated and those responsible are held accountable; and
• the trend of aggressive private interests overriding human rights is immediately stopped.

Housing Rights Task Force (HRTF)
ADHOC
LICADHO
CCHR
CLEC
Bridges Across Borders South East Asia (BABSEA)
Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE)

Observers Welcome Detention of Nuon Chea

Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
19 September 2007

The US and other members of Cambodia' civil society welcomed the indictment of Nuon Chea as progress for a struggling tribunal that until recently had many people worried.

"The US is very pleased that Nuon Chea has been taken into the custody," US Embassy spokesman Jeff Daigle said Wednesday. "We are very pleased to see progress."

Sok Samoeun, director of the Cambodia Defenders Project, said the arrest was a "success" for the tribunal. "In the past many opinions said that this tribunal would not go forward. But now we see that it proceeds some. So this is the Cambodian people's hope."

Center for Social Development Executive Director Seng Theary called the indictment a "big success" toward "erasing impunity."

"It is progress worth noticing, but our concern is that, in Nuon Chea's arrest, just one man cannot solve all the problems that the tribunal is facing right now," said Long Panhavuth, of the Open Society Justice Initiative.

Nuon Chea was brought to Phnom Penh early Wednesday under the execution of an arrest warrant from the Khmer Rouge tribunal, officially called the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia.

After an initial appearance where he was questioned and notified of the charges against him, Nuon Chea was "provisionally detained," a tribunal statement said, becoming the second man in custody of the courts.

The head of the Tuol Sleng torture center, Kaing Khek Iev, widely known by his revolutionary name, Duch, has been held since July.