The Cambodian court system is not fair towards the people because it's always biased to the rich.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ap3L7KAIs8k
Showing posts with label Chikreng commune. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chikreng commune. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Heap's Story - Amnesty International on Forced Evictions in Cambodia
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Thursday, September 01, 2011
CCHR's Media Alert: Six Land Communities in Siem Reap Will Gather To Send A Joint-Statement On Land Issue To Government
Media Alert
What: Community joint-statement on improper resolution of land conflict by the Siem Reap authority.
When: 02 September 2011, 1:30pm – 4:00pm.
Where: Tapen village, Tbaeng commune, Banteay Srey district, Siem Reap province.
Who: Tapen village community, Tbaeng village community, Cham Bork Bei Doeum community, Sna Sangkhream community, Srae Nauy village community, and Chi Kraeng community.
How: All these six communities will gather to send a joint-statement on land issue to government.
For moreinformation contact:
Ms. Keo Sophy :Tel: 097 91 27 819
Mr Doung Doeum : Tel: 092 88 39 51
Best regards,
Samnang
--
HOURT Samnang
Project Assistant
Human Rights Network Project
Cambodian Center for Human Rights
Tel: +855 89 69 59 79
Fax: +855 23 72 69 02
Nº798, Street 99, Beoung Trabek,
Khan Chamkar Mon, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Communist atheist Hochimonks' orders issued against Ven. Loun Savath
 |
| Ven. Loun Savath (Photo: The Phnom Penh Post) |
On 16 August 2011, villagers from Chikreng district asked to organize a Freedom day to celebrate the release of 12 villagers who were detained by the police for resisting the grabbing of their lands.
The Buddhist clergy in Siem Reap issued an order preventing Ven. Loun Savath - a native of Chikreng whose relatives were among the 12 arrested - from participating in the Freedom day celebration. Furthermore, all pagodas in Siem Reap are prohibited from providing refuge to Ven. Loun Savath. The authorities are ordered to take all legal measures against Ven. Loun Savath. With such devious thought and black hearts, how can these monks who issued these orders against Ven. Loun Savath call themselves Buddhist monks? They should call themselves COMMUNIST ATHEIST HOCHIMONKS instead!!!
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Human Rights Defender in Cambodia (Video uploaded by Jendhamuni)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW9Wu1f_Swg&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rq5fO65luBk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgqEsbgtm0g&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQlXfz4dyRs&feature=related
Saturday, August 28, 2010
SRP visits detainees’ families
Chikreng villagers shot by the savage cops (Photo: Savyouth, RFA)
SRP MP Ke Sovannaroth (Photo: Cambodge Soir Hebdo)Friday, 27 August 2010
May Titthara and Will Baxter
The Phnom Penh Post
NINE members of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party met yesterday with the families of 12 Siem Reap villagers jailed last week in relation to a local land dispute.
Ke Sovannaroth, an SRP parliamentarian representing Siem Reap, said that the party organised the visit in order to offer its moral support to the families of those jailed.
“The court did not provide justice for these people,” she said. “These villagers are the victims in this land dispute.”
Last Friday, Siem Reap provincial court sentenced nine of the villagers, from Chi Kraeng district’s Chi Kraeng commune, to three years in prison each after convicting them of forming an illegal armed force.
Three other villagers were sentenced to three years in prison on charges of illegal confinement. The nine, originally charged with attempted intentional manslaughter, were arrested after a March 2009 altercation in which police allegedly fired on a crowd in Chi Kraeng commune, injuring four.
Sok Kimseng, a provincial councilor for the SRP, said the families should continue to seek justice in the case.
“Villagers have suffered, lost their land, they have been shot at and detained in prison, he said. “Meanwhile, the people who committed violence against these villagers are still free.... It shows that there is a lack of justice in our court system.”
The Chi Kraeng dispute dates back to 1986, when land was divided equally between Chi Kraeng and Anlong Samnor communes, leaving an unspecified area of farmland in dispute. In January 2009, the provincial court ruled that the land belonged to Anlong Samnor, sparking conflict.
Although judges at Siem Reap provincial court suspended the sentences of all 12 villagers, they will remain in custody for at least a month, pending the possibility of an appeal by the prosecution.
Naly Pilorge, director of the rights group Licadho, said that “there is no indication that...detainees will be allowed to go free as many face additional charges/convictions, and the Siem Reap prosecutor can appeal all or some of the verdicts.”
She said the charges and convictions handed down last Friday were “baseless”.
“Siem Reap court has not proven to have any evidence to convict the Chi Kraeng detainees,” she said, and pointed to the fact that the complainant, lawyer and witnesses for the prosecution were absent during the trial.
Chi Kraeng resident Chea Sam Ol said yesterday that it was an injustice that his father Klin Ieng had been held in prison since March 2009.
“My father did nothing wrong, nothing that the court has accused him of ... they should release him immediately,” he said.
Ty Soveinthal, a Siem Reap prosecutor, said that the villagers had the right to disagree with the court’s decision.
“It they say the verdict was an injustice, they should file a complaint to the Appeal Court,” he said.
Ke Sovannaroth, an SRP parliamentarian representing Siem Reap, said that the party organised the visit in order to offer its moral support to the families of those jailed.
“The court did not provide justice for these people,” she said. “These villagers are the victims in this land dispute.”
Last Friday, Siem Reap provincial court sentenced nine of the villagers, from Chi Kraeng district’s Chi Kraeng commune, to three years in prison each after convicting them of forming an illegal armed force.
Three other villagers were sentenced to three years in prison on charges of illegal confinement. The nine, originally charged with attempted intentional manslaughter, were arrested after a March 2009 altercation in which police allegedly fired on a crowd in Chi Kraeng commune, injuring four.
Sok Kimseng, a provincial councilor for the SRP, said the families should continue to seek justice in the case.
“Villagers have suffered, lost their land, they have been shot at and detained in prison, he said. “Meanwhile, the people who committed violence against these villagers are still free.... It shows that there is a lack of justice in our court system.”
The Chi Kraeng dispute dates back to 1986, when land was divided equally between Chi Kraeng and Anlong Samnor communes, leaving an unspecified area of farmland in dispute. In January 2009, the provincial court ruled that the land belonged to Anlong Samnor, sparking conflict.
Although judges at Siem Reap provincial court suspended the sentences of all 12 villagers, they will remain in custody for at least a month, pending the possibility of an appeal by the prosecution.
Naly Pilorge, director of the rights group Licadho, said that “there is no indication that...detainees will be allowed to go free as many face additional charges/convictions, and the Siem Reap prosecutor can appeal all or some of the verdicts.”
She said the charges and convictions handed down last Friday were “baseless”.
“Siem Reap court has not proven to have any evidence to convict the Chi Kraeng detainees,” she said, and pointed to the fact that the complainant, lawyer and witnesses for the prosecution were absent during the trial.
Chi Kraeng resident Chea Sam Ol said yesterday that it was an injustice that his father Klin Ieng had been held in prison since March 2009.
“My father did nothing wrong, nothing that the court has accused him of ... they should release him immediately,” he said.
Ty Soveinthal, a Siem Reap prosecutor, said that the villagers had the right to disagree with the court’s decision.
“It they say the verdict was an injustice, they should file a complaint to the Appeal Court,” he said.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
SRP MP demands the release of 12 villagers jailed in the land dispute case in Chikreng district
Injured victims of cops opening fire on protesting villagers in Chikreng commune, Siem Reap province (Photo: Savyouth, RFA)21 May 2010
By Pech Bandol
Free Press Magazine
Translated from Khmer by Komping Puoy
Click here to read the article in Khmer
Based on Hun Xen’s past claim indicating that there will be no arrest of any paties involved in land disputes, a SRP MP demanded that the minister of Justice intervenes for the release of 12 villagers who were arrested stemming from a land dispute in Chikreng distict, Siem Reap province.
In a letter sent by Mrs. Ke Sovanroth, SRP MP for Siem Reap province, sent to the minister of Justice through the intermediary of Heng Samrin, she raised the issue of a land dispute taking place in Chikreng district, Siem Reap province, in which 12 villagers are now being jailed. She indicated that the jailing of these villagers is contrary to Hun Xen’s advice.
She indicated that these villagers ought to be released so that they can pursue their jobs to feed their families as the rainy season is fast approaching. She also pointed out that the minister of Justice already sent 3 intervention letters, but to no avail as the Siem Reap province court refused to apply the minister’s interventions. She demanded that Ang Vong Vattana, the minister of Justice, take rightful measures to release the jailed villagers.
Land disputes over dry season rice fields between villagers in Anlong Samnor and Chikreng communes, located in Chikreng district, exploded into violence in March 2009 when the court issued an order to confiscate lands to give villagers in Anlong Samnor. Several Chikreng commune villagers protested the court order and they were sprayed with bullets by the cops and military cops. Several villagers were tied up and beaten before they were sent to jail.
According to Mrs. Ke Sovanroth, none to the cops who sprayed the villagers with bullets were ever arrested or prosecuted according to the law. She added: “They commited criminal offenses, but they were not arrested, as for the 12 villagers, not only did they lose their lands, they were also sent to jail.”
In a letter sent by Mrs. Ke Sovanroth, SRP MP for Siem Reap province, sent to the minister of Justice through the intermediary of Heng Samrin, she raised the issue of a land dispute taking place in Chikreng district, Siem Reap province, in which 12 villagers are now being jailed. She indicated that the jailing of these villagers is contrary to Hun Xen’s advice.
She indicated that these villagers ought to be released so that they can pursue their jobs to feed their families as the rainy season is fast approaching. She also pointed out that the minister of Justice already sent 3 intervention letters, but to no avail as the Siem Reap province court refused to apply the minister’s interventions. She demanded that Ang Vong Vattana, the minister of Justice, take rightful measures to release the jailed villagers.
Land disputes over dry season rice fields between villagers in Anlong Samnor and Chikreng communes, located in Chikreng district, exploded into violence in March 2009 when the court issued an order to confiscate lands to give villagers in Anlong Samnor. Several Chikreng commune villagers protested the court order and they were sprayed with bullets by the cops and military cops. Several villagers were tied up and beaten before they were sent to jail.
According to Mrs. Ke Sovanroth, none to the cops who sprayed the villagers with bullets were ever arrested or prosecuted according to the law. She added: “They commited criminal offenses, but they were not arrested, as for the 12 villagers, not only did they lose their lands, they were also sent to jail.”
Saturday, September 05, 2009
Cambodia finds its 1st ancient ironworks site in history
PHNOM PENH, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Apsara Authority of Cambodia has found and excavated for the first time in its history the ancient ironworks site at Khav village, Khav commune, Chi-kreng district of Siem Reap province where is the home of Angkor Wat temple, the local media reported on Saturday.
"We have excavated four sites and each site has size of five meters in length and two meters in width, and we also found iron mines, some potteries, pieces of cook, some bamboos, other ancient materials, and a tube for blowing the air into the ancient cook to melt the iron stone," the khmer language newspaper Rasmei Kampuchea quoted Ea Darith, deputy director of temple conservation for external affairs of Angkor wat park as saying, who is also expert for leading the excavation group.
"Those sites were used for melting iron mines and it was belonged to aborigine "Kouy" and their relatives still exist in living in Cambodia now," he said. "They melted those iron mines to produce as guns, swords, javelins, and other daily households including axes, knifes, and chisels for the king at that time," he added.
"According to the analysis on potteries, those sites were constructed in the 11th or 13th century," Ea Darith said.
At the same time, Apsara Authority also found the ancient Chinese ointment containers which Khmer imported from China. "Khmer and Chinese people got married and lived at Angkor Wat region at that time. So we could find them," he said, adding that those ancient Chinese ointment containers were made in 12th or 13th century.
"Our excavation of the sites was stopped temporarily because our experts need to take those materials for laboratory and took photos to print on books for keeping for next generation to research. There are five sites of iron works here and we will excavate one more in the future at the area," according to Ea Darith.
"We have excavated four sites and each site has size of five meters in length and two meters in width, and we also found iron mines, some potteries, pieces of cook, some bamboos, other ancient materials, and a tube for blowing the air into the ancient cook to melt the iron stone," the khmer language newspaper Rasmei Kampuchea quoted Ea Darith, deputy director of temple conservation for external affairs of Angkor wat park as saying, who is also expert for leading the excavation group.
"Those sites were used for melting iron mines and it was belonged to aborigine "Kouy" and their relatives still exist in living in Cambodia now," he said. "They melted those iron mines to produce as guns, swords, javelins, and other daily households including axes, knifes, and chisels for the king at that time," he added.
"According to the analysis on potteries, those sites were constructed in the 11th or 13th century," Ea Darith said.
At the same time, Apsara Authority also found the ancient Chinese ointment containers which Khmer imported from China. "Khmer and Chinese people got married and lived at Angkor Wat region at that time. So we could find them," he said, adding that those ancient Chinese ointment containers were made in 12th or 13th century.
"Our excavation of the sites was stopped temporarily because our experts need to take those materials for laboratory and took photos to print on books for keeping for next generation to research. There are five sites of iron works here and we will excavate one more in the future at the area," according to Ea Darith.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Crackdown in Siem Reap [-"There is no truth in [state-run] media"]
Video by Licadho
Monday, 27 April 2009
Written by Vincent MacIsaac
Asia Sentinel (Hong Kong)
The rule of law goes by the board for Cambodia's land sharks
Victims of police shooting: A legacy of 30 years of CPP rule?
Video footage of an allegedly unprovoked attack by police on unarmed farmers in Siem Reap last month has sparked outrage in Cambodia because of what it showed and because the reaction from the national government sent another strong signal that state officials and those connected to them can violate laws with impunity, human rights groups say.
"Unless action is taken to defuse the tense land situation in the country, sadly there will likely be more shootings such as occurred in Chi Kreng [district, Siem Reap]," said Kek Galabru, president of to the Cambodian League for the Promotion of Human Rights (Licadho).
"Real action must be taken to address Cambodia's land crisis and to ensure that authorities do use violence against innocent villagers who are merely trying hold on their land," she said.
According to the monitoring department of the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (Adhoc) the number of forced evictions in Cambodia is rising and land disputes are becoming more violent despite the free fall in land prices that began in the middle of last year and more frequent and fiery warnings from Prime Minister Hun Sen that any state officials involved in illegal land deals, no matter how high their rank, will be severely punished.
Moreover, the border conflict with Thailand and the subsequent build up of troops on the Cambodian side has increased land grabbing by the military as well as illegal logging in protected forests along the border, environmentalists and human rights investigators warn.
The Siem Reap farmers are the victims of both land grabbing and state-sanctioned violence, human rights groups say. At the root of the incident is a five-year dispute that escalated last December when two community leaders and one journalist were arrested following a court complaint from two businessmen who the farmers allege illegally obtained and then resold titles to 92 hectares of land they had been farming since, in some cases, 1982. In January farmers surrounded the provincial courthouse for 17 days to demand the release of the three.
It escalated further last month when a joint task force of about 100 police and military personnel opened fire on the farmers. The video of the crackdown almost never made it out of the rural pagoda where it was first shown, according to Buddhist monk Sovath Loun, who transmitted it to human rights groups in Phnom Penh via cell phone.
Sovath Loun, whose older brother and nephew were shot and wounded during the March 22 crackdown, said that at one point during his negotiations with district police over the incident, he was warned that if he didn't turn over his videos and photographs, the military might storm his pagoda in Chi Kreng district to seize them. The pagoda is located about 30 kilometers from Angkor Wat, the country's top tourist destination.
One video, which the monk obtained from a farmer who hid his video-equipped cellphone under his hat, suggests that the signal to begin shooting came from the deputy district police chief, and clearly identifies another officer who allegedly wounded two farmers after he opened fire with his AK47, according to the Cambodian League for the Promotion of Human Rights (Licadho). www.licadho-cambodia.org
The footage contradicts government claims that the police were acting in self defense, the league says, and it is calling for the prosecution of those who shot four farmers as well as the release of nine others subsequently jailed on charges of assault and attempted theft (of the rice they had planted).
"This was extremely serious violence against villagers committed by government armed forces, and it demands a strong response by the government. The police and other officials who committed this violence must be punished," Licadho said.
The province's governor, Mr. Sou Phirin, pledged to personally resolve the dispute following the protest at the provincial court, but his attempt at reconciliation aggravated it. He proposed that the businessmen be given the rice and farmers who had planted it be compensated by being paid for their seeds, according to the Adhoc report, which also said the governor's attempt at reconciling the two sides was marred by open hostility towards the farmers and their lawyer, whom he cursed at during the negotiations.
Sovath Loun's videos and scores of photographs include the aftermath as well as extremely graphic footage and photos from the hospital, including close ups of gaping wounds and doctors trying to treat them, as well as bleeding farmers beaten unconscious and tied together in rows. His videos and photos provide an extremely rare and detailed look into what many have been warning for years is, among other things, a grave threat to stability in Cambodia: the government's alleged complicity in allowing, and in some cases assisting, those in positions of power to steal land from the poor.
The 30-year-old monk first showed the videos to about 20 monks, nuns and laypersons at Vat Sleng Pagoda a week after the crackdown. The day after the first of several police officers paid a visit. The low-ranking officer had been instructed by the district chief of police to find out how many VCDs had been made and to take them, Sovath Loun said. "I asked the officer, ‘what law did I break?"
He broke the silence that ensued by enquiring further, "Do you want to borrow it or do you want to take it?"
"If you want to borrow it you can, but if you want to take it you can't," he continued. If the officer was devout he would be aware it would be a severe transgression to lie to a monk, while if he was merely superstitious he could be frightened into believing that a lie to a venerable monk in pagoda might be an invitation to bad luck for him and his family, he said.
The officer opted to relay the choice to his superiors. Over the next few days more officers and district officials visited him at the pagoda and the hospital where he was tending his brother and nephew. They told him to stop taking photos, turn over his VCD and sign a letter pledging not to disseminate the images, Sovath Loun said. He replied by telling them they could have the VCD if they signed a letter promising to resolve the land dispute and bring those who shot the farmers to justice.
During a second visit by police to his pagoda an officer warned him that if he kept the VCD he might have to deal with the military. Sovath Loun quoted the officer as saying: "The military might attack the pagoda to seize it."
On the third visit the monk turned over his VCD, but by this time he had already distributed about 100 copies throughout surrounding villages and widely transmitted the video of the crackdown taken by the farmer via his cell phone. This video ended up at human rights organizations based in Phnom Penh and on the internet (http://hub.witness.org/en/upload/shooting-chi-kreng-siem-reap-v2).
On April 2, Sovath Loun left his pagoda for Phnom Penh. "My heart was too heavy to remain in Siem Reap. I came here to try to regain my peace of mind," he explained at Ounalum Pagoda. The pagoda, which was founded in 1443, is the headquarters of the Cambodian Buddhism and has been experiencing a steady rebirth following its desecration by the Khmer Rouge.
Sovath Loun said his attempt to regain his peace of mind at the pagoda became more difficult after an advisor to the Supreme Patriarch of Cambodia's Buddhists, a layman and official from the Ministry of Cults and Religion, arrived at the pagoda on April 10 in a silver Lexus and told him to order the about 100 farmers from his district who had sought refuge with him to return to Siem Reap on April 10.
He described the ultimatum as being inspired by politics rather than the teachings of Buddha. "The order came from the government," he said.
During their 30 minute conversation, he tried to explain to the advisor that his claim that the farmers were "disturbing the pagoda" was illusory. "I kept telling him that no monks had complained while the farmers stayed at the pagoda. Instead, we gave them food and blessings. We felt great sorrow for them."
The government advisor, whom the monk described as "aggressive", could not be swayed, and after he drove off in his silver Lexus Sovath Loun had to tell the panicked farmers to leave the pagoda and return to Siem Reap. By midafternoon all but four had left. Monks paid for those who could not afford tickets, he said.
The four who remain in Phnom Penh, identified by Siem Reap police as leaders of the group, are in hiding at a "safe house". They fear they will either be shot or arrested if they return to their villages, one said by telephone. Police are searching house to house in their villages for them, Chan Soveth, an investigator with Adhoc said. The disputed farmland is now under guard by armed police and soldiers, he added.
"There is no truth in [state-run] media," Sovath Loun said, explaining his motivation for compiling and disseminating the videos. "Soldiers and police have guns for protecting people not shooting them," he added before beginning his evening meditation on April 12.
Within a week, however, he had also left the pagoda, according to venerable monk Thaich Chhorn, who kept a written diary of the protests by the Siem Reap farmers in Phnom Penh . Thaich Chhorn said Sovath Loun, who is also a painter, left the pagoda to paint murals on the inner walls of another one in the countryside.
Victims of police shooting: A legacy of 30 years of CPP rule?Video footage of an allegedly unprovoked attack by police on unarmed farmers in Siem Reap last month has sparked outrage in Cambodia because of what it showed and because the reaction from the national government sent another strong signal that state officials and those connected to them can violate laws with impunity, human rights groups say.
"Unless action is taken to defuse the tense land situation in the country, sadly there will likely be more shootings such as occurred in Chi Kreng [district, Siem Reap]," said Kek Galabru, president of to the Cambodian League for the Promotion of Human Rights (Licadho).
"Real action must be taken to address Cambodia's land crisis and to ensure that authorities do use violence against innocent villagers who are merely trying hold on their land," she said.
According to the monitoring department of the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (Adhoc) the number of forced evictions in Cambodia is rising and land disputes are becoming more violent despite the free fall in land prices that began in the middle of last year and more frequent and fiery warnings from Prime Minister Hun Sen that any state officials involved in illegal land deals, no matter how high their rank, will be severely punished.
Moreover, the border conflict with Thailand and the subsequent build up of troops on the Cambodian side has increased land grabbing by the military as well as illegal logging in protected forests along the border, environmentalists and human rights investigators warn.
The Siem Reap farmers are the victims of both land grabbing and state-sanctioned violence, human rights groups say. At the root of the incident is a five-year dispute that escalated last December when two community leaders and one journalist were arrested following a court complaint from two businessmen who the farmers allege illegally obtained and then resold titles to 92 hectares of land they had been farming since, in some cases, 1982. In January farmers surrounded the provincial courthouse for 17 days to demand the release of the three.
It escalated further last month when a joint task force of about 100 police and military personnel opened fire on the farmers. The video of the crackdown almost never made it out of the rural pagoda where it was first shown, according to Buddhist monk Sovath Loun, who transmitted it to human rights groups in Phnom Penh via cell phone.
Sovath Loun, whose older brother and nephew were shot and wounded during the March 22 crackdown, said that at one point during his negotiations with district police over the incident, he was warned that if he didn't turn over his videos and photographs, the military might storm his pagoda in Chi Kreng district to seize them. The pagoda is located about 30 kilometers from Angkor Wat, the country's top tourist destination.
One video, which the monk obtained from a farmer who hid his video-equipped cellphone under his hat, suggests that the signal to begin shooting came from the deputy district police chief, and clearly identifies another officer who allegedly wounded two farmers after he opened fire with his AK47, according to the Cambodian League for the Promotion of Human Rights (Licadho). www.licadho-cambodia.org
The footage contradicts government claims that the police were acting in self defense, the league says, and it is calling for the prosecution of those who shot four farmers as well as the release of nine others subsequently jailed on charges of assault and attempted theft (of the rice they had planted).
"This was extremely serious violence against villagers committed by government armed forces, and it demands a strong response by the government. The police and other officials who committed this violence must be punished," Licadho said.
The province's governor, Mr. Sou Phirin, pledged to personally resolve the dispute following the protest at the provincial court, but his attempt at reconciliation aggravated it. He proposed that the businessmen be given the rice and farmers who had planted it be compensated by being paid for their seeds, according to the Adhoc report, which also said the governor's attempt at reconciling the two sides was marred by open hostility towards the farmers and their lawyer, whom he cursed at during the negotiations.
Sovath Loun's videos and scores of photographs include the aftermath as well as extremely graphic footage and photos from the hospital, including close ups of gaping wounds and doctors trying to treat them, as well as bleeding farmers beaten unconscious and tied together in rows. His videos and photos provide an extremely rare and detailed look into what many have been warning for years is, among other things, a grave threat to stability in Cambodia: the government's alleged complicity in allowing, and in some cases assisting, those in positions of power to steal land from the poor.
The 30-year-old monk first showed the videos to about 20 monks, nuns and laypersons at Vat Sleng Pagoda a week after the crackdown. The day after the first of several police officers paid a visit. The low-ranking officer had been instructed by the district chief of police to find out how many VCDs had been made and to take them, Sovath Loun said. "I asked the officer, ‘what law did I break?"
He broke the silence that ensued by enquiring further, "Do you want to borrow it or do you want to take it?"
"If you want to borrow it you can, but if you want to take it you can't," he continued. If the officer was devout he would be aware it would be a severe transgression to lie to a monk, while if he was merely superstitious he could be frightened into believing that a lie to a venerable monk in pagoda might be an invitation to bad luck for him and his family, he said.
The officer opted to relay the choice to his superiors. Over the next few days more officers and district officials visited him at the pagoda and the hospital where he was tending his brother and nephew. They told him to stop taking photos, turn over his VCD and sign a letter pledging not to disseminate the images, Sovath Loun said. He replied by telling them they could have the VCD if they signed a letter promising to resolve the land dispute and bring those who shot the farmers to justice.
During a second visit by police to his pagoda an officer warned him that if he kept the VCD he might have to deal with the military. Sovath Loun quoted the officer as saying: "The military might attack the pagoda to seize it."
On the third visit the monk turned over his VCD, but by this time he had already distributed about 100 copies throughout surrounding villages and widely transmitted the video of the crackdown taken by the farmer via his cell phone. This video ended up at human rights organizations based in Phnom Penh and on the internet (http://hub.witness.org/en/upload/shooting-chi-kreng-siem-reap-v2).
On April 2, Sovath Loun left his pagoda for Phnom Penh. "My heart was too heavy to remain in Siem Reap. I came here to try to regain my peace of mind," he explained at Ounalum Pagoda. The pagoda, which was founded in 1443, is the headquarters of the Cambodian Buddhism and has been experiencing a steady rebirth following its desecration by the Khmer Rouge.
Sovath Loun said his attempt to regain his peace of mind at the pagoda became more difficult after an advisor to the Supreme Patriarch of Cambodia's Buddhists, a layman and official from the Ministry of Cults and Religion, arrived at the pagoda on April 10 in a silver Lexus and told him to order the about 100 farmers from his district who had sought refuge with him to return to Siem Reap on April 10.
He described the ultimatum as being inspired by politics rather than the teachings of Buddha. "The order came from the government," he said.
During their 30 minute conversation, he tried to explain to the advisor that his claim that the farmers were "disturbing the pagoda" was illusory. "I kept telling him that no monks had complained while the farmers stayed at the pagoda. Instead, we gave them food and blessings. We felt great sorrow for them."
The government advisor, whom the monk described as "aggressive", could not be swayed, and after he drove off in his silver Lexus Sovath Loun had to tell the panicked farmers to leave the pagoda and return to Siem Reap. By midafternoon all but four had left. Monks paid for those who could not afford tickets, he said.
The four who remain in Phnom Penh, identified by Siem Reap police as leaders of the group, are in hiding at a "safe house". They fear they will either be shot or arrested if they return to their villages, one said by telephone. Police are searching house to house in their villages for them, Chan Soveth, an investigator with Adhoc said. The disputed farmland is now under guard by armed police and soldiers, he added.
"There is no truth in [state-run] media," Sovath Loun said, explaining his motivation for compiling and disseminating the videos. "Soldiers and police have guns for protecting people not shooting them," he added before beginning his evening meditation on April 12.
Within a week, however, he had also left the pagoda, according to venerable monk Thaich Chhorn, who kept a written diary of the protests by the Siem Reap farmers in Phnom Penh . Thaich Chhorn said Sovath Loun, who is also a painter, left the pagoda to paint murals on the inner walls of another one in the countryside.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Licadho urges action on Chi Kraeng clashes
Monday, 30 March 2009
Written by Chrann Chamroeun
The Phnom Penh Post
Written by Chrann Chamroeun
The Phnom Penh Post
Villagers say they are being intimidated by police.
HUMAN rights group Licadho has urged the government to take action after four villagers were shot and wounded by police when a land dispute in Siem Reap province turned violent earlier this month.
"This was extremely serious violence against villagers committed by the government's armed forces, and it demands a strong response by the government," said Licadho President Kek Galabru in a statement.
"The police and other officials who committed this violence must be punished, and there must be a fair resolution to this land dispute."
Fifteen villagers gathered at the NGO's Phnom Penh headquarters on Friday to show what they say is a video of the shootings in Chi Kraeng district and to ask the government for help.
The clash followed a dispute over 92 hectares of farmland between two groups of villagers from neighbouring communes.
Licadho in a statement called on the Ministry of Interior to suspend Chi Kraeng district's Deputy Police Chief Srey Sam Ol, who the group said could be seen in the video firing the first shot, as well as a second policeman whom it said shot at least two villagers, pending an investigation into their actions.
Neither Srey Sam Ol nor ministry officials could be reached Sunday for comment.
Villagers, meanwhile, denied police claims that they had been carrying weapons.
Not carrying machetes
"We were not carrying machetes or wooden sticks as the authorities claim, and the video footage of the incident proves that," said village representative Thoang Sareith. "Their actions go against Prime Minister Hun Sen's speech saying to solve land disputes peacefully."
He said he was confident the government would help bring those guilty parties before the courts. But he also warned that villagers had been intimidated.
"Now we feel scared for our safety - we have received threats on our mobile phones, and the police patrol near our houses looking to arrest us, so we are afraid to go home," he said.
"We don't want an investigation after we've been killed - we want the government, NGOs and reporters to keep an eye on us and intervene."
Thoang Sareith said villagers wanted to be allowed to harvest their crops on the disputed land and that the nine villagers arrested by police be released.
HUMAN rights group Licadho has urged the government to take action after four villagers were shot and wounded by police when a land dispute in Siem Reap province turned violent earlier this month.
"This was extremely serious violence against villagers committed by the government's armed forces, and it demands a strong response by the government," said Licadho President Kek Galabru in a statement.
"The police and other officials who committed this violence must be punished, and there must be a fair resolution to this land dispute."
Fifteen villagers gathered at the NGO's Phnom Penh headquarters on Friday to show what they say is a video of the shootings in Chi Kraeng district and to ask the government for help.
The clash followed a dispute over 92 hectares of farmland between two groups of villagers from neighbouring communes.
Licadho in a statement called on the Ministry of Interior to suspend Chi Kraeng district's Deputy Police Chief Srey Sam Ol, who the group said could be seen in the video firing the first shot, as well as a second policeman whom it said shot at least two villagers, pending an investigation into their actions.
Neither Srey Sam Ol nor ministry officials could be reached Sunday for comment.
Villagers, meanwhile, denied police claims that they had been carrying weapons.
Not carrying machetes
"We were not carrying machetes or wooden sticks as the authorities claim, and the video footage of the incident proves that," said village representative Thoang Sareith. "Their actions go against Prime Minister Hun Sen's speech saying to solve land disputes peacefully."
He said he was confident the government would help bring those guilty parties before the courts. But he also warned that villagers had been intimidated.
"Now we feel scared for our safety - we have received threats on our mobile phones, and the police patrol near our houses looking to arrest us, so we are afraid to go home," he said.
"We don't want an investigation after we've been killed - we want the government, NGOs and reporters to keep an eye on us and intervene."
Thoang Sareith said villagers wanted to be allowed to harvest their crops on the disputed land and that the nine villagers arrested by police be released.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Arrests Urged in Siem Reap Police Shooting
Injured victims of cops opening fire on protesting villagers in Chikreng commune, Siem Reap province (Photo: Savyouth, RFA)By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
27 March 2009
A rights group called on Siem Reap authorities Friday to hold responsible armed forces who opened fire on a crowd of protesting villagers Sunday, injuring four.
More than 100 military police and soldiers clashed with protesting villagers Sunday, in an incident that led to four shooting injuries, nine arrests and around 50 villagers fleeing their homes for fear of arrest, Licadho said, adding that the nine arrested men should also be released.
The villages were protesting a land dispute in Chi Kreang district, Siem Reap province, when the shooting occurred.
“A rich and powerful man is right in this land dispute, but we poor face injustice,” Thong Sareth, a 33-year-old villager told reporters at Licadho’s headquarters Friday. “So I would like to send my grievances to Prime Minister Hun Sen about the shooting and violence on unarmed villagers.”
Reporters were shown footage of Sunday’s clash, which shows the district police chief, Srey Som Ol, shooting at the ground at the feet of protesters. Those shots were followed by a policeman also shooting at the ground in front of the villagers.
Four people were hit with bullets following the shooting. Three remain in the hospital.
Srey Som Ol could not be reached for comment Friday.
No member of the military police or army has been disciplined for the shooting. Ministry of Interior spokesman Lt. Gen. Khieu Sopheak said a national working group would investigate the shooting.
“This was extremely serious violence against villagers committed by government armed forces, and it demands a strong response by the government,” Licadho president Kek Galabru said in a statement. “The police and other officials who committed this violence must be punished, and there must be a fair resolution to this land dispute.”
Am Samath, an investigator for Licadho, said he was deeply concerned about the impunity shown those responsible in the shooting.
“The shooters must be investigated or arrests…according to the law, to show transparency,” he said. “The authorities must be responsible for shooting the villagers.”
Siem Reap prosecutor Thy Sovann Thal the court was considering releasing the nine men, who are charged with attacking the security forces and the theft of rice from a field. The case had to be investigated, he said.
More than 100 military police and soldiers clashed with protesting villagers Sunday, in an incident that led to four shooting injuries, nine arrests and around 50 villagers fleeing their homes for fear of arrest, Licadho said, adding that the nine arrested men should also be released.
The villages were protesting a land dispute in Chi Kreang district, Siem Reap province, when the shooting occurred.
“A rich and powerful man is right in this land dispute, but we poor face injustice,” Thong Sareth, a 33-year-old villager told reporters at Licadho’s headquarters Friday. “So I would like to send my grievances to Prime Minister Hun Sen about the shooting and violence on unarmed villagers.”
Reporters were shown footage of Sunday’s clash, which shows the district police chief, Srey Som Ol, shooting at the ground at the feet of protesters. Those shots were followed by a policeman also shooting at the ground in front of the villagers.
Four people were hit with bullets following the shooting. Three remain in the hospital.
Srey Som Ol could not be reached for comment Friday.
No member of the military police or army has been disciplined for the shooting. Ministry of Interior spokesman Lt. Gen. Khieu Sopheak said a national working group would investigate the shooting.
“This was extremely serious violence against villagers committed by government armed forces, and it demands a strong response by the government,” Licadho president Kek Galabru said in a statement. “The police and other officials who committed this violence must be punished, and there must be a fair resolution to this land dispute.”
Am Samath, an investigator for Licadho, said he was deeply concerned about the impunity shown those responsible in the shooting.
“The shooters must be investigated or arrests…according to the law, to show transparency,” he said. “The authorities must be responsible for shooting the villagers.”
Siem Reap prosecutor Thy Sovann Thal the court was considering releasing the nine men, who are charged with attacking the security forces and the theft of rice from a field. The case had to be investigated, he said.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Injured victims of Siem Reap police shooting demand compensation
Injured victims of cops opening fire on protesting villagers in Chikreng commune, Siem Reap province (Photo: Savyouth, RFA)23 March 2009
By Savyouth
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the article in Khmer
Relatives of three men from Chikreng commune who were seriously injured following the shooting perpetrated by armed cops in Chikreng district stemming from a land dispute involving 90-hectare of rice field located in the Dike 78 Suong region, are looking for legal help to sue for compensation for their injured loved ones.
In the morning of Monday 23 March, Mrs. Cheng Hon said that Luon Vinh, her husband, was seriously injured by bullets (shot by the cops) and he is currently undergoing medical care at the Siem Reap province hospital. She said that she is currently suing the Chikreng district authority which is responsible for this case and she also said that each family of the victims demands $5,000 in damage compensation for their loved ones who were shot. The victims have contacted the Adhoc human rights group in Siem reap province to ask for its help to file the lawsuit against the shooting perpetrated by the cops: “My husband was shot twice, he was seriously injured and his knee cap was shattered. We ask $5,000 in compensation.”
The decision by the victim’s families to sue the cops was made one day after a joint civilian and military police forces opened fire on a group of villagers from Chikreng commune. The villagers came by the hundreds to hold a protest at the Dike 78 Suong because of a land dispute involving their rice fields. The shooting injured 4 villagers and 40 other villagers were arrested on the morning of 22 March.
Ty Sovinthal, the prosecutor for the Siem Reap court, denied involvement in the armed violence, he said that the shooting was not undertaken by his order. He said that he only traveled to the incident location based on the request made by the Chikreng district governor and the police inspector. He then went on to visit the incident location, but 3 kilometers away from his destination, he received the information that the cops were shooting at the villagers there.
Nevertheless, Ty Sovinthal added that he will order the cops to file a report so that the cops involved in the shooting will face the law. However, he also threatened to sue news reporters and RFA which published the information in which he allegedly led the cops during the shooting raid on the villagers.
Ty Sovinthal said: “If you can find that I arrived at the incident location, and I wrongfully ordered (the shooting), I agree to go to jail.”
Sou Phirin, the CPP Siem Reap provincial governor, said that in the case of the land dispute involving 90-hectare of rice field between villagers from Chikreng and Anlong Samnor communes, the provincial authority attempted to mediate this issue on several occasions already, he also regretted to see the shooting on the protesting villagers and the injuries inflicted on them. Therefore, the provincial authority will pay the medical bill for the villagers and it will continue to find a better solution to this land dispute: “The medical care cost will be paid by the provincial authority, these are poor [villagers].”
In the afternoon of 23 March, a group of provincial officials led by Sou Phirin himself, visited the incident location and they studied the land dispute in order to provide a new land subdivision.
On Monday evening, it was learnt that a number of villagers have disappeared following the shooting by the cops. Several hundred rounds of bullet were shot by the cops. As for the 40 villagers arrested by the cops, more than 30 of them were released and sent back home.
In the morning of Monday 23 March, Mrs. Cheng Hon said that Luon Vinh, her husband, was seriously injured by bullets (shot by the cops) and he is currently undergoing medical care at the Siem Reap province hospital. She said that she is currently suing the Chikreng district authority which is responsible for this case and she also said that each family of the victims demands $5,000 in damage compensation for their loved ones who were shot. The victims have contacted the Adhoc human rights group in Siem reap province to ask for its help to file the lawsuit against the shooting perpetrated by the cops: “My husband was shot twice, he was seriously injured and his knee cap was shattered. We ask $5,000 in compensation.”
The decision by the victim’s families to sue the cops was made one day after a joint civilian and military police forces opened fire on a group of villagers from Chikreng commune. The villagers came by the hundreds to hold a protest at the Dike 78 Suong because of a land dispute involving their rice fields. The shooting injured 4 villagers and 40 other villagers were arrested on the morning of 22 March.
Ty Sovinthal, the prosecutor for the Siem Reap court, denied involvement in the armed violence, he said that the shooting was not undertaken by his order. He said that he only traveled to the incident location based on the request made by the Chikreng district governor and the police inspector. He then went on to visit the incident location, but 3 kilometers away from his destination, he received the information that the cops were shooting at the villagers there.
Nevertheless, Ty Sovinthal added that he will order the cops to file a report so that the cops involved in the shooting will face the law. However, he also threatened to sue news reporters and RFA which published the information in which he allegedly led the cops during the shooting raid on the villagers.
Ty Sovinthal said: “If you can find that I arrived at the incident location, and I wrongfully ordered (the shooting), I agree to go to jail.”
Sou Phirin, the CPP Siem Reap provincial governor, said that in the case of the land dispute involving 90-hectare of rice field between villagers from Chikreng and Anlong Samnor communes, the provincial authority attempted to mediate this issue on several occasions already, he also regretted to see the shooting on the protesting villagers and the injuries inflicted on them. Therefore, the provincial authority will pay the medical bill for the villagers and it will continue to find a better solution to this land dispute: “The medical care cost will be paid by the provincial authority, these are poor [villagers].”
In the afternoon of 23 March, a group of provincial officials led by Sou Phirin himself, visited the incident location and they studied the land dispute in order to provide a new land subdivision.
On Monday evening, it was learnt that a number of villagers have disappeared following the shooting by the cops. Several hundred rounds of bullet were shot by the cops. As for the 40 villagers arrested by the cops, more than 30 of them were released and sent back home.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Land dispute intensifies in Siem Reap
17 Jan 2009
By Pen Bona
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from Khmer by Luc Sâr
Click here to read the article in French
By Pen Bona
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from Khmer by Luc Sâr
Click here to read the article in French
About one hundred farmers from Chikreng commune, Chikreng district, Siem Reap province, burnt tires in front of the provincial court on Friday 16 January, in order to demonstrate their anger.
The farmers were camping in front of the court for the last three days, to demand for the release of a journalist and two villagers who were arrested on 26 December stemming from a land dispute case opposing two groups of farmers.
The dispute started in 2004 and it involves more than 400 hectares of land straddling two communes: Chikreng and Anlung Samnor. Each commune claims the ownership of the land.
In a letter sent to Heng Samrin, the president of the National Assembly, on 16 January, Sou Phirin, Siem Reap provincial governor, sided with the Anlung Samnor commune villagers, saying that the land belonged to the latter. Chikreng commune villagers then exploded into a demonstration. Sou Phirin added in his letter: “Violence took place last December between the two opposing groups, and it led to the arrest of three people.” However, according to the angry Chikreng villagers, this decision by the governor was not fair and it was motivated by private interests. In fact, according to the Chikreng villagers, the land would belong to a high-ranking official in the region, this explained the reason for Sou Phirin’s decision.
On Friday, in spite of the incidents, no violence took place. However, the demonstrators threatened to continue their action until the three arrested men are freed. This situation worries human rights observers. It should be noted that more often nowadays, during land conflict cases, angry villagers tend to gather up in front of the court. This tendency reflects among many villagers their loss of confidence in the judicial system. Chan Saveth, an investigator for the Adhoc human rights group, indicated on Saturday 17 January that, if the number of land disputes seems to be stable, “the nature of the dispute has worsened. In 2008, we noted more than 300 land dispute cases, the majority of which involved army soldiers. We also noted that more often, arrests were made in land dispute cases,” he deplored.
The farmers were camping in front of the court for the last three days, to demand for the release of a journalist and two villagers who were arrested on 26 December stemming from a land dispute case opposing two groups of farmers.
The dispute started in 2004 and it involves more than 400 hectares of land straddling two communes: Chikreng and Anlung Samnor. Each commune claims the ownership of the land.
In a letter sent to Heng Samrin, the president of the National Assembly, on 16 January, Sou Phirin, Siem Reap provincial governor, sided with the Anlung Samnor commune villagers, saying that the land belonged to the latter. Chikreng commune villagers then exploded into a demonstration. Sou Phirin added in his letter: “Violence took place last December between the two opposing groups, and it led to the arrest of three people.” However, according to the angry Chikreng villagers, this decision by the governor was not fair and it was motivated by private interests. In fact, according to the Chikreng villagers, the land would belong to a high-ranking official in the region, this explained the reason for Sou Phirin’s decision.
On Friday, in spite of the incidents, no violence took place. However, the demonstrators threatened to continue their action until the three arrested men are freed. This situation worries human rights observers. It should be noted that more often nowadays, during land conflict cases, angry villagers tend to gather up in front of the court. This tendency reflects among many villagers their loss of confidence in the judicial system. Chan Saveth, an investigator for the Adhoc human rights group, indicated on Saturday 17 January that, if the number of land disputes seems to be stable, “the nature of the dispute has worsened. In 2008, we noted more than 300 land dispute cases, the majority of which involved army soldiers. We also noted that more often, arrests were made in land dispute cases,” he deplored.
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