Adhoc's Thun Saray (Photo: DR, Cambodge Soir Hebdo)01 Dec 2008
By Ung Chamroeun
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French by Luc Sâr
Click here to read the article in French
The Adhoc human rights NGO denounced the arrest of two of its activists in the province of Ratanakiri. The reason for the arrest: Land disputes.
A communiqué was made public on 01 December by Adhoc, a human rights NGO in Cambodia, to protest against the arrest of two of its activists from Ratanakiri province’s Lumphat district. 36-year-old Svin Vev and 43-year-old Yang Than were summoned by the provincial court for questioning on 27 November. The two men were defending the interest of 136 ethnic minority families from the Tapang village.
“In spite of the intervention from 40 villagers, the cops sent the two men to jail in handcuff. They were tortured,” the Adhoc communiqué indicated. According to Adhoc, the arrest of these two activists is unfair, cruel and inhumane, and it constitutes a serious threat against human rights defenders.
Since 2003, the Tapang village is embroiled in a conflict with the DM Group Company. According to the villagers, the local authority granted to this company 2,000 hectares of land. The villagers were summoned on several occasions by the provincial authority and by the tribunal, but they did not budge. “No intervention, no investigation on the spot were conducted regarding the illegal deforestation which is currently taking place. On the other hand, these two human rights representatives were arrested without any precise proof, following a complaint brought up by DM Group which accused them of destroying someone else’s properties,” Adhoc denounced in its communiqué while indicating that a demonstration will be held to obtain the release of the two men arrested.
An anonymous villager indicated that several villagers have fled because they fear they could be arrested.
Neither Ros Saram, the Ratanakiri prosecutor, nor other provincial representatives could be reached on Monday.
A communiqué was made public on 01 December by Adhoc, a human rights NGO in Cambodia, to protest against the arrest of two of its activists from Ratanakiri province’s Lumphat district. 36-year-old Svin Vev and 43-year-old Yang Than were summoned by the provincial court for questioning on 27 November. The two men were defending the interest of 136 ethnic minority families from the Tapang village.
“In spite of the intervention from 40 villagers, the cops sent the two men to jail in handcuff. They were tortured,” the Adhoc communiqué indicated. According to Adhoc, the arrest of these two activists is unfair, cruel and inhumane, and it constitutes a serious threat against human rights defenders.
Since 2003, the Tapang village is embroiled in a conflict with the DM Group Company. According to the villagers, the local authority granted to this company 2,000 hectares of land. The villagers were summoned on several occasions by the provincial authority and by the tribunal, but they did not budge. “No intervention, no investigation on the spot were conducted regarding the illegal deforestation which is currently taking place. On the other hand, these two human rights representatives were arrested without any precise proof, following a complaint brought up by DM Group which accused them of destroying someone else’s properties,” Adhoc denounced in its communiqué while indicating that a demonstration will be held to obtain the release of the two men arrested.
An anonymous villager indicated that several villagers have fled because they fear they could be arrested.
Neither Ros Saram, the Ratanakiri prosecutor, nor other provincial representatives could be reached on Monday.
