Police disturbing the BKL residents meeting

FYI: (Urgent)

This moment, the police is disturbing the BKL residents meeting in Baitang Restaurant.
More information please contact: 017907911; 068470480

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Housing Rights Task Force (HRTF)
HRTF:#2A, St.271, Sangkat Beoung
Tompun, Khan Chamcar Morn
Phnom Penh.
Evictions Hotline: (855) 068 470 480
Tel/Fax: (855) 023 996 531
Email: sd@hrtfcambodia.org
Website: www.hrtfcambodia.org
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HRTF is the coalition of local and international organizations that working
to Prevent Force Eviction and Promote Housing Rights in Cambodia.

សហគមន៍​ព្រៃ​ឈើ​បួង​សួង​នៅ​សៀមរាប​សុំ​ឲ្យ​បារមី​ជួយ​ការពារ​ព្រៃឡង់ - Forest communities pray for protection of Prey Lang

សមត្ថកិច្ច​ព្យាយាម​រារាំង​ក្រុម​សកម្មជន​ព្រៃឈើ​មិន​ឲ្យ​ទៅ​ធ្វើ​ពិធី​បួង​សួង នៅ​ព្រឹក​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​១៤ ធ្នូ ឆ្នាំ​២០១១។ Photo Supplied

ដោយ ហង្ស សាវយុត
2011-12-14
Radio Free Asia

សមត្ថកិច្ច​របស់​អាជ្ញាធរ​ដែនដី និង​ក្រុម​ប៉ូលិស​បេតិកភណ្ឌ​​នៃ​ស្នងការដ្ឋាន​ពិសេស​ការពារ​តំបន់​អង្គរ​នៅ​ក្នុង​ខេត្ត​សៀមរាប បាន​ព្យាយាម​រារាំង​សកម្មភាព​របស់​សកម្មជន​ការពារ​ព្រៃ​ឈើ​​មួយ​ក្រុម​ដែល​បាន​ទៅ​ធ្វើ​ពិធី​បួង​សួង​​នៅ​ក្នុង​បរិវេណ​ប្រាសាទ​បាយ័ន កាល​ពី​ព្រឹក​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​១៤ ខែ​ធ្នូ ដើម្បី​សុំ​ឱ្យ​បញ្ឈប់​សកម្មភាព​កាប់​បំផ្លាញ​ព្រៃឡង់ ដែល​ជា​ព្រៃឈើ​ដ៏​ធំ​ជាង​គេ​នៅ​ក្នុង​តំបន់​អា​ស៊ី​នោះ។

ក្រុម​សហជីព​កម្មករ និង​សហគមន៍​ការពារ​ព្រៃឈើ​ជនជាតិ​ភាគ​តិច​ប្រមាណ ៣០០​នាក់ បាន​រួម​គ្នា​ធ្វើ​ពិធី​បួង​សួង​នៅ​កន្លែង​ព្រះអង្គ​គោកធ្លក ក្នុង​បរិវេណ​ប្រាសាទ​អង្គរធំ ខេត្ត​សៀមរាប កាល​ពី​ព្រឹក​ថ្ងៃ​ពុធ ទី​១៤ ខែ​ធ្នូ ឆ្នាំ​២០១១។

បើ​ទោះ​បី​ជា​មាន​ការ​រារាំង​ពី​ក្រុម​សមត្ថកិច្ច​ក៏ដោយ ក៏​​ក្រុម​អ្នក​ការពារ​ព្រៃ​ឈើ​​ទាំង​នោះ​​​នៅ​តែ​នាំ​គ្នា​ជម្នះ​ធ្វើ​ពិធី​បួងសួង​តាម​បែប​ព្រហ្មញ្ញ​សាសនា​ឱ្យ​​ទាល់​តែ​បាន។

Villagers under surveillance

People wearing symbolic leaves protest against land concessions the government has granted in Prey Lang forest during a rally at Freedom Park in Phnom Penh last week. (Photo by: Heng Chivoan)

Thursday, 02 June 2011
May Titthara
The Phnom Penh Post

Preah Vihear province - Villager representatives from Kampong Thom province’s Sandan district who have been vocal in their opposition to land concessions in Prey Lang forest say they have been under surveillance in recent months and fear they may face legal action.

The villagers raised the issue at a public forum in Preah Vihear province on Tuesday that was organised by the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights.

Sandan Chheang Vuthy said police in the district had stopped him and other representatives and taken down their names as the group travelled to a community forum in April and a protest in Phnom Penh last week.

Mam Sonando’s Dhammayeatra prohibited from continuing up Phnom Dangrek hill

Friday, December 04, 2009
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by KI-Media

On 01 December 2009, the Dhammayeatra (Buddhist peace march procession) led by Monk Mam Sonando has arrived at Wat Prasat Rong Roeung Pagoda, located in Banteay Ampil district, Oddar Meanchey province, at 5PM. The procession wanted to continue its march to carry 11 Buddha statues from Wat Ampil Pagoda to Wat Chub Koki Pagoda, a distance of 15 km away from one another. These Buddha statues were confiscated by the authorities and stored at Wat Ampil Pagoda since 09 November. According to Koh Santepheap newspaper, the procession and the plan to carry the statues were prevented from moving by police officers, military police officers and soldiers who were spread all along the road leading to Wat Chub Koki Pagoda, located on top of Mount Dangrek Chain. The dhammayeatra led by monk Mam Sonando includes 12 monks, and 15 nuns and laymen, as well as 3 trucks carrying equipments. The dhammayeatra left Phnom Penh by foot on 02 November, and the entire trip is about 600 km long. It has already been one month since the procession started until the day it was stopped by the cops. There is only about 15 km left for the marchers to reach their destination. However, after the authority’s prevention, Monk Mam Sonando has no choice besides turning back, i.e. the dhammayeatra will return back to its point of departure.

Cambodian police attempt to stop journalists from photographing dispute over land

6 February 2008
Source: Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA)

Two journalists who were reporting a land dispute in a village were harassed by police for taking pictures of the incident, according to the Cambodian Association for the Protection of Journalists (CAPJ), a SEAPA partner based in the capital Phnom Penh.

On 30 January 2008, journalists Chum Sophal and Kong Sopheak, from the local newspapers "Khmer Mchas Srok" and "Solanh Khmer", respectively, went to Au Andong village in Prek Pra commune, Meanchey district, to cover the confrontation between two major companies, Phanimex and Sok Kong Import Export Co Ltd, and the villagers.

As Sopheak was photographing the police in the act of removing the poles that demarcated the land in dispute, the police got angry and shouted at them, ordering for the photos to be deleted. They did not press the matter when Sopheak refused to hand over his camera, according to CAPJ, who said that most of them were drunk.

Land disputes and forced evictions are an ongoing problem in Cambodia. As they are often accompanied by violence, authorities would try to prevent media and human rights workers from monitoring or reporting on evictions as they happen.

Police Stop Protesters on Way to Capital

Suon Kanika, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
07 September 2007

Police stopped buses carrying hundreds of villagers who planned a demonstration in Phnom Penh Friday, witnesses said.

The villagers planned to protest the closure of a public road in Kandal province, but police stopped their buses from entering the city.

The road is subject to illegal checkpoints that line the pockets of corrupt military authorities in cahoots with an orchard owner and merchant, villagers told VOA Khmer.

"I am telling you, we left our homes, and the police with connection to [informal tax-collection] stopped me from going forward," village representative Soth Seng told said. "They stopped all four buses, citing checking driver licenses, car registrations, road tax certificates as reasons."

A villager named Nhanh said locals had used the public road since the time of their "ancestors," but a merchant who bought the orchard closed it.

"It is they who destroy things, mowing down the fences and closing the road. They closed the road day and night, and the villagers could not see their way," Nhanh said. "We came to ask for the court to help solve the problem for my village people."

Chan Saveth, a human rights investigator for Adhoc, said authorities must have public order, he appealed to the people to respect the regulations. He did acknowledge, however, that sending just a few representatives would mean the villagers's woes would go unheard.