Wife describes slain journalist’s close call

Thursday, 20 September 2012
Chhay Channyda
The Phnom Penh Post

The son of a provincial military police commander sideswiped journalist Hang Serei Oudom’s car with his government vehicle months before Oudom was found hacked to death in the back of a car in Ratanakkiri province, his widow and her lawyer said yesterday.

The officer, King Seanglay, was singled out for ties to illegal logging in the last story Oudom wrote for his newspaper, Vorakchun Khmer, on September 6. Oudom disappeared three days later.

Seanglay was briefly questioned along with a dozen others about Oudom’s murder, but investigators released him the same day.

Song Bunthanorm, chief of the serious crimes police office in Ratanakkiri province, said he did not know whether the journalist and Seanglay had a dispute with each other.

Slain journalist's mother seeks justice

(Photo: DAP-news)

Tuesday, 18 September 2012
Chhay Channyda
The Phnom Penh Post

A journalist murdered in Ratanakkiri last week took a call from his accused killer on the night of his disappearance, his family has claimed in a complaint to the rights group Adhoc.

Ken Sovann, 63, the mother of slain journalist Hang Serei Oudom, whose body was found in his car in O’Chum district last Tuesday, will lodge the same complaint with the provincial court today, asking for US$100,000 compensation and demanding that those responsible, including accomplices, be punished.

“Please find justice for my son,” Sovann said yesterday, adding that she feared for her safety.

Ratanakkiri duo charged in death of reporter

(Photo: RFA)

Monday, 17 September 2012
Kim Yuthana
The Phnom Penh Post

A Ratanakkiri provincial court has charged a married couple with premeditated murder in the grisly killing of Vorakchun Khmer newspaper reporter Hang Serei Oudom, whose body was found axed to death in the back of a car last week.

The suspects, An Bunheng and his wife, Sim Vy, own a karaoke bar in Banlung town, where the victim lived. The police have previously said that a number used to call Oudom could belong to Bunheng.

They were arrested on Thursday at the provincial military police headquarters. Several others, including the son of the provincial military police chief, were also detained for questioning but released later.

Military links to journalist

An Bunheng's wife (Photo: RFA)

Friday, 14 September 2012
Chhay Channyda and Joe Freeman
The Phnom Penh Post

Two military police officers and one of their wives were detained for questioning yesterday in connection with the unsolved slaying of Ratanakkiri province Vorakchun Khmer newspaper reporter Hang Serei Oudom, local authorities said.

Em Vun, Banlung town police chief, told the Post that provincial police and investigators from the Ministry of Interior confronted Captain An Bunheng, aka Eng, at the provincial military police headquarters in the morning.

According to rights group Adhoc, police later detained Bunheng’s wife and King Seanglay, the son of a provincial military police commander and the subject of Oudom’s last article in which allegations of illegal logging were levelled at Seanglay.

Several others were briefly brought in for questioning and later released, but as of yesterday evening, the three remained in custody.

Cambodian journalist found dead in his own car

(Photo: DAP-news)

Source: Committee to Protect Journalists

Bangkok, September 12, 2012--Cambodian authorities must immediately investigate the murder of a journalist who was found with ax wounds in the trunk of his car on Tuesday, less than a week after he had exposed an alleged military connection to the illicit timber trade, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

The body of Hang Serei Odom, a reporter for the Khmer-language Virakchun Khmer Daily newspaper, was found in his car at a cashew plantation in the O'Chum district of northeastern Ratanakiri province, according to news reports. The journalist's wife had reported him missing after he failed to return from an appointment on Sunday, news reports said.

The Cambodia Daily quoted local police chief Song Bunthanorm as saying that Hang Serei Odom had been hit in the front and back of the head with an ax. The official said at least two people were involved in the murder, the report said. No suspects were immediately identified.

Journalist Found Murdered

Police uncover the body of reporter Hang Serei Oudom hidden in the trunk of his car in Ratanakiri province, Sept. 11, 2012.(RFA)

The body of a Cambodian reporter who uncovered illegal logging is found in the trunk of his car.

2012-09-12

Radio Free Asia

A Cambodian journalist who exposed illegal logging and forest crimes involving the local elite has been murdered, police said Wednesday, after his battered body was found in the trunk of his car.

Hang Serei Oudom, 42, a reporter for the local Virakchum Khmer Daily newspaper, had been missing since Sunday afternoon and his body was found on Tuesday in northeastern Cambodia’s Ratanakiri province, said Ek Vun, the police chief for Balung City, the provincial capital.

Authorities are working to identify suspects involved in the murder of the reporter, who had recently written a string of stories about deforestation and timber smuggling in Ratanakiri, where logging and mining in recent years have taken a big toll on the environment.

“We have already collected the necessary evidence and we are investigating the case,” provincial governor Pao Ham Phan said.

Cambodian journalist found murdered: police

Photo: DAP-news

 

A Cambodian journalist who reported on rampant illegal logging in the country has been found murdered in the boot of his car, police said.

12 Sept 2012

AFP

Hang Serei Oudom, a reporter at local-language Vorakchun Khmer Daily, was discovered on Tuesday, said senior police officer Song Bunthanorm. The vehicle was abandoned in a cashew nut plantation in northern Ratanakiri province.

"It is not a robbery case. It is a murder," he said, adding the victim had suffered several blows to the head, probably by an axe.

The 44-year-old had been missing since leaving his home on Sunday evening.

Precious wood transported to Vietnam like a funeral procession

ឈើប្រណីត សំរុកដឹកចេញ តាមទូកឆ្ពោះ ទៅស្រុកយួន ដូចហែរខ្មោច

Monday, 03 September 2012
ដោយ ដើមអម្ពិល(DAP)

ហេ! ហេ! ដើមអម្ពិល ហៅចៅហ្វាយ យួន ថា យួនៗ ឲ្យពេញៗ មាត់ដែរណ៎!

រតនគីរីៈ បើទោះបីជាប្រមុខរាជរដ្ឋាភិបាល បានដាក់ចេញនៅបទបញ្ជានិងវិធានការ ឲ្យក្រសួងស្ថាប័ន សមត្ថកិច្ចគ្រប់លំដាប់ថ្នាក់ ជាពិសេស មន្ត្រីរដ្ឋបាល ឈើក្នុងការលុបបំបាត់ ការកាប់បំផ្លាញព្រៃឈើខុសច្បាប់ ។ ប៉ុន្តែជា រៀងរាល់ថ្ងៃ-យប់គេសង្កេតឃើញសកម្មភាពដឹកជញ្ជូនឈើប្រណីត ប្រភេទធ្នង់យ៉ាងគគ្រឹកគគ្រេង ខ្លាំងណាស់ដឹកតាម កាណូតចេញទៅប្រទេសវៀតណាម ហើយមិនត្រូវបានសមត្ថកិច្ចជំនាញ ស្ថាប័នពាក់ព័ន្ធ រួមទាំងអាជ្ញាធរ មូលដ្ឋានធ្វើការទប់ស្កាត់ឡើយ។

តាមប្រភពព័ត៌មានពីប្រជាពលរដ្ឋម្នាក់សុំមិនបញ្ចេញឈ្មោះ រស់នៅភូមិក្តុល ឃុំសេសាន្ត ស្រុកអូរយ៉ាដាវ ខេត្តរតនគីរី បានប្រាប់មជ្ឈមណ្ឌលព័ត៌មានដើមអម្ពិលឲ្យដឹងថា ឈ្មួញឈើប្រណីតដែលគេអះអាងថា ឈ្មោះចែ ឡន យាយសាន ដែលជាថៅកែឈើដុះស្លែរជាយូរមកហើយនោះ ដោយពួកគាត់យកលុយ ទៅប្រមែលប្រមូលទិញឈើបណ្រីត យ៉ាងអាណាធិបតេយ្យ ពីតំបន់ផ្សេងយកមកគរទុកនៅភូមិក្តុល ឃុំសេសាន្ត ស្រុកអូរយ៉ាដាវ ខេត្តរតនគីរី ដើម្បីដឹកជញ្ជូនតាមកាណូត ចុះទៅប្រទេសវៀតណាម ដោយឆ្លង កាត់សមត្ថកិច្ចជាច្រើន កន្លែងដូចជាប៉ុស្តិ៍ នគរបាលរដ្ឋបាល ឃុំសេសាន្ត ប៉ុស្តិ៍នគរបាល ប៉ុស្តិ៍យោធា ការពារព្រំដែនច្រក ភូមិភិ ស្រុកអូរយ៉ាដាវ ខេត្តរតនគីរី។

Displaced villagers isolated, emaciated

Residents in Sre Chhouk village have found themselves marooned between two large land concessions and have to bargain for permission to access their own homes. Photograph: Pha Lina/Phnom Penh Post

Wednesday, 08 August 2012
Phak Seangly and Bridget Di Certo
The Phnom Penh Post

Sarorn Phi, 39, cautiously stops his moto 20 metres away from the large, signless boom gate blocking his path in Sesan district. He shuffles toward the security guard’s hut at the entrance to a sprawling Chinese rubber plantation and negotiates with the guard to enter the concession.

For Phi, and the 18 other families that live in Sre Chhouk village, Kbal Romeas commune, bargaining with security personnel has become part and parcel of life in a village literally marooned by two land concessions.

“We used to be able to come and go, but two years ago, they made a Chinese concession on this side,” Phi says, sitting under a gnarled tree near his lean-to hut. “And a Vietnamese concession on that side. We cannot go anywhere without permission.”

A village elder, Khuon Chorn, 67, said the mixed-minority ethnicity villagers had been living in the surrounding jungle ancestrally but seemed to have been completely overlooked when concessions, completely fencing them in, were granted.

Cambodian villagers speak out against corruption

Villagers address a panel of lawmakers at CCHR’s land forum in Samuth Krom village, Seda commune, in Ratanakkiri province’s Lum Phat district yesterday. Photograph: Pha Lina/Phnom Penh Post

Tuesday, 31 July 2012
Bridget Di Certo and Phak Seangly
The Phnom Penh Post

In Lum Phat district’s Seda commune, the message from villagers attending yesterday’s Cambodian Center for Human Rights’ land forum was clear: We’ve been duped.

The mixed Khmer and ethnic minority villagers said they were coerced into accepting the phenomenally low price of US$150 per hectare of land from the DM Group and other private plantation companies and were forced to thumb-print documents leaving them with effectively no legal recourse – and no land – plunging the semi-nomadic community into even greater poverty and uncertainty.

Kuch Moly, a Funcinpec lawmaker who sat on the three-person panel at the forum alongside Seda commune chief Thom Phain, rebuked villagers for filing complaints when they have already accepted compensation.

He and fellow lawmaker Ou Chanrith, from the opposition Human Rights Party who also sat on the panel, were handed a complaint thumbprinted by 29 families whose houses had been burned to the ground by the DM Group in June of last year.

Cambodia: Continued Disruption Of Community Empowerment

Monday, 30 July 2012
Press Release: Asian Human Rights Commission

A Joint Statement from the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association and the Cambodian Center for Human Rights forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)

Phnom Penh, 27 July 2012 -- The Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) and the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) condemn the disruption of a training session on land rights jointly organized in Rattanakiri province this morning. ADHOC and CCHR call on all public authorities to put an end to intimidation of human rights workers and to comply with Cambodia’s obligations by upholding citizens’ rights to free expression and assembly.

At 8:30am on 27 July, as villagers gathered in a house in Patang village, Patang commune, Lumphat district, three commune police officers, one provincial police officer, the Village Chief, the Commune Chief and the Deputy Commune Chief knocked on the door and demanded that the meeting be discontinued. They argued that they received orders from provincial authorities and that the meeting organizers failed to satisfy notification requirements.

Mr. Pen Bonnar, ADHOC’s Provincial Coordinator, ignored the orders and proceeded with the meeting. Fifteen minutes later, two additional police officers were sent by the district authorities. One of them carried an M-16 assault rifle. Considering this threat and in view of the attendees’ physical safety, ADHOC and CCHR decided to stop the meeting. Upon their departure, Patang Commune Chief accused ADHOC of engaging in incitement activities. Pen Bonnar now intends to file a complaint for defamation against Patang Village Chief. CCHR staff were told by police that if they did not leave the area, their security would not be guaranteed.

Cambodian 'sorcerers' damned to exile

Villagers accused of sorcery sit at a house in Saleav village in Ratanakkiri province. Photograph: David Boyle/Phnom Penh Post

Ra Chorm Veuch, 44, smokes a pipe at her family’s home in Saleav village, in Ratanakkiri province. She and her family had to leave nearby Khoun village after being accused of sorcery. Photograph: David Boyle/Phnom Penh Post

Tuesday, 19 June 2012
May Titthara and David Boyle
The Phnom Penh Post

The women of Saleav village burst into hysterical, indignant laughter at the suggestion that they eat human flesh or uncooked meat, as they nurture their young – children condemned to grow up as exiles.

Tucked away in a remote area of Rattanakkiri’s Bakeo district, for more than two and a half decades, accused sorcerers have been banished to this barren outpost by various indigenous minority groups whose belief in the occult still thrives.

“I am so angry when they said that my village is a sorcerer village. I am not eating human, blood or uncooked meat; I am eating food just like other people do,” 17-year-old Ramas Voeun says, holding her baby in a krama.

More economic land concession request in Ratanakiri ... more forced evictions to come?

Dam threatens livelihood of Cambodia's poor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPrgoUEWW3Q

22 April 2012
Al Jazeera

The Mekong River and its tributaries are Southeast Asia’s main waterway flowing through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

There are a number of dams built in the upper Mekong basin, including five in China, to generate electricity. But a second dam on river Sesan, a tributary of Mekong, is threatening the livelihood of people in Ratanakiri area of Cambodia.

Activists say the dam will flood more than 30,000 hectares of farmland, forcing around 5,000 people to relocate and severely affect fishermen across the Mekong basin.

The government says it has conducted all the relevant environmental surveys and believes the positive impacts outweigh the negative.

Al Jazeera’s Stephanie Scawen reports from Ratanakiri.

Mu Sochua calls out Aussie mining firms

Tuesday, 17 April 2012
David Boyle
The Phnom Penh Post

Opposition parliamentarian Mu Sochua has taken aim at Australian mining companies eyeing the Kingdom’s resources, travelling to their home soil to lobby the halls of power.

Opposition party lawmaker Mu Sochua speaks during a press conference in Phnom Penh in January. Photo by Heng Chivoan

Mu Sochua cited fears that Australian companies awarded exploration concessions in Ratanakkiri and Mondulkiri provinces will treat ethnic minorities there with the same disregard they had shown to their own country’s indigenous groups.

“I cannot be in Australia and not speak about mining companies that are part of the devastation of Mondulkiri,” she said in an email yesterday.

‘The land is our life’

Toumpun villagers in Ratanakkiri light incense as part of a ceremony to protest against the loss of their land to a dam project on the Sesan River. Adam Miller

Tuesday, 06 March 2012
Maeve Galvin
The Phnom Penh Post

Indigenous peoples in the northeast are fighting to hang on to their land as private companies target the forests and resources they, and their cultures, depend on for survival.

“For us indigenous peoples, the land and the forest is like our market,” says Oreyu Train, commune chief of the indigenous Kreung Village in Ratanakkiri.

“We have no market like Khmer people. We go to the forest to collect. Our survival depends on it. We need to manage our land here if our future generations are to keep our traditions and culture alive.”

SRP Letter to the minister of Interior regarding the confiscation of SRP VCDs

ក្រុមហ៊ុន​វៀតណាម​បង្ក​ផល​ប៉ះពាល់​ដល់​ជីវភាព​អ្នក​ភូមិ​នៅ​រតនគិរី - Viet company affects the livelihood of Ratanakiri villagers

យួនចូលស្រុកហើយ!

Click here to download the song in MP3

2012-02-29
ដោយ រដ្ឋា វីសាល
RFA

Synopsis: More than 50 ethnic minority Cambodians from Andong Meas district, Ratanakiri province, are protesting to ask the provincial authority and the civil society to intervene on their behalf in the resolution of a communal land dispute. More than 100 families from Malich village, Malich commune, Andong Meas district, Ratanakiri province, indicated on 29 February that a Viet company, Veasna Investment, which received 5,000-hectare of land concession is affecting their livelihood. Su Sophat, from Malich village, said that rice fields, farmlands and dwellings belonging to the villagers have been surrounded by the Viet company and some of their farmlands have been cleared out by the Viet company in a land-grab. This situation creates difficulties to the villagers. He added that the Viet company imposed fines on the villagers when the villagers or their animals wandered into the lands claimed by the Viets. “They are using the tiger skin development tactics! Only sparse forest areas are left, they spray chemicals on them. They chopped off our ricefields! They claim they do not take our land, but they cleared off the area surrounding it, it’s as good as them taking our land. They told us that we can live in our land, but they plant rubber trees all around it. When a rubber tree is broken, they say they will fine us $500. Where do we get that kind of money?” RFA cannot find an address where the Viet Veasna Investment company is headquartered at. The Viet company’s phone number is also unknown.

ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​ជនជាតិ​ដើម​ភាគ​តិច​ជាង ៥០​នាក់ នៅ​ស្រុក​អណ្តូងមាស ខេត្ត​រតនគិរី បាន​នាំ​គ្នា​តវ៉ា​សុំ​ឲ្យ​អាជ្ញាធរ​ខេត្ត និង​សង្គម​ស៊ីវិល​ជួយ​អន្តរាគមន៍​ដោះ​ស្រាយ​បញ្ហា​ដីធ្លី​សហគមន៍។

តំណាង​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​ជនជាតិ​ដើម​ភាគ​តិច​ជាង ១០០​គ្រួសារ រស់​នៅ​ភូមិ​ម៉ាលិច ឃុំ​ម៉ាលិច ស្រុក​អណ្តូងមាស ខេត្ត​រតនគិរី បាន​ឲ្យ​ដឹង​នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​ពុធ ទី​២៩ ខែ​កុម្ភៈ ឆ្នាំ​២០១២ ថា ក្រុមហ៊ុន​សម្បទាន​សេដ្ឋកិច្ច​ប្រទេស​វៀតណាម ឈ្មោះ វាសនា អ៊ិនវេសមិន (Veasna Investment) បាន​បង្ក​ផល​ប៉ះពាល់​ដល់​ជីវភាព​រស់​នៅ​របស់​ពួក​គាត់។

ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​រស់​នៅ​ភូមិ​ម៉ាលិច លោក ស៊ូ សុផាត មាន​ប្រសាសន៍​បញ្ជាក់​ថា ដីធ្លី​ស្រែ​ចំការ ភូមិឋាន​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​បាន​ឋិត​ក្នុង​រង្វង់​ហ៊ុមព័ទ្ធ​របស់​ដី​សម្បទាន ហើយ​ផ្នែក​ខ្លះ​នៃ​ដី​ចំការ​វិល​ជុំ​របស់​ពួកគាត់ ត្រូវ​ក្រុមហ៊ុន​ឈូស​ឆាយ​ទន្ទ្រាន​យក និង​បង្ក​បញ្ហា​ស្មុគស្មាញ​ដល់​អ្នក​ភូមិ។

Villagers take hostages

Five employees of Jing Zhong Ri Cambodia Co Ltd tied up yesterday in Ratanakkiri province’s Lumphat district after a dispute with local residents. (Ratha Visal/Phnom Penh Post)

Thursday, 23 February 2012
Tep Nimol
The Phnom Penh Post

“The villagers just want to protect their land, it is not illegal”

The clearing of land for a Ratanakkiri rubber plantation had been frozen after more than 300 Tumpoun ethnic minority villagers captured a quartet of company security guards and another staffer, tied them up and held them hostage on Tuesday, company officials said yesterday.

Jing Zhong Ri Cambodia Co Ltd was granted a 70-year, 9,000-hectare “sustainable use zone” concession in Ratanakkiri’s Lumphat district in May and recently began clearing the area.

Tumpoun villagers claim the company has no right to bulldoze their farmland.

On Tuesday morning, they launched an offensive against JZR company property, tearing apart a bulldozer and another vehicle before advancing towards the company’s environmental office, Lumphat police chief Suoy Phay told the Post.

New iridescent lizard species found in Cambodia

A handout photo released by Conservation International shows a new lizard species at Ratanak Kiri province, some 600 kilometers northeast of Phnom Penh

Graphic on the new lizard species discovered in the rainforest in northeast Cambodia, Conservation International said

By AFP

A new species of lizard with striking iridescent rainbow skin, a long tail and very short legs has been discovered in the rainforest in northeast Cambodia, conservationists announced.

Scientists named the skink Lygosoma veunsaiensis to honour the Veun Sai-Siem Pang Conservation Area in Rattanakiri province where it was found, Conservation International (CI) said in a statement.

The lizard was discovered in 2010 in the remote and little-explored rainforest area during biological surveys led by Fauna & Flora International (FFI) in partnership with CI, the group said.