Rights staffers questioned

Friday, 14 October 2011
May Titthara
The Phnom Penh Post

Two staff members of a human-rights group and a journalist had maintained their innocence in the Ratanakkiri Provincial Court while appearing on charges of incitement in connection with a long-running land dispute, rights workers said yesterday.

Adhoc provincial co-ordin-ator Pen Bonnar, Adhoc monitor Chhay Thy and Radio Free Asia reporter Ratha Visal were issued with summonses by provincial court prosecutor Luch Lao at the beginning of last month.

The incitement charges relate to a prolonged land dispute in Lumphat district involving the private rubber company DM Group, which villagers have alleged encroached on 260 hectares of their land.

Pen Bonnar and Chhay Thy left the province in July, 2009 to avoid the charges, but returned last year.

Prosecuter cries foul over 2009 broadcast

Tuesday, 06 September 2011
Tep Nimol
The Phnom Penh Post

The Ratanakkiri provincial court issued summonses to two staff from a rights group and one journalist for allegedly inciting villagers to protest against a company involved in a long running land dispute in the province, rights workers said yesterday.

Ratanakkiri provincial court prosecutor Luch Lao issued the summonses to Pen Bunna, provincial coordinator of Adhoc, Chay Thy, an Adhoc monitor, and Ratha Visal, a reporter for Radio Free Asia, they said. They were ordered to appear in the court on September 19 to answer questions over comments they made in a news broadcast in 2009.

“I respect the court’s procedures and will show up. I have no fear because I have done nothing wrong,” Pen Bunna said. His colleague Chay Thy echoed his sentiments, saying he had nothing to fear because he had done nothing wrong.

Both Adhoc workers had left the province after facing similar charges in July of 2009, but they returned last year. Ratha Visal declined to comment.

Human rights in jeopardy in Rattanakiri: UN OHCHR

Land dispute in Rattanakiri in 2008 (Photo: J.L., Cambodge Soir Hebdo)

Monday 14 September 2009
By J.B.
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French by Luc Sâr
Click here to read the article in French

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) demands for an end to harassments against human rights defenders in the province of Rattanakiri.

Because he tried to help villagers who are about to be evicted from their lands, Pen Bonnar, the coordinator for the Adhoc human rights group, as well as Ratha Visal, a reporter for Radio Free Asia, are summoned to show up in court on 14 and 15 September, respectively. The cause for the summons: alleged incitation leading to criminal enterprises, and inciting villagers to use violence and to occupy land illegally.

According to the OHCHR communiqué, Pen Bonnar and Ratha Visal led a long term fight to defend the rights of communities that saw their lands, i.e. their earnings, taken away from them. The two defenders continued their action in spite of the harassments and intimidations dispensed by the local authorities and the court. Furthermore, in August, Judge Thor Saran from the Rattanakiri provincial court, told Pen Bonnar to leave the province, otherwise, he could face lawsuits for “incitation.”

During these past few years, the central and provincial authorities have increased the number of lawsuits using “incitation” charges in order to intimidate human rights defenders who are involved helping land dispute victims, and who demand the respect of the victims’ rights, as stipulated in the Constitution, the OHCHR indicated in its communiqué.

Adhoc decided to withdraw Pen Bonnar from Rattanakiri in order to prevent any attempt against him.

Since then, alleged corruption and professional mistake by the judge have surfaced and a complaint against him is now lodged at the Supreme Council of Magistracy.

The OHCHR indicated that these practices were solely aimed at harassing Pen Bonnar and Ratha Visal, and through them, other human rights defenders as well. The OHCHR is concerned that the aim of this strategy is to restraint the fundamental freedom of assembly and expression under a climate marked by numerous unresolved land disputes.

Therefore, the OHCHR called on the local authorities to stop “all harassment and all intimidation attempts” against human rights defenders in the province. Furthermore, the OHCHR called on the local authorities to get in contact with the communities involved regarding land property problems in order to resolve them through fair and legal manners, as required by the law.