Svay Rieng authority arrested SRP official … for collecting signatures and thumbprints to support Sam Rainsy

14 Dec 2009: Svay Rieng police try to block SRP MPs and villagers from visiting the location where Sam Rainsy uprroted border stakes in Samrong commune, Chantrea district (Photo: Uon Chhin, RFA)

18 Dec 2009
By Sok Serey
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
Click here to read the article in Khmer

This Friday, Svay Rieng police arrested Meas Som, an advisor of the Sam Rainsy Party who works in Baty commune, Bavit city, Svay Rieng province.

Nget Nara, a facilitator for the Adhoc human rights group in Svay Rieng, told RFA that Meas Som was arrested because he was collecting signatures and thumbprints to support Sam Rainsy regarding the uprooting of border stakes along the Cambodian-Vietnamese border.

Svay Rieng police could not be reached yet about this arrest.

The sister-in-law sued, the brother-in-law-judge orders the arrest of SRP activist: Svay Rieng court belongs to a private family?

Court Detains Opposition Activist

By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
01 October 2009

Svay Rieng provincial court on Thursday ruled to detain an opposition party activist after he allegedly cut the leaves from the palm tree of a neighbor in an argument over land.

Kong An, 59, a member of Svay Teap’s district council and supporter of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, was charged with destruction of property and put into custody.

A complaint was filed against him in May by Prak Sarom, who is the sister-in-law of provincial judge Pang Samon, the same judge who ordered the detention Thursday.

Pang Samon later declined to comment. Park Sarom could not be reached for comment.

Meas Kheng, deputy provincial head of the Sam Rainsy Party in Svay Rieng, said the jailing was unfair, considering an opposition complaint that a member had been held at gunpoint by a district policeman had been dismissed.

Murder attempt against SRP activist in Svay Rieng

15 April 2008
By Sophorn
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by KI-Media

The victim, a SRP activist from Chambok commune, Svay Chrum district, Svay Rieng province, expressed his concern about his personal safety after he was able to escape from a murder attempt committed against him on 12 April.

Sum Mara, the SRP activist, told RFA on 15 April that, a few days after a group of people who could be CPP members hacked him and injured his nose, as well as stabbing his head and knocked him unconscious, the same group is now re-appearing and they have been showing up around his house every day. Sum Mara said: “The culprits whom I know their identity, came to survey my house everyday. I do not dare going out of the house. I am fearful and concerned, and I only informed the party provincial leaders, they said that they will come to visit, but they haven’t yet. Even if it is the New Year period, the local authority and the police which are in charge of protecting people, under such circumstances, they should come and ask or provide protection, and ask our opinion since we are the victims. I am saying that they are discriminating (against me). By what I know, the culprits who tried to kill me, they may be connected to the local police chief also. They live right next to the police chief.”

Uy Thorn, the Svay Chrum district governor, said that he did not know about the hacking of this SRP activist. Regarding the accusation that the murder attempt against the SRP activist was politically motivated, Uy Thorn rejected this accusation: “If the commune is not taking care of this case, bring it to the district level, I am always present at the district level”

Nevertheless, Seng Mardi, a SRP official from Svay Rieng province, claimed that this is a revenge case: “By what I understand, this is a revenge case, it’s not a political case.”

On Tuesday, RFA could not obtain clarification from the Chambok commune police chief because he could not be reached by phone.

On 12 April, at about 11:30 PM, Sum Mara claimed that a group of about 50 people armed with wooden sticks, steel rods and swords, came and circled him. They said that they would kill him to shut him up because he refused to accept a bribe from the CPP to join the CPP party.

Adhoc and Licadho human rights groups officials claim that they have not investigated this case yet.

Comfrel, an organization involved with the election, indicated in its March report that during the preparation for the 2008 general election, the number of threats against political activists has doubled in comparison to 2006, and the number of personal security cases has also increased in comparison to 2006, 29 such cases were reported, including cases involving SRP activists.