CCHR Human Rights Defenders Alert - Hearing in the case of seven land rights and community activists scheduled for 15 January at Siem Reap Provincial Court

Dear all,

This morning at the Siem Reap Provincial Court, the hearing in the case of the seven land rights and community activists facing charges of violent infringement on private property began as planned. Five of the seven defendants - Phin Yun, Vech Vy, Chhek Sambo, Doung Doeum and In Sin - gave their statements and were questioned by the court. Instead of continuing the hearing into the afternoon, the presiding judge took the decision to adjourn the hearing until 22 January 2013. All defendants must return to court on that date in order to hear the statements of the remaining two defendants - Pok Rin and Khim Ly - and for four defense witnesses to give their testimonies.

More than 100 villagers congregated outside the court for a peaceful demonstration in support of the seven accused.

Kind regards,

CCHR

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CCHR Human Rights Defender Alert – Phnom Penh, 14 January 2013

Hearing in the case of seven land rights and community activists scheduled for 15 January at Siem Reap Provincial Court

Siem Reap Provincial Court has scheduled the trial of seven land rights and community activists –Doung Doeum, Chhek Sambo, Vech Vy, Pok Rin, Phin Yun, In Sin, and Khiem Ly – from Banteay Srey district, Siem Reap Province, to take place on 15 January 2013 at 8:30 am. Vech Vy and his wife Chhek Sambo were detained in 2009 for six months on charges of infringement on private property through the use of violence under Article 253 of the Land Law 2001. They were later released on the basis of a lack of evidence to support the charge. However, the charge was never dropped. The case was recently resurrected by the Siem Reap Provincial Court and five other activists have been accused of the same crime.

These charges of violent infringement of private property are in relation to a land despite in Skun and Traeng villages in Tbaeng commune, which began in 2005 when the chiefs of these two villages sold 170 hectares of occupied land to businessman Oknha Seang Nam. Two hundred and twenty-two families of villagers have been protesting against the sale of this land ever since. The villagers have been extremely active and have organized many demonstrations in Siem Reap and surrounding provinces. Due to the lack of a resolution in this case, the villagers returned to the disputed land in 2008. As a result, a complaint against the villagers was filed to the court by Lun Phun, Teas Sopha, An Da Lin and Sun Thea, who had since bought the land and claimed ownership.

If found guilty, these activists could face fines of up to fifty million Riel and up to five years imprisonment. A follow up to this HRD Alert will be issued as soon as there are updates from the court.

For more information, please contact CCHR Human Rights Defenders Project Coordinator Suon Bunthoeun via telephone at +855 (0) 12 48 35 46 or e-mail at bunthoeun@cchrcambodia.org.

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The Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) is a non-aligned, independent, non-governmental organization that works to promote and protect democracy and respect for human rights throughout Cambodia. For more information, please visit www.cchrcambodia.org.