Beating initiated by one of Hun Xen's 2-star bodyguard general: Caught on video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTW7VyzbMG4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qAQkPJeVnE

Railway evictees step up fight

Evictees strike in front of ADB in Phnom Penh. Photo by Heng Chivoan

Monday, 09 April 2012
Chhay Channyda
The Phnom Penh Post

Evictees of the national railway rehabilitation project are stepping up pressure on the Asian Development Bank, submitting a petition to the funder today about violence at the relocation site a week after a similar complaint on livelihoods was filed.

Ros Bopha, representative of about 160 families relocated to Por Sen Chey district’s Trapaing Anchang village, said clashes on Thursday between residents of the area and the evictees had injured nine – two seriously.

Village chief Chan Sinara had been angered when evictees invited doctors from rights group Licadho without informing him, she said.

He had banned the doctors from visiting villagers and used inappropriate words towards Ros Bopha, she added.

Oakland's Cambodian community holds anti-violence march

A large group from the Cambodian community march through Oakland to speak up against community violence in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, March 31, 2012. The event also featured safety tips and a speech from Oakland Mayor Jean Quan and other public officials. (Doug Duran/Staff)

A large group from the Cambodian community march down International Boulevard to speak up against community violence in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, March 31, 2012. The event also featured safety tips and a speech from Oakland Mayor Jean Quan and other public officials. (Doug Duran/Staff)

Carlos Cordova, 17, left, and Mona Chhit, 19, both of Oakland, hold a large sign as they lead a march through Oakland to speak up against violence in the Cambodian community in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, March 31, 2012. The event also featured safety tips and a speech from Oakland Mayor Jean Quan and other public officials. (Doug Duran/Staff)

Pysay Phinith, of Berkeley, left, Assistant Project Director for the Asian Community Mental Health Services, talks to Oakland Mayor Jean Quan before the start of the Cambodian community's march to speak up against community violence in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, March 31, 2012. The event also featured safety tips and a speech from Mayor Quan and other public officials. (Doug Duran/Staff)

Dancer Malena Rim. 14, of Oakland, left, gets some help with her outfit from Kong Kolap, of Oakland, for a blessing dance before the start of the Cambodian community's march to speak up against community violence in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, March 31, 2012. The event also featured safety tips and a speech from Oakland Mayor Jean Quan and other public officials. (Doug Duran/Staff)

April 1, 2012
By Alan Lopez
Contra Costa Times (California, USA)

OAKLAND -- Almost 40 years after the Khmer Rouge unleashed a genocide in Cambodia, natives to that country in Oakland still feel the aftershocks.

Violence is plaguing the community of about 2,700, with shootings, robberies and thefts occurring weekly, say community organizers.

The problem of violence in the Cambodian community is exacerbated by mental health problems and a fear of speaking out, which affects refugees of the 1970s Cambodian genocide, said Talaya Sin, a research assistant with Cambodian Community Development Inc.

"I'm scared, to be honest," said Sin, whose extended family members have been the victims of violence. "It doesn't feel safe (in Oakland)."

The Oakland Cambodian Community March 4 Peace held Saturday was meant to bring Oakland Cambodians together and quell the violence.

Interview with Dr. Sok Touch regarding the recent violence in Cambodia

Dr. Sok Touch (RFA)

18 march 2012
By Tang Sarada
Radio Free Asia

In the past 3 months, the situation in Cambodia is turning into intense violence between the cops or the local authorities and the population regarding land disputes and protests led by workers on their salary demand.

Some analysts believe that the social atmosphere is “fragile” and could lead to social unrest. However, others believe that the situation in Cambodia could not reach to that boiling point but they recognize that the legal system is not civilized at all.

Please listen to Tang Sarada’s interview of Dr. Sok Touch regarding the upheavals in Cambodia during the past few months.

Click the control below to listen to audio program:

Click here to download the audio program in MP3

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... When you push a growing fraction of your population towards hopelessness, its not good for stability

Porcelain Factory in Kampong Cham, after the violence exploded. (Heng Chivoan/Phnom Penh Post)

Employees for a Chinese company involved in land-grabbing in Ratanakiri were taken hostage (Photo: The Phnom Penh Post)

Violent protest in Borei Keila

Protesters try new tactics

Monday, 27 February 2012
David Boyle and Chhay Channyda with additional reporting by Bridget Di Certo
The Phnom Penh Post

Pen Bunnar, Ratanakiri provincial coordinator for rights group Adhoc, said the public’s trust in judicial and government impartiality when mediating land disputes had completely collapsed.

Rocks were hurled, fires lit, hostages taken and the message delivered in no uncertain terms last week: Cambodians are increasingly willing to use violence against companies that intimidate them or ignore their demands.

Twice – in Svay Rieng and Kampong Cham provinces – garment workers pelted factories with rocks, shattering windows and ultimately bringing companies to the negotiating table.

In Ratankkiri, ethnic Tumpoun villagers took matters further, abducting four security guards and another employee working for a rubber company, holding them hostage and parading them for the cameras until Jing Zhong Ri Cambodia Co Ltd agreed to halt – at least temporarily – the bulldozing of their land.

The dangerous lesson these people seem to be learning is simple: if the courts and the authorities will not help them, they can get results through force.

ដំណោះស្រាយ​បញ្ហា​ក្នុងស្ថានភាព​«អង្ករក្លាយ​ជាបាយ»​ - "A day late and a dime short" resolution by Hun Xen's regime

ការ​ប្រឈម​មុខ​ដាក់​គ្នា​​ងាយ​ណាស់​​នឹង​នាំ​ដល់​​អំពើ​​ហិង្សា​ (ស៊ីវ​ ចាន់ណា)

ពុធ 22 កុម្ភៈ 2012
ដោយ ប៉ែន បូណា
Radio France Internationale

ការ​បាញ់​ប្រហារ​ទៅ​លើ​កម្មការិនី​រោងចក្រ​ដែល​ធ្វើ​បាតុកម្ម​ទាមទារ​សិទ្ធិ​នៅ​ឯ​ទីក្រុង​បាវិត​ខេត្ត​ស្វាយរៀង​កាលពី​ថ្ងៃ​ចន្ទ​គឺជា​ឧទាហរណ៍​ថ្មី​បំផុត​ចុងក្រោយ​មួយ​ទៀត​ដែល​ជា​លទ្ធផល​នៃ​ភាព​​យឺត​យ៉ាវ​ក្នុង​ការ​ដោះស្រាយ​បញ្ហា។ ​ប៉ុន្តែ ​បន្ទាប់ពី​អំពើ​ហិង្សា​បាន​កើត​ឡើង​ភ្លាម​ ការ​ទាម​ទារ​របស់​កម្មករ​ត្រូវ​បាន​ដោះស្រាយ​ភ្លាមៗ​ដែរ។ ​ចំណែកឯ​ក្រសួង​សមត្ថកិច្ច​នានា​ក៏​បញ្ចេញ​ប្រតិកម្ម​យ៉ាង​លឿន​រហ័ស​ដើម្បី​សម្រួល​សភាពការណ៍។ ​យ៉ាងណា​ក៏ដោយ​ គេ​មិន​អាច​ប្រែ​ក្លាយ​បាយ​ឲ្យ​ទៅ​ជា​អង្ករ​វិញ​បាន​ឡើយ។ ​តើ​អ្វីទៅ​ជា​ដើមហេតុ​បណ្តាល​ឲ្យ​ផ្ទុះ​ហិង្សា​ជា​បន្តបន្ទាប់​បែបនេះ?

ការ​បាញ់​ប្រហារ​ទៅ​លើ​អ្នកភូមិ​ដែល​តវ៉ា​រឿង​ដីធ្លី​ក្នុង​ខេត្ត​ក្រចេះ​មិន​ទាន់​ទាំង​ដោះស្រាយ​ចប់​ផង ​ករណី​បាញ់​ប្រហារ​មួយ​ទៀត​ទៅ​លើ​ក្រុម​កម្មការិនី​អ្នកតវ៉ា​នៅ​ខេត្ត​ស្វាយរៀង​ក៏​បាន​ កក្រើក​ឡើង​ម្តង​ទៀត។ ​កម្មការិនី​៣​នាក់​បាន​រង​របួស​ធ្ងន់​ដោយសារ​គ្រាប់​កាំភ្លើង​របស់​ជន​ប្រដាប់​អាវុធ។ ​ព្រឹត្តិការណ៍​នេះ​អាច​ឆ្លុះ​បញ្ចាំង​បាន​នូវ​ទិដ្ឋភាព​ច្រើន​យ៉ាង​នៅ​ក្នុង​សង្គម​កម្ពុជា​បច្ចុប្បន្ន។


ទិដ្ឋភាពទី១៖ ​អាវុធ​នៅតែ​ជា​ឧបករណ៍​ដ៏គ្រោះថ្នាក់​និង​ត្រូវ​បាន​គេ​ប្រើប្រាស់​បាន​យ៉ាង​ងាយ​នៅ​គ្រប់​ស្ថានភាព។ ​ត្រង់​ចំណុច​នេះ​ គេ​គួរ​កត់សម្គាល់​ថា ​ក្រោយ​ការ​ផ្ទុះ​អាវុធ​ទៅលើ​ក្រុម​កម្មករ​ ភាព​ច្របូក​ច្របល់​បាន​កើត​ឡើង។ ​ទាំង​សមត្ថកិច្ច​ ទាំង​កង​សន្តិសុខ​ក្រុមហ៊ុន​សុទ្ធតែ​អះអាង​ថា​ ខ្លួន​មិន​បាន​បាញ់​ទៅ​លើ​កម្មករ​ទេ។ ​ពួកគេ​បែរ​ជា​ទម្លាក់​ទំនួល​ខុស​ត្រូវ​ទៅ​លើ​ជន​មិន​ស្គាល់​មុខ​ថា​ជា​អ្នក​បាញ់​ទៅ​វិញ។ ​ទោះជា​ដោយ​ចេតនា​ឬ​អចេតនា​ក្តី​ បញ្ហា​នេះ​អាច​ស​បញ្ជាក់​ឲ្យ​ឃើញ​ថា​ ការ​គ្រប់​គ្រង​អាវុធ​គឺ​ជា​រឿង​ធូរ​រលុង​ដែល​មិន​គួរ​បណ្តែត​បណ្តោយ។

Three shot as B’bang protest turns violent

One of three injured protesters who was shot in Battambang province yesterday is helped to the hospital.

Tuesday, 13 December 2011
Meas Sokchea
The Phnom Penh Post

A fight over a confiscated camera led to armed guards opening fire with AK-47s and seriously injuring three protesters in Battambang province’s Phnom Proek district yesterday, a victim said.

Speaking from a hospital bed, Soeng Heang told the Post that about 200 people from Phnom Proek district had gathered to protest against the measuring of disputed land by government officials and representatives of developer Suon Mean Sambath Company.

Soeng Heang, who was recovering after being shot in the thigh, said authorities were in the process of seizing the land and measuring it for redistribution to Suon Mean Sambath Company, a move that angered residents and left them without compensation.

ILO Assails Unsolved Union Murders

By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
19 December 2008

The International Labor Organization has renewed criticism of Cambodian authorities for their failure to solve the murders of union leaders, according to a report by an ILO committee obtained by VOA Khmer.

The report details the killing of union leaders Chea Vichea and Ros Sovannareth, who were killed in 2004, and Hy Vuthy, killed in 2007, among others.

The killings signified “a climate of violence” and a “serious obstacle to the exercise of trade union rights,” the ILO said.

The report also cited the prison sentences of Born Samnang and Sok Samoeun, two men held for the killing of Chea Vichea but widely believed innocent.

Interior Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Khieu Sopheak said the police were at the service of the courts in making arrests and said the ILO was acting as a “victim.”

The fresh criticism comes as Cambodia’s garment industry is facing a slowdown along with the global economy and as the Supreme Court is set to hear the case of Chea Vichea’s murder, Dec. 31.