Promoting the CNRP in Kampong Thom province with MP Son Chhay

Leaders from the SRP and HRP are traveling around the country to promote the Cambodia National Rescue Party following the inauguration of the party's Headquarters on 11 September 2012.

SRP MP Son Chhay and Mr. Som San Doeun from HRP traveled to Baray district, Kampong Thom province where hundreds of people turn up to listen and wish the new party to win next year's general election.

Watchgroup discovers illegal logging

Prey Lang forest activists set up camp on a patrol conducted last November. Photograph: supplied

Tuesday, 14 August 2012
Mom Kunthear
The Phnom Penh Post

An expedition to expose illegal logging uncovered about 50 hectares of clear-felled forest yesterday that activists from the Prey Lang Community Network have filmed and photographed to lobby government officials, a group representative said.

Chum Yin said more than 60 villagers had travelled to seven villages in three communes of Kampong Thom province’s Sandan district, unimpeded by authorities and police as they documented the alleged forest crimes.

“We stopped at the place about 10 kilometres from the beginning of the jungle because we saw new trees had been cut, but we did not see the wood over there,” he said, adding they did not know which company was to blame, but still collected evidence to send to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

អ្នក​ក្រយា​ដែល​ត្រូវ​បណ្តេញ​ចេញ កំពុង​ប្រឈម​នឹង​ការ​ដាច់​បាយ

អ្នក​ភូមិ​ក្រយា​ដេក​ព្យា​បាល​នៅ​មន្ទីរ​ពេទ្យ​​ព្រះ​កុសុមៈ​ម្សិល​មិញ​​​​។ រូបថត​ វី​រៈ

Wednesday, 01 August 2012
ម៉ៃ ទិត្យថារ៉ា
The Phnom Penh Post

កំពង់ធំៈ ប្រជា​ពលរដ្ឋ​ដែល​ភាគ​ច្រើន ជា​អតីត​គ្រួសារ​យុទ្ធជន​ពិការ ប្រមាណ ៦០០ គ្រួសារ ​នៅ​ក្នុង​តំបន់​ថ្ម​សំលៀង ដែល​ត្រូវ​បាន​អាជ្ញាធរ​ប្រើ​កម្លាំង​បណ្តេញ​ចេញ ពី​ទីតាំង​ចាស់ ​នៅ​ក្នុង​ឃុំ​ក្រយា​ ស្រុក​សន្ទុក កាល​ពី​ឆ្នាំ​ ២០០៩ ដើម្បី​យក​ដី​ប្រគល់​ទៅ​ឲ្យ​ក្រុមហ៊ុន​វៀតណាម ​ដាំ​កៅ​ស៊ូ​នោះ​ នៅ​ពេល​នេះ កំពុង​ប្រឈម​មុខ​នឹង​ការ​ដាច់​បាយ ដោយ​សារ​តែ​អាជ្ញាធរ មិន​បាន​ចែក​ដី​ស្រែ​ ដី​ចម្ការ​ជូន​ពួក​គាត់​ ទៅ​តាម​ការ​សន្យា ​អស់​រយៈ​ពេល​ជិត​ ៤ ឆ្នាំ​មក​ហើយ​។

ស្ថាន​ភាព​ទុក្ខ​លំបាក​នេះ ត្រូវ​បាន​អ្នក​ភូមិ​អធិប្បាយ​ថា អាជ្ញាធរ ខេត្ត​កំពង់ធំ បាន​រុញ​ច្រាន​ពួក​គាត់ ឲ្យ​ធ្លាក់​ទៅ​ដល់​ចំណុច​សូន្យ ដូច​កាល​ពី​ក្រោយ​ឆ្នាំ​ ១៩៧៩ វិញ ​តាម​រយៈ​ការ​រឹប​អូស​យក​ដី​ស្រែ​ដី​ចម្ការ​ពួក​គាត់ ទៅ​ឲ្យ​ក្រុមហ៊ុន តាន់​បៀន របស់​វៀតណាម ដោយ​ពុំ​បាន​ផ្តល់​សំណង​សមរម្យ​និង​ទាន់​ពេលវេលា។

ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ ១៧៥០ គ្រួសារ​ ត្រូវ​អាជ្ញាធរ បណ្តេញ​ឲ្យ​ទៅ​រស់នៅ​ទីតាំង​ថ្មី​នៅ​ក្នុង​ខែ​ធ្នូ ឆ្នាំ ២០០៩​ ដើម្បី​យក​ដី​ប្រគល់​ឲ្យ​ក្រុមហ៊ុន​វៀតណាម។

Starvation lingers in Kampong Thom [-This is as bad as the KR regime!!!]

Yan Kim Hon (L), who fell ill after drinking unclean water, rests at Preah Kosamak Hospital in Phnom Penh yesterday. Photograph: Vireak Mai/Phnom Penh Post

Wednesday, 01 August 2012
May Titthara
The Phnom Penh Post

The villagers of Kampong Thom’s Thamasamlieng village are being asked for patience, but after nearly three years of broken agreements, health woes and food shortages that one rights group says has led to starvation deaths, that patience is wearing thin.

In December 2009, a lease granted to a Vietnamese rubber firm forced 1,750 families living on a social land concession to move from their homes in Santuk district’s Kraya commune.

Families, many with disabled members, had legally settled in the commune since 2005, an arrangement that came to a sudden stop with the granting of Tin Bean Rubber’s 75-year lease.

Last week, the displaced families sent 602 letters to the cabinet of Prime Minister Hun Sen asking for intervention, urging the government to grant the one-hectare of farmland legally entitled to each of them, instead of the current a 20 x 40 metre plot they now hold.

Men charged in bulldozing protected forest

Two men charged with encroachment on protected land exit Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday. Photograph: Meng Kimlong/Phnom Penh Post

Thursday, 26 July 2012
The Phnom Penh Post

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday charged two government officials and four farmers from Kampong Thom province’s Stoung district with encroachment onto protected land after they allegedly bulldozed a flooded forest that was designated as a protected fish hatchery, police and NGO officials said.

Hang Thol, deputy commander of Kampong Thom’s provincial military police, said that on Tuesday, authorities arrested Cheat Sivutha, director of Kampong Thom’s Department of Water Resources and Meteorology, and Sam Proch, the local village chief, along with farmers Meng Phally, Chum Teav Thav Tum, Theang Thea and Kim Leng for destroying the markers denoting the protected land’s boundaries, then converting it to reservoirs and irrigation canals for rice farming.

Kampong Thom Official Arrested for Bulldozing in Flooded Forest

(All Photos: CEN)

 

Authorities say the suspect, Cheat Sivutha, worked with villagers in Sam Proch commune, Stoung district, to bulldoze a portion of the forest.

26 July 2012

Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer

PHNOM PENH - Local authorities have detained the head of Kampong Thom province’s meteorology department and five villagers on charges they destroyed part of a protected flooded forest in the province.

Authorities say the suspect, Cheat Sivutha, worked with villagers in Sam Proch commune, Stoung district, to bulldoze a portion of the forest. Among the arrested was Ngeang Poul, chief of the commune. They were taken into custody by military police on Tuesday.

An estimated 10,000 hectares of flooded forest, which surrounds the Tonle Sap lake in the heart of the country, have been destroyed, despite a government ban. Authorities began a crackdown last month.

Along the road to Kampong Thom - Photo by Theary Seng

Ready to go spread the message of "Change!" in Kampong Thom

SRP points fingers over campaign interference

Tuesday, 22 May 2012
Meas Sokchea
The Phnom Penh Post

Only four days into the commune election campaigning period and complaints of campaign interference are already flowing, NEC legal department director Keo Phalla said yesterday.

Keo Phalla said that as of Sunday, the commune elections commission had received seven complaints, with two of those in Banteay Meanchey and one each in Kratie, Pursat, Svay Rieng, Kampong Chhnang and Kampong Speu.

Opposition Sam Rainsy Party officials in Kampong Thom yesterday said they were also filing a complaint in Prasat Balang district’s Doung commune today.

Sun Chanthy, Kampong Thom SRP secretary, said the party was filing a complaint against the Commune Election Committee president Pa Bunthorng, who they allege has been gate-crashing their campaign meetings and challenging members to fistfights.

គណបក្ស សម រង្ស៊ី ខេត្តកំពង់ធំ ត្រូវបានប៉ុនប៉ងរំខានដោយគណៈកម្មការខេត្តរៀបចំការបោះឆ្នោត

អាជ្ញាធរ​ខេត្តកំពង់ធំ មិន​អនុញ្ញាត​ឲ្យ​សមាជិក​ព្រឹទ្ធសភា​គណបក្ស​សមរង្ស៊ី ដឹកនាំ​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ ធ្វើបាតុកម្ម តវ៉ា ​ថ្លៃ​អគ្គិសនី​

ថ្ងៃទី 14 ឧសភា 2012
ដោយ: លីនណា​
Cambodia Express News

ភ្នំពេញ: ​អាជ្ញាធរ​ខេត្តកំពង់ធំ បានចេញ​លិខិត បដិសេធ មិន​ឲ្យ​សមាជិក​ព្រឹទ្ធសភា​គណបក្ស​សមរង្ស៊ី ដឹកនាំ​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ ធ្វើបាតុកម្ម តវ៉ា លើ​បញ្ហា​អគ្គិសនី ដែលមាន​តម្លៃ​ខ្ពស់ និង​ដាច់​ជា​ញឹកញាប់​។ ប៉ុន្តែ​អាជ្ញាធរ សន្យាថា នឹង​ជួបពិភាក្សា​រក​ដំណោះស្រាយ​។ រីឯ​សមាជិក​ព្រឹទ្ធសភា​គណបក្ស​សមរង្ស៊ី បាន​យល់ស្រប និង​ប្រកាស​ផ្អាក​បាតុកម្ម​ជា​បណ្តោះអាសន្ន​។​

​លោក សោម សុផាត អភិបាលរង​ខេត្តកំពង់ធំ បានធ្វើ​លិខិត ចុះ​ថ្ងៃទី​១១ ខែឧសភា ឆ្នាំ​២០១២ ជូន​ប្រធាន​ក្រុមប្រឹក្សា​គណបក្ស​សមរង្ស៊ី ខេត្តកំពង់ធំ ឲ្យ​ផ្អាក​ការធ្វើ​បាតុកម្ម​ដោយ​សន្ដិវិធី ប្រឆាំងនឹង​ការ​ដាច់​ចរន្តអគ្គិសនី​ប្រើប្រាស់ នៅ​ថ្ងៃទី​១៦ ខែឧសភា ឆ្នាំ​២០១២ នៅមុខ​ការិយាល័យ​អ្នកតំណាងរាស្ដ្រ សង្កាត់​កំពង់ធំ ក្រុង​ស្ទឹងសែន​។

Complaints filed but no charges in cop shooting

Tuesday, 24 April 2012
Meas Sokchea
The Phnom Penh Post

The brother of a man shot twice in the leg by a police officer last Wednesday during a dispute in Kampong Thom’s Baray district is demanding to know why charges have yet to be filed.

The 27-year-old victim, Ros Socheat, was involved in an argument on Wednesday night, when Sralao commune police officer Sieng Malay arrived on the scene, kicked the victim in the stomach and shot him twice in the left leg with an AK-47 before fleeing the area, the victim’s brother told the Post yesterday.

The brother, Ros Mao, said that the man his brother was fighting with was personal friends with Sieng Malay and called him to the scene for help, where the officer shot his brother.

Villagers take sawmill to task

Hundreds of activists partol Prey Lang forest for illegal loggers yesterday. Photo by May Titthara

A large pile of illegally cut timber awaits processing yesterday in Kampong Thom province’s Sandan district. Photo by May Titthara

Thursday, 29 March 2012
May Titthara
The Phnom Penh Post

Ouch Sam On, deputy governor of Kampong Thom province, dismissed the villagers’ claims that the trees had been felled illegally.

He said Seng Saravuth had a licence from the government to cut down the trees and “would not dare” to log illegally.

Kampong Thom province - Villagers patrolling Prey Lang forest claimed yesterday that about 600 resin trees they found inside a sawmill in the Kampong Thom province had been cut down illegally – an allegation government officials quickly denied.

After resistance from police and soldiers monitoring their actions this week, the villagers, a group of about 500 patrolling on some 250 motorbikes, were granted access to the Seng Saravuth sawmill company in Sandan district’s Meanrit commune after requesting to see the company’s licence.

Villager representative Chum Yin said the group, which comprises villagers from four provinces, had been shocked to see hundreds of resin trees inside the sawmill they suspected had been illegally cut down.

“I was very sad when I saw all those resin trees inside the company – there was about 600 trees,” he said.

COMFREL Release the Result of Workshop on Voter's Voice in Tum Ring, Sandan, Kampong Thom province

Dear all,

COMFREL is please to release its press release on the result of workshop on voter's voice in remote areas; Tum Ring commune, Sandan district, Kampong Thom province was held on March 21, 2012.

The voter voice workshop on “Determining Priority Needs in Remote Area” will give a space to local voters for taking part discussion or suggestion, what they necessarily need in their provinces. The results will combine into a report for reminding and promote commune development, especially will bring into political party policies in next coming elections.

Please see the attached document for details.

FYI : If you need releases or articles related to workshop on voter's voices, elections reforms, democracy/political reforms, decentralization and governance, please feel free to visit our website : www.comfrel.org

Best regards,

COMFREL


http://www.box.com/s/ce9d86039b2f8d11b543

Threat on SRP commune council candidate in Kampong Thom

Drought woes for Kampong Thom farmers

Tuesday, 20 March 2012
Khouth Sophakchakrya
The Phnom Penh Post

Agricultural officials and farmers in Kampong Thom province are increasingly worried about the adverse effect that a severe drought is having on more than 200 hectares of rice crops.

Ou Bosphorn, director of the provincial agricultural department, told the Post yesterday that due to an unusually low amount of rain for this time of year, rice farmers in the high land area were experiencing a severe water shortage.

“Currently, more than 200 hectares of dry rice in Stuong district is experiencing drought,” the provincial director said.

His department is working to alleviate the problem by transferring excess water in low-lying areas, but it still was not enough to meet the needs, he added.

Villagers to police logging in Prey Lang [-Incompetence of Hun Xen's regime's cops?]

Monday, 19 March 2012
Chhay Channyda
The Phnom Penh Post

More than 600 villagers from four provinces and civil society organisation officials would em­bark on the largest community crackdown yet on the “anarchic logging” of Prey Lang forest in Kampong Thom, representatives said yesterday.

Undeterred by authorities’ reprimands of their previous “jungle justice”, representatives said the crackdown would begin today and continue until the end of the month.

“We are going into the forest because villagers see activities of tremendous illegal logging everyday,” Chhim Savuth, public forum co-ordinator for the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights, said.

SRP Candidate in Kampong Thom threatened with land and house confiscation

12 March 2102
The Free Press Magazine
Translated from Khmer by Soch
Click here to read the original article in Khmer

A SRP candidate for the commune election in Thnot Chum commune, Baray district, Kampong Thom province, was threatened by the court with confiscation of his land and house which he lived and owned since 1979. The SRP said that this is a political threat with the approaching commune election.

A letter authored by SRP MPs and the leader of the SRP council from Kampong Thom province indicated that on 21 February 2012, the Kampong Thom provincial court issued an order to Suy Sim, the SRP Thnot Chum commune candidate, to move his house out of the land he owned and currently lives on by 05 March 2012.

The SRP letter confirmed that Suy Sim owned and lived on his land since 1979 and he owned a confirmation letter issued by Pol Dum, the Thnot Chum commune chief, by Siv Kim, the No. 2 Thnot Chum commune councilor, by Ho Saran, the Thnot Chum administrative office director, as well by all the villagers from Thnot Chum No. 2 village. Furthermore, he owns a family book and a Cambodian ID which was issued by the Kampong Thom provincial police in 2004 and the provincial governor in 2007.

The SRP considered this case as a new political threat on one of its activists in Thnot Chum commune at a time when the commune election is fast approaching.

Souvenir from Kampong Thom on Friday 09 March 2012

(Photo courtesy of Theary Seng)

Prey Lang protectors warned

Villagers burn wood confiscated from illegal loggers in Prey Lang forest last month. Photo Supplied

Thursday, 08 March 2012
May Titthara
The Phnom Penh Post

Member of the Prey Lang Network said yesterday that Ouch Sam On, the deputy governor of Kampong Thom province, had told them he would not be responsible if they were shot while protecting Prey Lang forest.

Kim Cheng, 50, a member of the network, said villagers would not obey an order to stay out of the forest and would continue patrolling for illegal loggers.

“Ouch Sam On threatened villagers and told us we were not allowed to patrol anymore,” he said.

“Maybe he is cooperating with businessmen who are illegally cutting trees, so he is afraid our patrols will expose his interest.”