(Source Licadho) 

(Source CCHR)

  Police Attack Khmer Kampuchea Krom Monks

  On Dec 17, 2007 a peaceful demonstration organized by Khmer Kampuchea Krom monks was violently dispersed. In the morning of that day, 50 Khmer Kampuchea Krom monks gathered in front of the Embassy of the People Republic of Vietnam on Monivong Blvd in an attempt to submit a petition directly to the diplomat or the embassy's officers. This petition demanded the release of the five Khmer Kampuchea Krom monks arrested by the Vietnamese authorities of Kleang province as of Feb 22, 2007, including Venerable Tim Sakhorn arrested on Jun 30 in Cambodia and sent to Vietnam .

The embassy officials however did not agree to meet the monks, so the monks march peacefully. However the march was disrupted by a company of approximately 100 policemen equipped with guns, electric/wooden batons, and shields. Four monks were seriously injured. Some others were physically hurt by the clash between the two parties.

Source CCHR)

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Oppression of Rights and Freedom

On December 18-19, 2007 a seminar organized by ADHOC in Muoy (1) village, Labanseak commune, Banlung district of Rattanakiri province was dispersed by provincial armed forces under the command of Mr. Kham Vann, deputy commissioner in charge of justice. There were approximately 500 participants in the seminar.

Mixed armed forces were deployed to surround the house of Mr. Chhay Thy, ADHOC human rights activist who accommodated the seminar participants. The forces remained on guard until Dec 18 and threatened people not to take part in the seminar. But with strong commitments on the part of the people, the seminar was successfully held until 11:00, when Mr. Pen Bunna received a letter from the provincial hall for an audience. There was however a consensus among the participants that the march had to be going in accordance with the plan, so they were mobilized. Some held placards walking for some 20 meters from the guesthouse. Suddenly some 40 armed forces equipped with guns, rifles and two fire trucks arrived at the scene to disperse the march of 160 people.

Later on police raided the house of Mr. Chhay Thy without a search warrant and took photographs of the house.

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Ethnic Charay in Konyu Village Protest the Disruption of Authorities Against Conducting CCHR Public Forum

(Source CCHR)

On Sep 27, 2007 district police prohibited CCHR to organize an open forum in Kongyu village, Pate commune, Oyadav district of Rattanakiri province. In Konyu there is an ongoing land dispute between the indigenous Charay people with Mrs. Keat Kaynei, sister of Mr. Keat Chhon the Minister of Economics and Finance.

On Sep 27, 2007 12 uniformed policemen, with at least two AK54 rifles, were present at the scene to stop the forum from happening. These policemen were commanded by Mr. Ma Vichith, the district police inspector, who accused CCHR of not cooperating with the local authorities. He said that CCHR should have given them prior information about the event. In fact, the Center had submitted the Notification Letter to the provincial and local authorities since Sep 18, 2007, 9 days before the event. The presence of the acting chief of the commune council could prove that the information had been disseminated before the event took place. Article 41 of the Cambodian Constitution states that “Khmer citizens have freedom of expression, of press, of publication, and freedom of meeting.” During the discussion on phone with Mr. OU Virak, Mr. Ma Vichith warned that he would arrest Mr. OU Virak for the charge of igniting illegal demonstration. But no arrest was made in the end. Since there had never been disrupts in other forums the Center had organized in this same province, Mr. OU Virak argued that “this disruption is clearly a threat on freedom of expression and on ethnic people in this remote area which is inflicted with land dispute.”

Though there was disruption by the police, 100 people from 2 or 3 villages walked on a 3 kilometer path to the entry where Mr. OU Virak and two guest speakers were stopped. They walked this far just to protest the police's stoppage, initially to lift the Center's car to the forum two kilometers away. But Mr. OU Virak calmed them down and with Mr. PA Teang, director of VOD and Mr. Kith Touch, CLEC officer in the Land and National Resource Project spent roughly an hour discussing the controversial land dispute with the Charay people.

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