The three land disputes of the day

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Activists sentenced

Wed, 6 August 2014

Chhay Channyda

Nine Prey Lang forest activists received suspended one-year prison sentences at Kampong Thom Provincial Court yesterday and were ordered to pay $1,250 to a businesswoman whose hectare of cassava they were accused of uprooting, the defendants’ lawyer said.

Yong Panith – who represents Mao Thea, 37; Meas Koeung, 20; Meas Vann, 25; Prom Suy, 68; Hem Hay, 25; Nuon Kin, 40; Duong Chay, 45; Sao Korn, 50; and Chheang Vuthy, 39 – said his clients found the decision unacceptable.

“They asked me to appeal, because the plaintiff has no evidence that they uprooted the cassava, so I am preparing documents to appeal,” he said.

Businesswoman Ol Ratha filed the complaint in 2011, but the defendants have always maintained that their role was limited to monitoring illegal logging in Prey Lang, the largest evergreen forest in mainland Southeast Asia.

“It is damn unjust,” said Mao Thea, one of the accused, adding that the nine had no money to pay compensation. “They have no proof to accuse us. Forest protectors are jailed and forest destroyers live happily.”

Ratha’s lawyer declined to comment yesterday.

Chhoum Run, a provincial monitor for Licadho, said he was worried the lawsuit was designed to intimidate activists into halting their work.

 

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Protest calls for villagers’ release

Wed, 6 August 2014

May Titthara

Dozens of residents of Kampong Chhnang province’s Lor-peang village descended on the provincial court yesterday to demand the release of two people jailed over their role in a long-running land dispute with the politically connected KDC Company.

About 70 villagers, along with members of the Independent Monks Network and the Boeung Kak community, marched some 30 kilometres towing large carts containing food and loudspeakers to Kampong Chhnang Provincial Court to demand the release of Seang Heng and Mang Yav.

“We came to demand [their] release . . . We demand the court re-examine who is right and who is wrong,” community representative Om Sophy said. “If we went by car, we would go quietly and no one would know our problems.”

The group camped out on the street last night and plans to return to the court today.

In a joint statement this week, NGOs, including the Community Peace-Building Network, of which Heng and Yav are members, condemned the arrests, which were made following claims that they caused “intentional damage” to property and injuries to KDC staff during clashes last month.

“These arrests are yet another example of an alarming pattern of arbitrary arrests and detentions of rights defenders,” it says.

A further eight villagers refused to show up for questioning yesterday.

Nhong Chanthy, Kampong Chhnang provincial investigating judge, could not be reached for comment.

Thai Hy, a KDC representative, said he was “too busy” to answer a Phnom Penh Post reporter’s questions.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY ALICE CUDDY

 

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House call on premier thwarted

Wed, 6 August 2014

Pech Sotheary

Villagers from Kratie province’s Snuol district were met by a large security presence yesterday when they descended on Prime Minister Hun Sen’s house to ask him, for the third time, to intervene in a years-long land dispute.

At about 6:30am, an estimated 100 villagers, representing 380 families, marched from the Samaki Rainsy pagoda in the capital’s Meanchey district to the premier’s house to deliver a petition calling for a solution to their ongoing dispute with Horizon Agriculture.

“We have the receipts, data and legal documents, so we do not come to protest . . . We come to demand land certificates,” villager Suon Vicheka said.

One woman was injured and another fainted as hundreds of police, armed with shields and batons, pushed them back.

At about 10am, cabinet official Pal Chandara accepted the petition.

“We cannot solve this problem here, so you should stop gathering in order to maintain public order . . . We need time to find a solution,” he said.

 

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national