សេចក្តីថ្លែងការណ៍

Joint statement: After Conviction, Civil Society Demands Independent Inquiry into Murder of Kem Ley

7 min read

Phnom Penh, 23 March 2017

Three weeks after a four-hour trial hearing, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court today convicted Oeuth Ang – otherwise known as ‘Chuob Samlab’ – of the premeditated murder of prominent political analyst Dr. Kem Ley as well as illegal possession of a weapon under Articles 200 and 490 of Cambodia’s Criminal Code. Presiding judge Leang Samnat sentenced Oeuth Ang to life imprisonment.

Despite compelling evidence that Oeuth Ang was the gunman who shot and killed Dr. Kem Ley, the lack of transparency in the investigation of Dr. Kem Ley’s death, the brevity of the trial proceedings, and the failure to fully investigate motive, potential accomplices and the circumstances of Oeuth Ang’s arrest, raise serious concerns about the adequacy of this criminal process. In light of the inadequacies in the investigation into Dr. Kem Ley’s death, as well as in the trial proceedings, we, the undersigned civil society organizations, call for the establishment of an independent Commission of Inquiry into the circumstances of his murder, in accordance with international best practices.

Dr. Kem Ley was shot dead on the morning of Sunday 10 July in a petrol station café in the middle of Phnom Penh, where he was known to often have morning coffee. Oeuth Ang was arrested shortly after the shooting, about two kilometers from the murder scene, and charged with premeditated murder on 12 July. Upon his initial arrest, he gave his name as ‘Chuob Samlab’, which translates in English as ‘Meet Kill’, and confessed to the murder. He claimed it was over an unpaid debt of $3,000 – an allegation that has been widely rejected by both Kem Ley’s family and Oeuth Ang’s wife. The Ministry of Interior also publicly stated in December through a spokesperson that it, too, did not believe this was plausible. Nevertheless, the investigation into Dr. Kem Ley’s murder drew to a close in less than six months after the killing with Oeuth Ang the sole suspect.

‘Lack of independent investigations feeds into the rampant impunity inherent in Cambodia’s justice system. It is unsurprising that this engenders continuing distrust in Cambodia’s institutions,’ said Chak Sopheap, Executive Director of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR).

Throughout Oeuth Ang’s four-hour trial on 1 March, he falsely maintained that his name was Chuob Samlab, although the Court concluded that both were the same person. During testimony, he also reiterated his claim that he had shot Dr. Kem Ley over the unpaid debt. This motive was not challenged by the trial judges – who appeared satisfied to accept Oeuth Ang as the sole perpetrator – despite its total lack of plausibility and the questionable credibility of Ang’s testimony. Statements by Oeuth Ang’s family and friends in the months preceding the trial cast further doubt on this explanation. The judgment given today failed to make any references to the debt, despite Oeuth Ang’s repeated claim that this was the sole motivation for the killing.

The trial showed extracts of CCTV footage taken from the Caltex petrol station during and after the shooting, but not of the period immediately before it. Further footage that was shown at the trial showed Oeuth Ang running down a pavement on Mao Tse Tung boulevard after the shooting, followed by a motorbike carrying a man openly carrying a rifle. At one point in the footage, another large motorbike – carrying the insignia of the National Police – changes direction to follow Oeuth Ang as well. Oeuth Ang briefly jumps on this motorbike, before dismounting and continuing to run down the street. This bizarre behavior remains without credible explanation.

Oeuth Ang testified that he had met Dr. Kem Ley only once at a restaurant in Phnom Penh, arranged by an acquaintance from Thailand, who he named as ‘Pou Lis’, at which he gave Kem Ley $3,000. Oueth Ang also claimed that he had bought the gun used to shoot Kem Ley in Thailand from a Thai national called ‘Chak’. Neither man was called as a witness, although they are reported to be under investigation in relation to the case.1

A series of witnesses, mostly from the police, read out brief witness statements. There was no comprehensive cross-examination.

‘A court is supposed to be inquisitive in order to uncover the truth. But the evidence showed, and the footage the prosecution chose not to show, left us with more questions than answers, which the court did not inquire into,’ said Moeun Tola, Director of the Center for Alliance of Labour and Human Rights (CENTRAL).

‘This investigation was inadequate and the trial was a charade. We demand an independent inquiry with international assistance to investigate Dr. Kem Ley’s death, which will be the only way to achieve justice for his family and friends,’ said Naly Pilorge, Deputy Director for Advocacy at the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO).

The obligation to carry out an effective investigation, as well as to ensure that all perpetrators are brought to justice, is a crucial element of the state’s obligation to respect the right to life, enshrined in Article 32 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Cambodia is a party. In light of serious shortcomings with regards to the responsibility of the court to critically examine the evidence before it, and in order to ensure conformity with international best practices, we, the undersigned, call for the establishment of an independent Commission of Inquiry2 to investigate Dr. Kem Ley’s death. This Commission should be comprised of international experts from outside Cambodia, and have access to all available evidence, including all available CCTV footage. Given the inadequacies in the original investigation and trial, as described above, an independent Commission of Inquiry is now the only means by which to safeguard the independence and transparency of the investigation, comply with Cambodia’s obligation to fully investigate possible breaches of the right to life, and ultimately to find justice for the family of Dr. Kem Ley.

This statement is endorsed by:

92 Community
Alliance for Conflict Transformation (ACT)
Areng Valley Community
Banteay Srey Community
Beung Pram Land Community
Boeung Kak Community
Boeung Trabek Community
Borei Keila Community
Buddhism for Peace Organization (BPO)
Building and Woodworker Trades Union Federation of Cambodia (BWTUC)
Building Community Voice (BCV)
CamASEAN Youth
Cambodian Development People Life Association
Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR)
Cambodian Domestic Workers Network (CDWN)
Cambodian Food and Service Workers’ Federation (CFSWF)
Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC)
Cambodian Independent Civil-Servants Association (CICA)
Cambodian Independent Teachers Association (CITA)
Cambodian League for the Promotion & Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO)
Cambodian Labour Confederation (CLC)
Cambodian Tourism and Service Workers Federation (CTSWF)
Cambodian Youth Network (CYN)
Center for Alliance of Labor and Human Rights (CENTRAL)
Cheko Community
Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Domestic Union (C.CAWDU)
Coalition for Integrity and Social Accountability
Coalition of Cambodian Farmer Community (CCFC)
Equitable Cambodia (EC)
Farmer Association for Peace and Development (FAPD)
Former Boeung Kak Women Network Community
Highlander Association
Housing Rights Task Force (HRTF)
IFEX
Independent Democracy of Informal Economy Association (IDEA)
Independent Monk Network for Social Justice
Indigenous Youth at Brome Commune, Preah Vihear Province
Indradevi Association
Khmer Youth Association (KYA)
Koh Sralao Community
Land Community, I Village Preah Sihanouk Province
LICADHO Canada
Lor Peang Community
Mother Nature
Peace Bridges Organization (PBO)
People’s Centre for Development and Peace
Phnom Bat Community
Phum 21 Community
Phum 22 Community
Phum 23 Community
Ponlok Khmer
Prek Takung Community
Prek Tanou
Prey Lang Community
Preah Vihear Indigenous Community Network
Railway Community
Samaky 4 Community
Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT)
SOS International Airport Community
Thmor Kol Community (TK)
Toul Sangke B Community
Toul Rada Community
Trapaing Anhchanh Thmey Community
Tumnop II Community
Wat Than Youth and Monk Network

Mrs. Tep vanny is at court’s waiting room.

Joint Statement: Tep Vanny Convicted Again as Para-Police Attack Supporters

4 min read

Phnom Penh, February 2017
We, the undersigned civil society groups, condemn today’s unjust conviction and sentencing of Tep Vanny and the latest outrageous violence perpetrated by para-police against her supporters outside Phnom Penh Municipal Court.

Land activist and Boeung Kak Lake community representative Tep Vanny was convicted this morning of intentional violence with aggravating circumstances and sentenced to two years and six months’ imprisonment in relation to a protest which took place in 2013. She was also ordered to pay a fine of five million riel (about US$1,250), as well as compensation payments of four million riel (about US$1,000) to the first plaintiff and five million riel to the second plaintiff, both of whom are members of Daun Penh para-police. No evidence was provided to substantiate these compensation claims.

During her trial, which resumed this morning after nearly three weeks’ postponement, no credible evidence was presented either to justify the charges brought against Vanny or to prove that any violence whatsoever was committed against the para-police. The protest in question ended in a severely violent crackdown by police, military police and para-police against the community, leaving five individuals injured, including some with broken bones. Neither plaintiff, nor any prosecution witnesses, gave live testimony at either of Vanny’s two hearings, preventing crossexamination. Instead, the court clerk read out virtually identical statements claimed to be written by the plaintiffs and prosecution witnesses. Nevertheless, after a short deliberation Trial Judge Long Kes Phearum handed down the conviction and prison sentence. After the verdict, antidemonstration police entered the court building and attempted to physically restrain a number of Boeung Kak Lake women who had appeared as defence witnesses.
Vanny’s case is just one of three historic cases which were re-activated in August 2016 while she was awaiting trial on separate charges relating to a Black Monday protest. Since her arrest on 15 August 2016, she has spent 192 days in detention.

“Authorities are once again punishing Vanny for her activism to send a clear message to any who dare criticize the government that dissent is not tolerated in Cambodia,” said Naly Pilorge, LICADHO’s Deputy Director of Advocacy.
Throughout proceedings, from about 8.30 this morning, around 60 people gathered outside the court in support of Tep Vanny. At about 9.30am, 7 Makara district para-police violently dispersed a group of about 35 women and children from land communities across Phnom Penh who were sitting peacefully outside the court. Para-police tried to forcibly drag the supporters away from the court. When they resisted the violent removal, para-police attacked them and dragged them across the floor, injuring three women – two women from Boeung Kak Lake community and a woman from Borei Keila community.

During the violent dispersal, while a number of people shouted at the para-police to stop the violence against the women, CNRP activist Mao Socheat was singled out, and a group of about eight para-police chased him while talking into their walkie-talkies into City Mall opposite the court. The para-police surrounded him and kicked and punched him repeatedly in the face and head in plain sight of shocked shoppers. Community members intervened to protect him. Para-police forced demonstrators into the mall, and locked a number of people inside.

“Again and again, we are injured on the streets by para-police, and yet Vanny is the one falsely described as violent and sent to prison,” said Song Sreyleap, who was among those injured by parapolice today. “The justice system is totally incapable of providing justice for the people.”

We reiterate our condemnation of Tep Vanny’s baseless conviction, and demand that the perpetrators of today’s violence are brought swiftly to justice.
This joint statement is endorsed by:
1. 92 Community
2. Alliance for Conflict Transformation (ACT)
3. Banteay Srey Community
4. Beung Pram Land Community
5. Boeung Chhouk Community
6. Boeung Kak Community
7. Boeung Sralao Community
8. Boeung Trabek Community
9. Borei Keila Community
10. Buddhism for Peace Organization (BPO)
11. CamASEAN Youth
12. Cambodian Alliance of Trade Unions (CATU)
13. Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR)
14. Cambodian Domestic Workers Network (CDWN)
15. Cambodian Food and Service Workers’ Federation (CFSWF)
16. Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC)
17. Cambodian Independent Civil-Servants Association (CICA)
18. Cambodian Independent Teachers Association (CITA)
19. Cambodian Informal Economic Workers Association (CIWA)
20. Cambodian League for the Promotion & Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO)
21. Cambodian Tourism and Service Workers Federation (CTSWF)
22. Cambodian Youth Network (CYN)
23. Cambodian NGO Committee on CEDAW (NGO-CEDAW)
24. Center for Alliance of Labor and Human Rights (CENTRAL)
25. Chey Chomnas Community
26. Coalition of Cambodian Farmer Community (CCFC)
27. Collective Union of Movement of Workers (CUMW)
28. Committee for Free and Fair Election in Cambodia (COMFREL)
29. Community Peace-Building Network (CPN)
30. Community Network in Action (CNA)
31. Equitable Cambodia(EC)
32. Farmer Association for Peace and Development (FAPD)
33. Focus on the Global South
34. Former Boeung Kak Women Network Community
35. Gender and Development for Cambodia (GADC)
36. Housing Rights Task Force (HRTF)
37. Independent Democracy of Informal Economy Association (IDEA)
38. Indigenous Youth at Brome Commune, Preah Vihear Province
39. Land Community, I Village Preah Sihanouk Province
40. Land Community, Prek Chik Village, Koh Kong Province
41. Lor Peang Community
42. Mother Nature (MN)
43. Peace Bridges Organization (PBO)
44. Phnom Bat Community
45. Phum 21 Community
46. Phum 22 Community
47. Phum 23 Community
48. Ponlok Khmer
49. Prey Lang Community
50. Preah Vihear Indigenous Community Network
51. Railway Community
52. Samaky 4 Community
53. Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT)
54. SOS International Airport Community
55. Strey Khmer
56. Thmor Kol Community (TK)
57. Toul Rada Community
58. Toul Sangke B Community
59. Trapaing Anhchanh Thmey Community
60. Tumnop II Community
61. Youth Resource Development Program

Find the statement in both English and Khmer.

JOINT PRESS RELEASE – Phnom Penh, 29 January 2017 CSOs call on Appeal Court to overturn wrongful conviction of Mother Nature activists

4 min read

We, the undersigned civil society organizations (“CSOs”), call on the Appeal Court to overturn the wrongful conviction of Mother Nature activists and human rights defenders (“HRDs”) San Mala, Try Sovikea and Sim Somnang as instigators to the offence of ‘threatening to destroy property accompanied by an order’ under Articles 28 and 424 of the Cambodian Penal Code. They were convicted by the Koh Kong Court of First Instance on 01 July 2016. Their appeal will be heard on 31 January 2017.

Following a familiar pattern, the HRDs were arbitrarily denied bail following their arrest on 17 August 2015, and spent ten months and 15 days in pre‐trial detention before the remainder of their 18‐month sentence was suspended. They were also fined 2 million riel (USD $500) and ordered to pay unwarranted compensation of 100 million riel (USD $25,000) to Direct Access, the sand dredging company that filed a criminal complaint against them.

The convictions relate to the events of 26‐28 July and 12 August 2015, when the Mother Nature activists supported the local community in Andoung Teuk to protest on‐going sand dredging. This is a lucrative export trade which has caused extensive damage to the environment and livelihoods of local communities in the Koh Kong region, and the Royal Government of Cambodia (the “RGC”) has since claimed to have suspended sand dredging in the province,] largely stemming from Mother Nature’s continued activism.

The activists vehemently maintain their innocence and strongly deny making or instigating any threats to destroy property. At trial, evidence against the activists clearly failed to meet the standard of proof required for a conviction. This was based on inconclusive video clips and contradictory witness statements, many of which emanated from individuals who were not even present at the protests, and others from individuals affiliated with the dredging company. Moreover, the charges were suddenly changed at trial to characterize the activists as “instigators” rather than principal offenders, despite no other person being convicted or even investigated for the underlying offense. This sudden change violated their right to adequate time to prepare a defense, in a further violation of the activists’ fair trial rights. In addition, the unjustified and arbitrary nature of the activists’ lengthy pre‐trial detention, in acutely overcrowded and unsanitary conditions, violated the presumption of innocence, along with their right to liberty, as protected under domestic and international human rights law. Further, powerful exculpatory evidence was not given due consideration by the court despite its ready availability, suggesting that this was a politically‐motivated prosecution.

If the RGC’s recently‐stated commitment to reforming the sand dredging sector is to be taken seriously, these young environmental activists must be exonerated. Recent RGC statements have acknowledged the problems of the past. Prime Minister Hun Sen has called for authorities to crack down on the illegal extraction of natural resources, and for improvements to law enforcement, while Minister of the Environment Say Samal stated that “youths are the core force which could encourage the public to participate in the effort to protect the environment and prevent the destruction of natural resources.” If such statements are to have any substance, however, young environmental defenders such as San Mala, Try Sovikea and Sim Somnang must be lauded and protected, rather than subjected to judicial harassment.

Mother Nature has been at the forefront of exposing failures in the governance of the sand dredging sector in Cambodia, and the authorities have recently indicated a willingness to work with civil society to tackle the enormous issues plaguing the sector. Following sustained civil society efforts, on 02 November 2016 the Ministry of Mines and Energy (the “MME”) announced it had “taken steps to temporarily suspend the issuance of new licensing and sand exporting by companies by requiring companies to provide documents that are necessary to strengthen our effectiveness in controlling the sand businesses and sand exporting”. On 24 January 2017, MME spokesman Chhe Lidin reportedly recognized the need to “reassess and improve the whole process altogether”, further stating that the
ban on sand exports would remain in place “until a new process is set using multi‐stakeholders approach”, indicating a desire to cooperate with civil society to reform the sector. Further, the MME has accompanied CSOs on joint fact‐finding missions to investigate claims of illegal sand dredging, where officials assured affected communities that no illegal dredging would occur in future. While the RGC’s stated willingness to cooperate with civil society is to be welcomed, it must be based on the encouragement, rather than punishment, of grassroots environmental activism.

San Mala, Try Sovikea and Sim Somnang are not criminals; they are brave environmental defenders who have made enormous contributions to protecting Cambodia’s precious natural resources – for the benefit of all Cambodians, and future generations. In retaliation for their activism, they were convicted on politically motivated charges, which must be overturned. We call upon the Appeal Court to correct the flawed decision of the Koh Kong Court of First Instance by overturning this wrongful conviction.

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Thousands Celebrating International Human Rights Day across Cambodia

2 min read

December 6, 2016 – From December 2 until December 10, a series of 35 events across Cambodia will see thousands of people in 17 provinces and Phnom Penh celebrate International Human Rights Day 2016.

Events will largely take place in rural Cambodia, where grassroots groups including communities affected by land conflicts, youth networks, associations, and monks as well as unions and NGOs around the country will hold a series of celebrations under the theme of ‘Justice2016’. In Phnom Penh and four of Cambodia’s provincial towns – Siem Reap, Battambang, Sisophon and Sihanoukville – larger events will see groups from surrounding communities coming together to celebrate in solidarity.

Celebrations will include public forums to discuss current human rights issues, theatre performances, petitions to local authorities on local and national human rights concerns, Buddhist religious ceremony with connecting to human rights issues, and marches through provincial districts and towns.

International Human Rights Day will offer an opportunity to demonstrate solidarity, perseverance and celebration of hard-fought human rights. With less than a year to go before commune elections – and as repressive laws are rolled out, dissenting voices silenced, and human rights defenders imprisoned – it is more important than ever to speak out against attacks on human rights. Celebrations this year will see thousands speak on issues such as free and fair elections, land rights, a living wage for workers, a free and fair judiciary and an end to attacks on fundamental freedoms.

‘Laws are being used to stifle us, imprison us and silence us,’ said Tim Malay, President of Cambodian Youth Network (CYN). ‘Youth are the future of Cambodia, and we need a future in which human rights are celebrated and upheld by the powerful as well as the poor.’

Despite a year of consistent attacks on democracy and civil society, the continued use of the judiciary to silence and threaten activists, and the lack of any governmental commitment to uphold land rights and labour rights, activists across Cambodia will continue to protest injustice, demand their rights and call for change.

‘We are still losing land, workers are still struggling for a living wage, and when we protest, we are imprisoned’, said Song Srey Leap, Boeung Kak Lake community representative. ‘We celebrate International Human Rights Day, but we also demand change – we want justice.’

‘Workers struggling to survive have been hit by a new Trade Union Law and other harmful laws’, said Sar Mora, President of Cambodian Food Service Workers Federation (CFSWF). ‘International Human Rights Day is a time to celebrate together, and to challenge laws which affect our lives’.

‘Our theme for International Human Rights Day this year is ‘Justice2016’ because justice is essential for peace and prosperity in Cambodia,’ said Am Sam Ath, LICADHO’s Monitoring Manager. ‘And without an independent judiciary, justice and peace are not possible’.

Friends of December 10th invite all friends and media to attend the IHRD celebrations. Please contact those listed below for more information on IHRD events in the provinces and in Phnom Penh.

For more information, please contact:
▪ Mr. Am Sam Ath, LICADHO Monitoring Manager, 012 327 770
▪ Mr. Soeung Saran, Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT) Acting Executive Director, 089 666 013
▪ Mr. Sar Mora, President of Cambodian Food Service Workers Federation (CFSWF), 016 525 781

Civil society statement: Cambodian Civil Society Condemns Outrageous Murder of Political Analyst Kem Ley

7 min read

July 11, 2016 – We, the undersigned Cambodian civil society groups, are outraged at the brutal murder of independent political analyst and grassroots organiser Kem Ley yesterday morning, and call for a prompt, thorough and independent inquiry into his death.

Kem Ley, 46, was shot twice, in his chest and his head, in a heavily-frequented Caltex petrol station cafe in central Phnom Penh shortly before 9.00 on Sunday morning.

A suspect was arrested shortly after the shooting, about two kilometers away from the murder scene. Upon arrest, the man identified himself as “Chuob Samlab”, which translates in English as “Meet Kill”. He confessed to the murder, which he claimed was over an unpaid debt of $3,000. Chuob Samlab – whose name police have said is probably an alias – will appear in court today.

A growing number of people gathered outside the petrol station where Kem Ley’s body remained after the shooting before thousands began a procession marching across the city to bring him to Wat Chas pagoda, on Chrouy Changvar peninsular, on Sunday afternoon. By the time they reached the pagoda, about seven kilometres away, the march had swelled to around 5,000 people, including monks and local communities.

“We are shocked and grieving at Kem Ley’s murder,” said Tep Vanny, Boeung Kak Lake community representative. “He stood up for human rights and justice and a better Cambodia, and now we in turn demand for justice for him, his family and all Cambodian people.”

The murder comes days after Kem Ley spoke on a radio talk show on popular broadcaster Radio Free Asia about a recent report from London-based international organisation Global Witness.

International organisations, numerous Phnom Penh-based embassies, and UN experts have condemned the murder. A statement released yesterday by Cambodia’s Ministry of Interior warned against national and international communities “delivering unconfirmed information which could potentially mislead the public”. Earlier today, Prime Minister Hun Sen also urged the public not to treat the murder as political.

Political tensions are rising in Cambodia ahead of commune elections in 2017 and national elections in 2018. It it is imperative that the investigation surrounding Kem Ley’s murder be conducted with the utmost transparency if it is to be credible and diffuse misunderstandings, which would impact on the chances of upcoming elections to be free and fair.

Cambodians must be free to participate in democracy without fear

“Cambodians must be free to participate in democracy without fear,” said Naly Pilorge, Deputy Director of Advocacy at LICADHO. “His assassination is a big loss for democracy in Cambodia and we demand swift action, beginning with a full independent investigation using international experts, to achieve justice.”

In 2014, Kem Ley founded grassroots group Khmer for Khmer, which aimed to increase democracy among political parties. A year later, the group began the Grassroots Democratic Party (GDP). Kem Ley had no part in the leadership of the new party, but he remained an outspoken political analyst and government critic. He leaves a wife, who is five months pregnant, and four children.

“Kem Ley was a vibrant leader who inspired thousands of community activists through his work,” said Sahmakum Teang Tnaut executive director Ee Sarom. “Everyone who knew him is shocked at his brutal murder, and will miss his independent and original ideas.”

“Kem Ley was a brave and outspoken critic of the government, and now his voice has been silenced. His murder might be an attempt to intimidate other critical voices, but Cambodian people will continue to express our opinion, exercise our freedoms and speak out,” said Moeun Tola, executive director of labour rights NGO CENTRAL.

Political analysts, wherever they fall on the political spectrum, must be able to carry out their peaceful and legitimate work without fear of violence and intimidation.

We reiterate our condemnation of this act, and demand a prompt, independent and thorough investigation, including a forensic examination by an independent and expert pathologist, so that Kem Ley and his family can receive justice.

This statement is endorsed by:

1. 92 Community
2. Alliance for Conflict Transformation (ACT)
3. Areng Valley Community (AC)
4. Banteay Srey Community
5. Banteay Srey Organization (BSO)
6. Beung Pram Land Community
7. Boeung Chhouk Community
8. Boeung Kak Community
9. Boeung Trabek Community
10. Borei Keila Community
11. Buddhism for Peace Organization (BPO)
12. Building and Wood Workers Trade Union (BWTUC)
13. Building Community Voice (BCV)
14. CamASEAN Youth
15. Cambodia Development People Life Association (CDPLA)
16. Cambodian Alliance of Trade Unions (CATU)
17. Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR)
18. Cambodian Center for Independent Media (CCIM)
19. Cambodian Domestic Workers Network (CDWN)
20. Cambodian Food and Service Workers’ Federation (CFSWF)
21. Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC)
22. Cambodian Independent Civil-Servants Association (CICA)
23. Cambodian Independent Teachers Association (CITA)
24. Cambodian Indigenous Youth Association (CIYA)
25. Cambodian Informal Economic Workers Association (CIWA)
26. Cambodian Labour Confederation (CLC)
27. Cambodian League for the Promotion & Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO)
28. Cambodian NGO Committee on CEDAW (NGO-CEDAW)
29. Cambodian Tourism and Service Workers Federation (CTSWF)
30. Cambodian Youth Network (CYN)
31. Center for Alliance of Labor and Human Rights (CENTRAL)
32. Cheko Community
33. Chey Chomnas Community
34. Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Domestic Unions (C.CAWDU)
35. Coalition for Integrity & Social Accountability (CISA)
36. Coalition of Cambodian farmer Community (CCFC)
37. Collective Union of Movement of Workers (CUMW)
38. Committee for Free and Fair Election in Cambodia (COMFREL)
39. Community Legal Education Center (CLEC)
40. Community Peace-Building Network (CPN)
41. Equitable Cambodia(EC)
42. Farmer Association for Peace and Development (FAPD)
43. Former Boeung Kak Women Network Community
44. Gender and Development for Cambodia (GADC)
45. Housing Rights Task Force (HRTF)
46. Independent Democracy of Informal Economy Association (IDEA)
47. Independent Monk Network for Social Justice (IMNSJ)
48. Indradevi Association (IDA)
49. Khmer Youth Association (KYA)
50. Land Community, I Village Preah Sihanouk Province
51. Land Community, Prek Chik Village, Koh Kong Province
52. Lor Peang community, Kampong Chhnang Province
53. Mother Nature (MN)
54. Peace Bridges Organization (PBO)
55. Phnom Bat Community
56. Phum 23 Community
57. Ponlok Khmer
58. Prek Takung Community
59. Prek Tanou Community
60. Prey Lang Community
61. Railway Community
62. Samaki 4 Community
63. Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT)
64. SOS International Airport Community
65. Strey Khmer
66. Thmor Kol Community (TK)
67. Toul Sangke B Community
68. Trapaing Anhchanh Thmey Community
69. Tumnop II Community
70. Wat Than Monk Network

PDF: Download full statement

City for Children – Celebrating International Children’s Day in the Urban Poor Settlements of Phnom Penh

4 min read

In celebration of the 67th International Children’s Day 1 June 2016, local urban NGO Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT), in partnership with People in Need (PIN), will be holding a “City for Children” event for children and parents in Village Khor, Chrang Chamres II, Phnom Penh.

The event will be held at on Wednesday 1^st June 2016, at “Vihea Thom” (the Large Mosque) at Kilometer 09, in Village 3, Sangkat Chrang Chamres Mouy, Khan Russey Keo, Phnom Penh from 8 am to 11 am.

STT and PIN are holding this half-day event for 100 children and their parents from Village Kor, an urban poor village in Chrang Chamres II, Phnom Penh. Children living in the 340 urban poor settlements identified by STT’s 2014 research report, The Phnom Penh Survey, are subject to poor living conditions, such as poorer quality or lack of access to water supply, sanitation, sewage, and power. According to research published by PIN and last year, every third child in the urban poor communities is undernourished and are smaller, weaker and do worse at school (if they attend one) as a result. This event encourages children to think about their urban living environment through discussions about their “ideal city” which they will then create through drawings.

“This event is an opportunity for these children to bring their aspirations for their home to life through fun activities. It is also means that these children are learning from an early age that they can have a voice in the development of their city.” Mr EE Sarom, Executive Director, STT

In 2016 STT, PIN, UPWD and the Open Institute launched the second phase of the collaborative “City for all – Human Rights Based Spatial Planning” project funded by the EU delegation in Cambodia and the Czech Development Agency. This three-year project promotes a rights-based approach to urban development. Currently the project works with village Kor in the area of Chrang Chamres II, where communities live under threat of eviction. In the coming years the project will also work with villages in the Boeung Tompoun area. The project works with communities and local authorities to provide residents with assessments of their legal tenure claims, and to develop new urban plans for onsite upgrading to make the land use more effective, while avoiding involuntary resettlement.

“International Children’s Day is an opportunity to reflect on the rights and well-being of children, especially those living in urban poor communities in Phnom Penh. Poor living conditions and the risk of eviction threaten those rights. The Human Rights-Based Spatial Planning project is an important step towards putting the rights of all Phnom Penh residents at the centre of urban development.” Mr EE Sarom, Executive Director, STT

In addition to the on-the-ground work carried out in urban poor communities, the “City for All – Human Rights Based Spatial Planning” project engages students in Phnom Penh in a “Spatial Planning Lab”. This involves a series of workshops and lectures such as Disaster Risk Sensitive Land Use Planning, Human Rights Based Spatial Planning, Gender and Spatial Planning etc., to help future urban planners consider the importance of a rights’ based approach to the development of Cambodia’s capital city. PIN and UPWD will also conduct assessments to identify the most disaster prone areas and the local capacity to cope with disasters and suggest a set of appropriate mitigation measures.

For additional information please contact:

Mr SAO Kosal, Technical Programme Manager, STT: 017 555 887 (Khmer, English)

Mr SASIN Piotr, Country Director, PIN: 011 676 331 (English)

Download document here.

Civil Society Condemns Escalating Intimidation of Human Rights Defenders

0 min read

May 10, 2016 – Yesterday’s detention of eight human rights workers and activists was an egregious violation of the right to freedom of expression in Cambodia, civil society groups said today. The detentions, which followed the pre-trial detention of four other rights workers and an election official last week, highlight an alarming surge in the Cambodian government’s latest campaign of intimidation against civil society.

Download document in English and Khmer.

Civil Society Condemns Charging of Human Rights Defenders

1 min read

May 2, 2016 – We, the undersigned human rights and other civil society organisations, condemn in the strongest terms the politically-motivated charging of six human rights defenders from a Cambodian human rights group, the country’s National Election Committee (NEC) and the United Nation’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNOHCHR). The targeting of these individuals, five of whom were sent to pre-trial detention today, is the latest escalation in a far-reaching government assault on civil society ahead of upcoming local and national elections, and is a clear reprisal for support provided by rights workers in a politically-sensitive case.

Download documents in English and Khmer.

CSOs call upon authorities to immediately cease harassment of human rights defenders

1 min read

April 29, 2016 – We, the undersigned civil society organisations, strongly condemn the summonsing and interrogation of civil society members for conducting vital and legitimate activities to protect human rights. This amounts to an outrageous misuse of the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) as a political tool to attack and intimidate civil society.April 29, 2016 – We, the undersigned civil society organisations, strongly condemn the summonsing and interrogation of civil society members for conducting vital and legitimate activities to protect human rights. This amounts to an outrageous misuse of the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) as a political tool to attack and intimidate civil society.

Download document in English or Khmer

JOINT STATEMENT: CSOs declare support for Mother Nature and condemn crackdown against the organization

0 min read

Phnom Penh, 14 February 2016

In response to the latest unjust charges brought against three further members of the environmental non-governmental organization (“NGO”) Mother Nature, we, the undersigned civil society organizations (“CSOs”), declare our support for Mother Nature, and condemn the Royal Government of Cambodia (“RGC”)’s crackdown on the organization and Cambodian civil society in general.

Download document in Khmer or English :

Civil Society Strongly Condemns Violence Against Demonstrating Bus Drivers

5 min read

Joint Organizations

February 6, 2016 – We, the undersigned civil society groups, strongly condemn this morning’s violence by members of the Cambodia for Confederation Development Association (CCDA) against protesting bus drivers and their supporters, as well as the woefully inadequate police response, call for the release of two men arbitrarily arrested and demand an investigation into the violence.

The brutal violence erupted this morning following a protest by bus drivers from the Cambodian Transport Workers Federation and their supporters from Cambodia Informal Worker Association. The incident has left at least 14 people injured, including protesting bus drivers and their supporters, one human rights monitor and one police officer. One individual suffered an arm fracture while many others have facial injuries from blows to the head.

At about 9.40am some of the 50 protesters, who had been demonstrating near the office of Capitol Tours Bus Company in Phnom Penh since 8am, attempted to block a bus from leaving the station. About 50 supporters of CCDA, many dressed in black clothing and wearing helmets, moved in to “protect the bus” and a stand-off ensued. Shortly after, some members of CCDA, wielding hammers, metal bars and sticks, charged into the crowd, savagely beating and kicking the demonstrating bus drivers and their supporters. A number of anti-demonstration police joined in the beatings, while other police and CCDA members tried unsuccessfully to stop the violence.

The police then pushed back the bus drivers and their supporters and arrested one bus driver and one tuk-tuk driver, who was beaten in the process. They remain in detention, and could face charges. No members of CCDA were arrested, despite CCDA members openly attacking bus drivers and supporters with hammers and metal bars.

Following the attack, the bus drivers and supporters marched to two local police stations to lodge a complaint against the violence. At both stations, entrances were barred and police present refused to accept the complaint. Eventually anti-demonstration police arrived and dispersed the demonstrators.

“People were being beaten on the streets by armed thugs this morning, and the police made minimal efforts to stop it,” said LICADHO Technical Coordinator Am Sam Ath. “No one responsible for today’s attack has been arrested for the violence perpetrated by both thugs and the anti-demonstration police themselves.”

Capitol bus drivers have been protesting for around two months after the dismissal of 45 bus drivers, who claim they were fired after trying to form a union. Following a request by City Hall that Capitol consider rehiring the drivers, the protesters temporarily halted demonstrations on January 26, only to resume again on February 1 after Capitol ignored City Hall’s request.

The CCDA, a small tuk-tuk and motodop association, claim that bus drivers’ protests are disrupting the tuk-tuk trade around Capitol bus station. The CCDA do not represent bus drivers and have no formal connection to the dispute. In September 2013, two participants in a CCDA protest reported to the media that they had been promised money to participate, and had no knowledge as to what the protest was about.

“Today’s outrageous violence shows that workers cannot engage in public demonstrations without risk of arbitrary arrest – or even threats to their lives. It is further stark evidence of the authorities enabling and using utterly disproportionate violence with total impunity, in order to intimidate and disperse demonstrating workers,” said Moeun Tola, executive director of CENTRAL.

We reiterate our condemnation of the violence in the strongest possible terms, call for the immediate release of the arbitrarily detained victims and demand a prompt, independent and transparent investigation into today’s events.

1. Boeung Kak Lake Community (BKL)
2. Building and Wood Workers Trade Union Federation of Cambodia (BWTUC)
3. CamASEAN Youth’s Future (CamASEAN)
4. Cambodian Alliance of Trade Unions (CATU)
5. Cambodian Center for Independent Media (CCIM)
6. Cambodian Committee for Women (CAMBOW)
7. Cambodian Domestic Worker Network (CDWN)
8. Cambodian Food and Service Worker Federation (CFSWF)
9. Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC)
10. Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC)
11. Cambodian Independent Teachers Association (CITA)
12. Cambodian Labour Confederation (CLC)
13. Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO)
14. Cambodian Tourism and Service Workers Federation (CTSWF)
15. Cambodian Transport Workers Federation (CTWF)
16. Cambodia Informal Worker Association (CIWA)
17. Cambodian Youth Network (CYN)
18. Center for Alliance of Labor and Human Rights (CENTRAL)
19. Cheko Community
20. Cambodia Legal Education Centre (CLEC)
21. Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Domestic Unions (C.CAWDU)
22. Coalition of Cambodian Farmer Community (CCFC)
23. Equitable Cambodia (EC)
24. Farmers Association for Peace and Development (FAPD)
25. Gender and Development for Cambodia (GADC)
26. Highlander Association (HA)
27. Independent Democracy of Informal Economy Association (IDEA)
28. Independent Monk Network for Social Justice (IMNSJ)
29. Phnom Bat Community
30. Prek Takung Community
31. Prek Tanou Community
32. Prey Sala Thmey Community
33. Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT)
34. 92 Community

For more information, please contact:
▪ Mr. Moeun Tola, CENTRAL Executive Director, 066 777 056
▪ Mr. Am Sam Ath, LICADHO Technical Coordinator, 012 327 770

Joint Letter to US Secretary of State John F. Kerry

1 min read

Phnom Penh, January 25, 2016

Dear Secretary Kerry,

We, the undersigned Cambodian civil society groups, urge you to call on the Royal Government of Cambodia to commit to upholding human rights and democratic obligations as a condition of strong and prosperous relations with the United States of America. During your visit to Phnom Penh ahead of the US-ASEAN special summit at Sunnylands we request you to consider the numerous actions of the Cambodian government that clash with the fundamental values of the United States of America and are harmful to the rights of Cambodian citizens and the economic growth of Cambodia.

Boeung Kak Lake: government should address serious human rights violations

2 min read

For immediate release

Boeung Kak Lake: government should address serious human rights violations

International organizations call the Government of Cambodia to ensure that development in the area is conducted according to internationally recognized standards

New York, June 1, 2015. The International Network for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR-Net) sent a letter on May 15, 2015 to the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia to express serious concern over the conditions faced by the families living in the Boeung Kak Lake, especially those related to flooding, drainage, and infrastructure upgrading.

“The forcible evictions that took place to clear the area surrounding Boeung Kak Lake constitute serious violations of human rights and have been found to be prima facie incompatible with the requirements of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights”, said Chris Grove, ESCR-Net director.

The letter, endorsed by more than 220 organizations and 50 individuals in 70 countries, also denounces that some of the remaining families in the Boeung Kak Lake area have been excluded from the land registration process and continue to lack security of tenure, while low-income households that have received title to their homes are required to comply with urban construction regulations, making them vulnerable to future evictions.

“We note with concern that several thousand families were reportedly displaced from their homes in the Boeung Kak Lake area after accepting inadequate compensation under extreme duress, and that many have since become impoverished as a result”, Grove said.

ESCR-Net called on the Government of Cambodia to provide legal security of tenure to all remaining families in the area and to provide financial and technical assistance to households to upgrade their housing standards, consistent with the newly adopted National Housing Policy.

Finally, the letter call to ensure that the development around the Boeung Kak Lake area is conducted according to internationally recognized standards and does not violate the human rights of affected communities.

The complete letter is available at http://goo.gl/tjOJ6I

About ESCR-Net

The International Network for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR-Net) connects more than 270 NGOs, social movements and activists from 70 countries around the world, offering a strategic exchange and collective advocacy to build a global movement to make human rights and social justice a reality for all. For more information please visit www.escr-net.org

For more information

EE Sarom (English/Khmer)

Executive Director, Sahmakum Teang Tnaut

sarom@teangtnaut.org

Eang Vuthy (English/Khmer)

Executive Director, Equitable Cambodia

vuthy@equitablecambodia.org

Sergio Rozalén (English/Spanish).

Communications Coordinator. ESCR-Net.

srozalen@escr-net.org

City For Children

4 min read

Media Advisory – 28th May 2015
City for Children – Celebrating International Children’s Day in the Urban Poor Settlements of Phnom Penh

Local urban NGO Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT) in partnership with the Czech development NGO People in Need (PIN) are holding the “City for Children” event, as an opportunity to celebrate the 66th International Children’s Day on Monday 1st June in in 4 urban poor villages of Phnom Penh.

The event will be held at on Monday 1st June 2015, at “Vihea Thom” (the Large Mosque) at Kilometer 09, in Village 3, Sangkat Chrang Chamres Mouy, Khan Russey Keo, Phnom Penh from 8 am to 11 am.

Conditions for children living in urban poor settlements (of which there are 340 according to STT’s Phnom Penh Survey published in 2014) are affected by the lower rates of provision of public amenities, including supply of water, sanitation, sewage, and power. According to research published by PIN and Unicef earlier this year, every third child in the urban poor communities is undernourished. These children are smaller, weaker and do worse at school (if they attend one) than children which have access to balanced diet and safe water supply and sanitation.

In 2014, STT and PIN launched the collaborative project “City for All – Human Rights Based Spatial Planning” funded by the EU delegation in Cambodia and the Czech Development Agency, with the aim to promote a rights’ based approach to urban development. The project works with four villages in the area of Chrang Chamres Mouy, which are situated on the banks of the Tonle Sap river, where due to lack of tenure security, communities live under threat of eviction. The project works with the communities and local authorities to provide residents with assessments of their legal tenure claims, and to develop new urban plans for onsite upgrading to make the land use more effective, while avoiding involuntary resettlement.

Amongst other community strengthening exercises of the project, such as mapping and enumeration workshops, STT and PIN are holding this half-day event for 100 children and their parents from the four villages (Village I, II, III and Village Khor) at the above location. The event encourages children to think about their urban living environment, by giving them the opportunity to discuss and draw what their ideal city would look like.

“In our experience, inviting children and their parents to attend an event focused on children’s vision of their ideal houses and city helps a lot with the involvement of the community as a whole in our participatory mapping and infrastructure upgrading project”, says Mr Ee Sarom, Executive Director of STT. “With 10 years working in urban poor settlements, STT has witnessed again and again how children are affected by poor living conditions, which are often worse in the case of forced resettlement. We hope this event can help raise awareness of the importance of our children’s place in the city.”

In addition to the on-the-ground work carried out in Chrang Chamres Mouy, the “City for All – Human Rights Based Spatial Planning” project engages students in Phnom Penh in a “Spatial Planning Lab”. This involves a series of workshops and lectures such as Disaster Risk Sensitive Land Use Planning, Human Rights Based Spatial Planning, Gender and Spatial Planning etc., to help future urban planners consider the importance of a rights’ based approach to the development of Cambodia’s capital city.

PIN has also conducted assessments to identify the most disaster prone areas and increase local capacity to cope with disasters and suggest a set of appropriate mitigation measures.

For additional information please contact:
Mr. EE Sarom, Executive Director, STT: 012 836 533 (Khmer, English)
Mr. SASIN Piotr, Country Director, PIN: 011 676 331 (English)

You can find Media Advisory in PDF in Khmer and English

Joint Statement

5 min read

April. 30, 2015, Phnom Penh

Strengthen Press Freedom to Promote Independent Media

In recent years, journalists and media workers in many parts of the world have been attacked, detained and even murdered, and publications have been censored or shut down. Such restrictions on freedom of the press stifle independent media and freedom of expression, which are fundamental to the development of democratic societies. World Press Freedom Day on May 3 should serve as a reminder to governments, media institutions and civil society of the need to work together to overcome these obstacles, and ensure that a pluralistic and independent media sector is protected. Ahead of this year’s World Press Freedom Day, we, the undersigned organizations, call on the Cambodian government, especially the Ministry of Information, the judicial system, media organizations, civil society and development partners to take the following concrete steps to allow journalism to thrive:

The Ministry of Information should create a fully transparent and independent licensing body to ensure broadcast licenses are issued fairly, promoting a plurality of voices and opinions on the nation’s airwaves; The Ministry should immediately release a listing of existing radio and television frequencies and their ownership;
The judicial system and the courts should take steps to end impunity for those who commit violence against journalists. Specifically, prosecutors should re-open investigations into the cases of12 of the 13 journalists murdered since the first democratic elections in 1993 whose cases have yet to see a conviction;
Owners and publishers of media outlets should take steps to ensure their media is independent, or free from the influence of political or business interests. Media outlets should ensure compliance to the Cambodian Journalists’ Code of Ethics;
News outlets should prioritize the transition to digital and online media, as the country’s Internet penetration increases and Cambodians turn to the Internet and particularly social media for their news;
NGOs should work to complement the Ministry of Education’s recent decision to incorporate media literacy education into high school curriculum in order to ensure that Cambodian youth have the critical thinking skills needed to differentiate between online news and rumors;
The Ministry of Information should prioritize its work on developing an Access to Information Law that will open up public information to journalists and other citizens, allowing for fact-based and investigative reporting that will benefit everyone. The government should promote the availability of public information, especially on the internet;
The national Assembly should amend the penal code to decriminalize defamation (article 305), insult (article 502), malicious denunciation (article 311) and discrediting judicial decisions (article 523) as they undermine freedom of expression.

Moreover, we affirm our commitment to work with the above-mentioned parties, if given the chance, to achieve these goals and to push for better journalism in Cambodia.

For more information, contact:

Ms. Amanda King CCIM Director of Communications 060 403 777

Ms. Chhay Chhunly CCHR Project Coordinator 017 52 80 21

Ms. Khan Sophy ACT Project Manager 092 771 446

Groups endorsing this statement:

ActionAid Cambodia Ms. Caroline McCausland, Country Director: 023 994 982.
Alliance for Conflict Transformation (ACT) Ms. Srey Sotheavy, Executive Director: 017 99 03 71
Cambodian Center for Independent Media (CCIM) Mr. Pa Nguon Teang, Executive Director: 060 409 999
Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) Ms. Chak Sopheap, Executive Director: 011 943 213
Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC) Mr. Suon Bunsak, Chief of Secretariat: 092 344 357
Community Legal Education Center (CLEC), Mr. Yeng Virak, Executive Director: 023 215 590
DanChurchAid/ChristianAid (DCA/CA) Betty Thøgersen, Country Director: 023 216 261
Diakonia Ms. Neva Thiounn, Country Director: neva.thiounn@diakonia.se
Freedom House Mr. Robert Herman, Vice President for Regional Programs: herman@freedomhouse.org
Housing Rights Taskforce (HRT) Mr. Sia Phearum, Executive Director: 012 852 325
Reporters Without Borders Mr. Benjamin Ismail, Head of Asia-Pacific Desk: asie@rsf.org
Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT) Mr. Ee Sarom, Executive Director: 012 836 533
Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) Mr. Edgardo Legaspi, Communication Officer: epl@seapa.org
Transparency International Cambodia Mr. Preap Kol, Executive Director: kolpreap@ticambodia.org

You can find PDF file in Khmer and English

Monks to Lead International Human Rights Day March

9 min read

December 2, 2014 – Over 600 human rights activists, led by monks, will march along six national roads towards Phnom Penh between December 5 and December 10, 2014, to celebrate the 66th International Human Rights Day (IHRD). Joining them will be participants from communities affected by land disputes, associations, networks, unions and NGOs, as well as villagers from rural and urban communities along the designated routes.

Along the way, in addition to advocating for human rights, participants will engage in teachings on Buddhism and human rights, question-and-answer sessions, quizzes, and poetry.

“Buddhism is a religion that defends human rights through the principles of peace, freedom, and social justice. For me, Buddha himself was a human rights defender and I appeal to all monks to stand in solidarity with human rights activists for social justice,” said Venerable Loun Sovath.

On December 10, all the marchers will come together in Phnom Penh and present petitions to the National Assembly, as well as releasing balloons and singing national songs, to inform elected lawmakers about this year’s IHRD theme, “Respecting Human Rights Leads to Peace!”

As part of this year’s IHRD event, over 300 members of indigenous communities in Ratanakiri province, in addition to monks, youths, and NGOs, will also organize an IHRD march for the first time. December 2, 2014 – Over 600 human rights activists, led by monks, will march along six national roads towards Phnom Penh between December 5 and December 10, 2014, to celebrate the 66th International Human Rights Day (IHRD). Joining them will be participants from communities affected by land disputes, associations, networks, unions and NGOs, as well as villagers from rural and urban communities along the designated routes.

Along the way, in addition to advocating for human rights, participants will engage in teachings on Buddhism and human rights, question-and-answer sessions, quizzes, and poetry.

As part of this year’s IHRD event, over 300 members of indigenous communities in Ratanakiri province, in addition to monks, youths, and NGOs, will also organize an IHRD march for the first time.

“We are very excited about the participation of all communities from Ratanakiri in this year’s march,” said Mong Vichet, Assistant Director of the Highlander Association. “Events will begin on December 3 in Ochum district, where indigenous communities will perform traditional dancing and share stories about land disputes and other human rights issues affecting their communities.”

Following the events on December 3, all participants from Ratanakiri will march to the provincial capital Banlung on December 4 and Kon Mom District on December 5, before meeting with other marches along national road 6 on December 6. Finally, they will gather at the National Assembly on December 10 to submit petitions to elected lawmakers on indigenous people’s rights.

In anticipation of this year’s event, Venerable Keo Somaly called on the government to respect human rights for all Cambodians. “Human rights defenders across Cambodia are facing increased violence, intimidation, and threats from state authorities and this must stop. I again call upon the Cambodian government to respect Buddhist law and human rights, to ensure justice, freedom, and peace in Cambodia.”

This year’s multi-day IHRD march will be made up of six groups of marchers covering seven national roads across Cambodia. The marches will begin from the following provincial locations:

– National Road 1: Kampong Trabek district, Prey Veng province
– National Road 2: Saom Pagoda, Kiri Vong District, Takeo province
– National Road 3: Dey Kraham pagoda, Dey Kraham village, Boeng Nimol commune, Chhuk District, Kampot province
– National Road 4: Phnom Pech Nil pagoda, Treng Trayueng Commune, Phnom Sruoch District, Kampong Speu province
– National Road 5: Outom Por pagoda, Rolea B’ier District, Kampong Chhnang Province
– National Road 6/7: Trapeang Preah pagoda, Prey Chhor District, Kampong Cham Province

For more information, please contact:
▪ National Road No. 1: Venerable In Puthy, Steng Meanchey Pagoda: 010 258 690
▪ National Road No. 2: Venerable Keo Somaly, Independent Monk Network for Social Justice: 070 770 575
▪ National Road No. 3: Venerable Nam Chan Then, Independent Monk Network for Social Justice: 096 6869 686
▪ National Road No. 4: Venerable Piseth Chaosenroatha, Steng Meanchey Pagod: 068 981 999
▪ National Road No. 5: Venerable Thong Narith, Neakavon Pagoda: 093 546 258
▪ National Road No. 6/7: Sum Maneth, Coalition of Cambodian Farmer Community (CCFC): 012 465 708
▪ National Road No. 7 (Ratankiri): Venerable Gim Sao Somkanh, Social Fund Organization: 098 474 792 / 017 494 324
▪ Phnom Penh: Venerable Thong Narith, Neakavon Pagoda: 093 546 258
▪ Committee in front of National Assembly, December 10, 2014 Ms. Pov Sorphea, Boeung Kak Lake: 085 462 222

PDF format: Download full statement in English – Download full statement in Khmer

New Research Calls for Inclusion of Urban Poor Renters in City Development Policies

1 min read

Local urban NGO Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT) has released its latest report, ‘The Phnom Penh Rental Housing Survey’, which investigates the situation of urban poor renters in the country’s capital. Read More

Join media statement: “Civil Society Groups Condemn Arrest and Detention of the Boeung Kak Lake Seven”

5 min read

November 12, 2014 – We, the undersigned civil society groups, condemn the arrest, detention, and conviction of the seven Boeung Kak Lake community representatives following protests outside Phnom Penh City Hall on the morning of November 10, 2014.

On Monday, seven representatives from Boeung Kak Lake community were arrested after protesting in front of city hall over alleged deliberate drainage problems under the control of city hall authorities.

Areas near the site of the former lake have suffered from extreme flooding problems after almost 20,000 people were forcefully evicted from the area in 2008. Following the leasing and filling of the former lake by Shukaku Company, owned by Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) Senator Lao Meng Khin, flooding around the community has worsened, increasing health risks and causing damage to many homes and businesses in the surrounding community.

The seven Boeung Kak Lake representatives arrested on November 10 include Nget Khun, Tep Vanny, Song Srey Leap, Kong Chantha, Phan Chhunreth – all previously arrested and convicted in 2012 in retaliation for their peaceful activism – as well as Po Chorvy, and Nong Sreng.

“The targeted arrest, conviction and sentencing of the Boeung Kak Lake community representatives won’t resolve anything, on the contrary it will further raise international awareness and solidarity for their cause,” said Ee Sarom, Executive Director of Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT). “The government needs to realize that citizens’ grievances raised through peaceful protests have to be addressed.”

After being detained overnight at the Phnom Penh traffic police headquarters, the seven representatives were taken to the Phnom Penh Court of the First Instance on the morning of November 11, where they were interviewed by prosecutor Seang Sok. Following the interviews, the prosecutor charged each representative with obstructing public traffic (Article 78 of the Traffic Law).

Following the interviews, Seang Sok ordered the accused to appear immediately before the Court of First Instance without any investigation. The trial led by presiding judge Mong Mony Sophear began at 3:30pm on November 11, less than five hours after the seven representatives were interviewed and charged by the prosecutor. By 6pm, all seven representatives were convicted and received a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a US$500 fine each.

“This once again demonstrates how the judicial system continues to be abused in order to intimidate activists with a complete lack of accountability,” said Naly Pilorge, Director at the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO). “The arrest of all seven representatives today is extremely worrying, especially when taking into account the fact that five of them were previously jailed for peaceful activism.”

The following civil society groups agree to support this statement:
1. Banteay Srey Community (BS)
2. Boeung Kak Lake Community (BKL)
3. Borei Keila Community (BK)
4. Building Community Voices (BCV)
5. Building and Wood Workers Trade Union Federation of Cambodia (BWTUC)
6. Cambodia’s Independent Civil Servants Association (CICA)
7. Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR)
8. Cambodian Center for Independent Media (CCIM)
9. Cambodian Committee for Women (CAMBOW)
10. Cambodian Food and Service Worker Federation (CFSWF)
11. Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC)
12. Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC)
13. Cambodian Independent Teachers Association (CITA)
14. Cambodian Labour Confederation (CLC)
15. Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO)
16. Cambodian NGO Committee on CEDAW (NGO-CEDAW)
17. Cambodian Youth Network (CYN)
18. Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Domestic Unions (C.CAWDU)
19. Coalition of Cambodian Farmer Community (CCFC)
20. Community Legal Education Centre (CLEC)
21. Community Peace-Building Network (CPN)
22. Equitable Cambodia (EC)
23. Farmers Association for Peace and Development (FAPD)
24. Gender and Development for Cambodia (GADC)
25. Housing Rights Task Force (HRTF)
26. Independent Democracy of Informal Economy Association (IDEA)
27. Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Election in Cambodia (NICFEC)
28. Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT)
29. Thmor Kol Community (TK)
30. The NGO Forum on Cambodia

For more information, please contact:
• Mr. Chan PuthiSak, Boeung Kak Representative, 012-910-023 (Khmer only)
• Mr. Am Sam Ath, LICADHO Technical Coordinator, 012-327-770
• Ms. Chay Kimhorn, Borei Keila Representative, 017-522-303 (Khmer only)

Download full statement in English

Get photo from the Cambodia Daily

Joint Media Statement: “Stop Destroying Our City”

6 min read

4th September 2014

On September 02 ,2014, the Phnom Penh municipal Governor Pa Socheatvong called for the condemnation and demolition of the White Building, based on concerns about the safety of the building, stating that negotiations are underway for the resettlement of residents to the Chroy Changva district.

We, the undersigned groups, call for a full independent building safety audit assessment, with results to be made available to the affected families and civil society. The results of this assessment should inform a public consultation with the White Building residents and civil society regarding a development plan for the site.

We also call for the reconsideration of the demolition of the building and resettlement of affected families, urging the Phnom Penh Municipality to consider onsite upgrading as the priority option for the White Building. The site is home to approximately 600 families, some of which have been living there since the re-settlement of Phnom Penh in 1979. To this end, Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT) and residents of the White Building have already been carrying out upgrading works – including safety upgrading to the stairwells, roof reparation, and painting of the interior communal areas.

“The Municipality must carry out onsite upgrading instead of demolishing the White Building. Phnom Penh’s heritage belongs to our capital’s residents. The City Hall should respect the residents’ right to the city.” Ee Sarom, Acting Executive Director, Sahmakum Teang Tnaut.

We hereby wish to highlight that the resettlement site under negotiation in Chroy Changva district is located in the outskirts of Phnom Penh, and the relocation of families will undoubtedly affect their livelihoods due to the decrease of income generation opportunities andseperation from essential services in the city (health and education facilities). In the undesirable case that resettlement is decided upon, we call for the Phnom Penh Municipality to follow international human rights conventions on resettlement, such as the United Nations Right to Adequate Housing.

“Without adequate housing, residents of the White Building including children, will not be able to live in decent manner. The government has an obligation to consult with both residents and civil society on development of its city.” Naly Pilorge, Director, LICAHDO

While the municipal Governor is making statements affecting 600 families, we wish to highlight that important stakeholders such as residents of the White Building community and civil society have not been consulted about this condemnation and resettlement plan. Historically, matters concerning the White Building have not been transparent – as shown by the site’s exclusion from the adjudication area for preparation of the Systematic Land Registration Process carried out in 2011 (as well as 6 communities from Tonle Bassac commune).

The situation for families’ remains uncertain as the municipality is not sharing any information. White Building resident, Keo OrRyroth, expressed the concerns of those affected: “I first heard about this decision to demolish our homes on Hangmeas TV on September 1, not through the government. I have never seen or heard of anyone coming to carry out safety checks, and I am very worried about us all having to move from here. I have lived here since 1979 and I don’t want to move – especially as the roof is fixed now and the leaks have stopped. If the majority of residents decide to leave, I will have to as well – but only with appropriate compensation allowing us to buy a new property in the city centre.”

For more information, please contact:

Mr Ee Sarom, Acting Executive Director (Sahmakum Teang Tnaut), Phone: (+855) 89 666 036, Email: sarom@teangtnaut.org (Khmer and English)

List of civil society groups who endorse the joint statement:

Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO)
Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT)
Housing Rights Task Force (HRTF)
Community Peace building Network (CPN)
Community Legal Education Center (CLEC)
Equitable Cambodia (EC)
People In Need (PIN)
Cambodian Youth Network (CYN)
Cambodian Food and Service Worker Federation (CFSWF)
Coalition of Cambodian Farmer Community (CCFC)
Independent Democracy of Informal Economy Association (IDEA)
Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR)
Building Community Voice (BCV)

You also can find the original statement here (Khmer version and English version)

Media Statement: Resettled to Poverty

4 min read

Media Statement
Jun. 4, 2013

End of the Line, a new report by Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT), reveals Phnom Penh Households relocated as part of the ADB- and AusAID-funded railways rehabilitation project have been harmed. Using resettlement expert Michael Cernea’s theoretical framework, the report shows how Project partners failed to mitigate well-established risks associated with resettlement, to the detriment of the living standards of the people affected.

Since September 2011, at least 143 Households have been relocated from along Phnom Penh’s railway tracks to Trapeang Anhchanh relocation site to make way for the rehabilitation of Cambodia’s railways. As part of their relocation package, each Household was provided a plot at the peri-urban site, as well as an individual amount of monetary compensation based on the Household’s previous structure along the railway tracks and its socio-economic profile.

STT’s new report – End of the Line – presents to date the most comprehensive assessment of socio-economic outcomes of resettlement under the Project. The original aim of the research was to survey relocated Households against Households remaining along the railway tracks, using Michael Cernea’s Impoverishment Risks and Reconstruction Model, which outlines eight key risks associated with resettlement: landlessness, joblessness, homelessness, marginalisation, increased morbidity, food insecurity, loss of access to community resources, and social disarticulation. However, it was soon discovered that a large amount of Households relocated to Trapeang Anhchanh were not living on the Project-sponsored site on a regular basis, and so a third group was added to the research.

Data presented in the report plainly shows that in the short run, Households relocated as part of the Project have been harmed. The group of 68 relocated Households residing in Trapeang Anhchanh resettlement site for at least four nights per week appears to have suffered resettlement-related harms in almost every category of risks identified in Cernea’s model. The 28 relocated Households whose coping strategy predominantly includes renting properties close to their previous homes, seem to have fared marginally better, ostensibly on account of opting not to live at the Project-sponsored site. By comparison, the living standards of the 91 Households still living along the railway tracks saw no marked change between 2011 and 2012.

“Our latest research shows that on each of eight well-known risks associated with resettlement, the Project failed to take the necessary mitigative actions, to the detriment of resettlement outcomes,” said Ee Sarom, Programmes Coordinator. “There is no question about it, Households affected by the railways rehabilitation in Phnom Penh have become impoverished and marginalised as a result.”

“Failed resettlement under the Project is particularly disappointing given that it was entirely predictable,” said Nora Lindstrom, Programme Development Manager and co-author of the report. “STT has been monitoring the railways rehabilitation project since before Phnom Penh Households were relocated; in our 2011 report Rehabilitation of Cambodia’s railways: Comparison of field data we highlighted widespread problems in compensation rates and recommended suspension of resettlement activities pending a review of resettlement plans and processes. Unfortunately, this was not taken on board.”

The findings of the report highlight a prominent need for prompt corrective action to be taken by the Royal Government of Cambodia together with the Asian Development Bank and AusAID. Specific recommendations are made to this effect, the most prominent of which include debt relief and development of income-generating opportunities, as part of a comprehensive corrective action plan developed together with the Affected Households.

“The ADB’s Involuntary Resettlement Policy demands that the living standards of Households affected by the Project are brought back to pre-relocation levels,” said Sok Lida, Research Project Manager and lead researcher. “We know that the institutions involved in the Project have to date taken some measures to address the situation at Trapeang Anhchanh, but a comprehensive action plan to address the resettlement failure is lacking.”

As the Project’s partners prepare to relocate a further 105 Households in Phnom Penh, the report also outlines valuable lessons to be learnt to improve future resettlement outcomes. Disclosure of resettlement plans and meaningful consultation on these ahead of any relocation would significantly help to prevent the kind of resettlement failures the Project has to date suffered from by strengthening transparency, information disclosure, and dialogue. In addition, participatory development of income restoration programmes and their commencement prior to relocation would allow Affected Households a greater sense of ownership of the situation, thus also contributing to better outcomes.

“We sincerely hope the Project’s implementers and funders will take our recommendations on board,” said Ee Sarom. “The report outlines valuable lessons to be learnt for future resettlement under the Railways Rehabilitation Project, but also provides concrete recommendations for improving resettlement outcomes in Cambodia more generally.”

Media Contacts:

Ee Sarom, Programmes Coordinator, +855 12 836 533, sarom@teangtnaut.org
Ms.Rebecca Linton (Eng) STT Program Advisor

E-mail: rebecca@teangtnaut.org
Tel : (+855) 16 655 146

Railways Households Submit Complaint to the IRC

7 min read

Equitable Cambodia
Sahmakum Teang Tnaut

Media Statement
May 20, 2013

Railways Households Submit Complaint to the IRC

Ninety Phnom Penh Households affected by the ADB- and AusAID-funded Railways Rehabilitation Project have today submitted complaints to the Inter-Ministerial Resettlement Committee (IRC). The complainants, comprising of both Households relocated to Trapeang Anhchanh and Households that had to demolish part of their homes along the railways, maintain that they have been harmed by the Project and seek redress. Specifically, the Households claim that they did not receive the correct compensation as outlined in the Project’s Resettlement Plan and are consequently seeking additional compensation. Complainants who remain along the railways are also seeking assurances of tenure security up until such a time as further development of the railways is due.

The Households’ complaint to the IRC follows the rejection of their complaints by the ADB Accountability Mechanism. The Households submitted complaints to the Mechanism’s problem solving function, the Office of the Special Project Facilitator (OSPF), in March 2013. The complaints, however, were determined ineligible on account of an ongoing investigation into the Project by the Mechanism’s compliance review function, the Compliance Review Panel (CRP). A November 2011 complaint to the OSPF by some 150 Households was previously found eligible; that process has recently come to a close, with the majority of the complainants receiving additional compensation to cover the shortfall between the compensation they originally received, and that which they were due under the Resettlement Plan.

“We complained to the OSPF because we saw previous complainants receive the compensation they were due,” said Luy Im, Representative of Complainants from Toul Sangke A. “When the other people complained, we were too scared to join them, and now we cannot access the OSPF process. This is very frustrating.”

“We know that most people didn’t receive the correct compensation,” said Khun Prom Sarith, Representative of Complainants from Trapeang Anhchanh. “By submitting this complaint to the IRC we trust that they will process it in the same way as the OSPF processed the other complaints.”

The lack of flexibility in the ADB’s Accountability Mechanism is the principal cause for the situation. The OSPF guidelines state that it cannot accept a complaint from the same Project if it is already being considered by the CRP, even if the complainants are different. The OSPF will also only facilitate on behalf of those Households who complain to them directly and will not consider all Affected Households.

“When the November 2011 OSPF complaint was submitted, it was requested that any remedies resulting from the process would be applied across the board to benefit all people who had been, or were likely to be, harmed by the Project. This was because many Affected Households had not been made aware of their right to complain to the Mechanism, were too scared to complain as a result of widespread threats and intimidation, or civil society actors did not have adequate resources to reach all Affected Households. In addition, we had data showing systematic downgrading of the compensation received by Affected Households,” said Nora Lindstrom, Programme Development Manager at Sahmakum Teang Tnaut. “Unfortunately, the OSPF declined to consider everyone affected, resulting in a situation where Affected Households now do not have access to the OSPF.”

The CRP complaint, submitted in August 2012, requested a parallel compliance investigation due to the initial OSPF complainants’ dissatisfaction with the problem-solving function’s processes and procedures, and its lack of focus on the Project’s overall compliance with the ADB Involuntary Resettlement Policy.

“The CRP is a completely different mechanism from the OSPF, and while it has the important function of assessing whether the ADB has violated its operational policies and procedures in formulating, processing, or implementing the Project, it does not address the issue of the correctness of compensation rates directly. That’s why simultaneous access to both functions is important,” said Eang Vuthy, Executive Director of Equitable Cambodia. “We sincerely hope however that the IRC will take these new complaints seriously and process them in a fair, transparent, and equitable fashion. This is a great opportunity for the IRC to show its competence and professionalism.”

Media contacts:

Khun Promsarith, Representative of Complainants from Trapeang Anhchanh, Tel: 077 524 790/ 088 922 3270
Ou Lun, Representative of Complainants from Phum 23, Tel: 092 234 295
Luy Im, Representative of Complainants from Toul Sangke A, Tel: 092 655 419
Ros Ly, Representative of Complainants from Toul Sangke A, Tel: 097 393 8883

Nora Lindstrom, Programme Development Manager, Sahmakum Teang Tnaut, Tel: +855 15 552 805, E-mail: nora@teangtnaut.org
Eang Vuthy, Executive Director, Tel: 855 12 791 700, E-mail: vuthy@equitablecambodia.org

Media Statement: The Boeung Kak concession should be a solution for all remaining residents

3 min read

The Boeung Kak community and the undersigned civil society groups call for the inclusion of all remaining families into the 12.44ha concession area by the former lake. A new plan unveiled today by the community shows in detail how this could be achieved in a just and equitable fashion.

On Aug. 11, 2011, Prime Minister Hun Sen signed Sub-Decree No. 183, awarding 12.44ha of the Boeung Kak lake area to the community, which since 2007 has been involved in a land dispute with Shukaku Inc., owned by CPP Senator Lao Meng Khin. Since then, 631 families have received titles for their land. However, over 70 families, whose homes are not located within the confines of the concession zone as outlined in the Sub-Decree, have been excluded.

Today the Boeung Kak community is launching a detailed plan for the inclusion of all the excluded families. Following cooperation with local urban NGO Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT) in 2012, it has been established that over 400 plots, covering more than 2ha, are vacant within the concession zone. STT’s June 2012 report Outside the Lines thus makes the case for solving the years’ long land dispute by giving each excluded household a plot within the 12.44ha area.

Since publication of the report, the Boeung Kak community has continued to work with STT to develop a more detailed plan for the inclusion of the excluded families. The plan unveiled today illustrates how excluded households with different sized plots could all be accommodated within the 12.44ha concession. The plan outlines how each excluded household in Villages 1, 6, 22, and 24 can be awarded one 64m² plot, and identifies 30 unassigned plots that can be further distributed to households who currently have larger plots and therefore require more than one plot within the concession zone. The plan also distributes a number of larger plots to 13 households from Village 1, who owned large plots of land prior to their entire village being covered in sand in 2010.

As an alternative solution, the plan also shows how the inclusion of an additional 1ha area in Village 22 to the concession would allow 18 households to stay at their current location, while housing for a further 56 households could be built in the area.

“We believe this plan presents a win-win solution,” said Chan Putisak, representative of the excluded households. “We believe the Prime Minister intended Sub-Decree No. 183 as a solution for all the remaining residents in Boeung Kak; we have now pro-actively developed this plan to make that vision reality.”

“Forty-eight of the excluded households agree with this plan; we are hereby asking the Municipality of Phnom Penh and the Royal Government of Cambodia to engage with us so that it can be implemented,” said Phann Chunreth, Representative of Village 22.

“This land dispute will be ongoing until a solution is found for all the households,” said Khek Chanraksmey, Representative of Village 21. “The households who already have titles in the concession zone fully endorse this plan, as we want to see an end to the land dispute and return to peacefully develop our community.”

Civil society actors also hope the publication of the plan will encourage all parties to negotiate for a solution.

“While this plan does not solve the problems faced by the 3,500 families already evicted from Boeung Kak, it is an eminently viable and practical solution for the excluded households,” said Ee Sarom, Programmes Coordinator at STT. “Of course there will still need to be negotiations and further development of the plan, but we hope all parties can see this as a starting point for concrete dialogue.”

“This is a no-brainer; a straight-forward solution to a long-running land dispute,” said Eang Vuthy, Executive Director of Equitable Cambodia. “Moving forward on this plan would really demonstrate the government’s commitment to solving the problems affecting its citizens.”

League of Boeung Kak Women Struggling for Housing Rights

Cambodian Food and Service Workers’ Federation (CFSWF)
Cambodian Independent of Civil-Servant Association (CICA)
Cambodian League for the Promotion & Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO)
Cambodian Workers’ Center for Development (CWCD)
Cambodian Youth Network (CYN)
Coalition of Cambodian Farmers’ Community (CCFC)
Community Legal Education Center (CLEC)
Equitable Cambodia (EC)
Housing Rights Task Force (HRTF)
Independent Democracy of Informal Economy Association (IDEA)
People’s Action for Change (PAC)
Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT)
Social Action for Change (SAC)

Media Contacts:

Chan Putisak, Representative of Village 1. Tel: 012 910 023
Tep Vanny, Representative of Village 22: Tel: 012 604 648
Ee Sarom, Programmes Coordinator, Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT), Tel: 012 836 533
Yeng Virak, Executive Director, Community Legal Education Center (CLEC), Tel: 066 777 000
Eang Vuthy, Executive Director, Equitable Cambodia Tel: 012 791 700

Concerns over long term impact of ‘pragmatic’ approach to urbanisation in Cambodia’s secondary cities

2 min read

The Urban Initiative has released a new report entitled ‘Growing Pains: Urbanisation and Informal Settlements in Cambodia’s Secondary Cities’. Read More

New research calls for more inclusive urban growth and development

4 min read

Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT) has released two new reports examining the development of Phnom Penh; ‘A Tale of Two Cities; review of the development paradigm in Phnom Penh’ and ‘Resettling Phnom Penh: 54 – And Counting?’. Read More

Losing the Plot: Rapid Assessment of Household Debt in Trapeang Anhchanh

2 min read

Local urban NGO Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT) has released a new report entitled Losing the Plot: Rapid Assessment of Household Debt in Trapeang Anhchanh. Based on interviews with 12 households relocated to Trapeang Anhchanh site as part

of the ADB and AusAID-funded railways rehabilitation, the report sheds light on one of the most tragic outcomes of what has been presented as an aid project: the unmanageable debts taken on by relocated households.