Attention to: Relevant government authorities
Phnom Penh, 07th February, 2012
Subject: The concern of civil society organizations on the situation of Borei Keila residents,
particularly women
We, Gender and Development Network (GADNet) comprised of 62 member organizations are
utterly shocked after having read the news on the Cambodian Daily February 02, 04 and 05 with the
photos illustrating an upper-half body naked woman walkingon the road in a desperate and hopeless
protest to claim the land where they had lived for long. The houses of Borei Keila residents were razed
in January and the residents were forced to leave. In the confrontation, women protesters were
persecuted by the police as some of them were beaten up, pulled, dragged, and shoved into the van.
We are completely dejected to see the plight moving on without any appropriate solution from the
government and if we look back, Cambodian women were too dignified, too reserved, and too timid to
expose themselves in public in a nude body. Their act just tells us that their depression is too much for
them to stand but to turn them shameless to take their shirt off and walk in public since they feel no
longer do they have anything to get by. We call for attention from the relevant government authorities
to seriously consider the urgent and basic needs of Borei Keila residents before the situation gets
worse and worse.
We strongly believe that the government authorities will consider the solution for Borei Keila
residents in a proper, just and urgent manner.
Sincerely Yours,
Contact person: Ms. Ros Sopheap
Secretariat of Gender and Development Network (GADNet)
Email: ed@gadc.org.kh
Tel: 012 627 857