“CHRAC
Condemns Grave Human Rights Violation Committed
by the Government Authorities”
Phnom
Penh, May 28,
2012
The Cambodian Human Rights Action
Committee
(CHRAC), a coalition of 22 NGOs, condemns the serious human rights
violations
committed recently by the armed forces of the Royal Government of
Cambodia.
These forces have evicted people from their home lands; used violent
acts
against peaceful assemblies; committed extra judicial killings; caused
serious
injuries; arrested and detained citizens in custody without proper
investigation; attempted to arrest community representatives; destroyed
citizens’ properties and grabbed their land without paying fair and just
compensations.
CHRAC notes that the Government’s
authorities have failed to conduct thorough investigations into these
violations
or to seek peaceful resolutions for those cases. Moreover, CHRAC has
also noted
that in many land dispute cases, instead of defending the interests of
the
community people, the armed forces were present instead to defend the
interests
of private companies. They did not carry out their duties properly in
accordance
with current legal procedures and laws. The court, in similar cases, has
accused
and sentenced some community representatives without adequate legal
basis. Some
of these cases are highlighted below.
1-
On 24 May 2012, the Phnom Penh municipal
court issued
arrest warrants to detain 15 representatives of Boeng Kak lake community
who
were protesting the recent seizure of their land plots by Shukaku Inc
Co,
Ltd.
2-
There was a deathly shooting of a
14-year-old girl,
Heng Chantha, by the armed forces on 16 May 2012 in Kampong Damrei
commune,
Chhlong district, Kratie province during a displacement mission by the
authorities which provoked a protest. None of the authorities have taken
responsibility for the shooting. As another result of the displacements,
8
protesters were arrested and put in jail while another five still face
the
possibility of being arrested. This is an example of an extra-judicial
killing
case.
3-
Mr. Chhut Wuthy, the President of
Environmental and
Natural Resource Protection Organization, was shot dead on 26 April 2012
when he
entered into a logging place, prohibited by the armed forces, in order
to
collect information in Koh Por village, Bak Khlorng commune, Mondul
Seima
district, Koh Kong province. As of yet, no full and proper investigation
has
been conducted by the authorities to find perpetrators to bring to
trial.
4-
Three garment factory workers were shot and
injured
by a Government official while protesting to demand a resolution to
their labor
rights violation in Bavit city, Svay Rieng province on 20 February 2012.
This
case was considered an intentional assault, but the provincial court did
not
properly investigate into this case and instead the prosecutor alleged
that the
perpetrator had unintentionally assaulted the workers. The perpetrator
has still
not been arrested.
5-
On 18 January 2012, the armed forces fired
on a group
of people who were protesting for the proper resolution of their land
cases
against TTY Co, Ltd in Snuol district,
Kratie province.
As a result, 4 people were
seriously injured. This case shows another act of violence committed by
the
armed forces on peaceful protests in Cambodia.
CHRAC would like to urge the
Royal
Government to stop using violent acts against peaceful demonstrations,
to
immediately investigate all extra-judicial shooting cases, and to demand
the
immediate release of 15 Boeng Kak residents in detention as well as
other
citizens who were arrested on land-related reasons. We also call for the
authorities to stop arresting community representatives due to land
issues and
to begin immediate steps toward bringing those
who are responsible for shooting
cases to trial. This must be done in order to improve Cambodia’s image
as the
current Chair of the Association of South East Asian Nations (“ASEAN”).
Further information, please
contact:
Mr. Ny Chakriya
Chief of Investigation Unit of ADHOC Tel:
011 274 959
Mr. Sok Sam Oeun
Executive Director of CDP
Tel: 012 901 199
Mr. Mak Chamroeun
President of KYA 
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