Failure in the implementation of the Universal Periodic Review recommendations of Cambodia Of 2009

June 2012

 The Boeung Kak Lake Case

This report was written by the Housing Rights Task Force (HRTF), a non profit, non partisan coalition of international and Cambodian organisations and individuals committed to promoting the right to adequate housing and ending the practice of forced evictions in Cambodia. It is elaborated as an information paper to the embassies of the countries which expressed recommendations during the UPR

This document had been based on reports from HRTF and others NGOs in Cambodia, press articles,  and field work.

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For more information, please contact:

Office Address: #2A, St. 271, Sangkat Beung Tompun, Khan Meanchey, Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia.

Telephone/Fax: +855 23 996 531

E-mail address: info@hrtfcambodia.org 

P.O.Box 1247

Website: www.hrtfcambodia.org

Excellencies,

The following report made by the Housing Rights Task Force (HRTF) aims to highlight the failure and the lack of willingness of the Royal Government of Cambodia to respect and implement the recommendations made at the Universal Periodic review (UPR) of 2009.

According to the Mid term Implementation Assessment of the application of the UPR’s comments, the Cambodia accepted 138 recommendations from several countries but its action to comply to it might be define as weak. The mid term assessment released in June 2012 shows this trend. Indeed, local NGOs rated that 97 recommendations are not implemented at all, 10 are partially enforced, and only 4 are fully applied. Twenty-four recommendations were not commented in this assessment.

HRTF would like to catch your attention on this, illustrating this point with the case of the Boeung Kak Lake Community and it eviction. On top of that, on the 24th of May 2012, 15 residents of the area were sentenced to jail, from 1 year to 2 and a half yearn during an unlawful trial, after an arrest regarding the held of a peaceful protest (see video^[1]).

This analysis will be based on the UPR recommendations and will demonstrate that in Cambodia, the UPR’s advices are not considered as a priority and are not implemented. HRTF hope that this document will make you realize the precarious situation of many poor communities in the country and specially the one from Boeung Kak Lake. HRTF and Boeung Kak community need your help to secure the land situation in Cambodia and urgently need your action to release the 15 detainees, unlawfully imprisoned.

The case will be brought back to the court of Appeal, HRTF wish to call to your involvement in the monitoring of the next trial and the current situation of the «15s».

Thank you for taking into consideration our concerns.

Sincerely yours,

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^[1] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkUDHMENOSI&list=UUOrJ1nXDwVTGLW35asZ06OA&index=2&feature=plcp