Cambodia - Harassment and intimidation of members of Cambodian Center for Human Rights during fact-finding mission

Original post from [ASEANcats] Cambodia 

13 November 2012

Cambodia - Harassment and intimidation of members of Cambodian Center for Human Rights during fact-finding mission

On 30 and 31 October 2012, members of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR)’s Land Reform Project Team were harassed and intimidated by police and military officials during a mission to collect information about the resolution of a land conflict. The CCHR is an independent non-governmental organisation working to promote democracy and respect for human rights in Cambodia.

The team had come to Thlao village, in Banteay Mean Chey province, on 29 October 2012 in order to gather information on the resolution of a local land conflict which revolved around a private company, Cheat Aphiwat Co. Ltd., reportedly obtaining an illegal land concession. The Land Reform Project Team, consisting of project coordinator Mr Vann Sopath, Mr Steven Kremer, Mr Nget Savy and Ms Nou Chansokunthea, interviewed villagers and surveyed the area. It is believed that a villager with close ties to local officials and the company reported the team’s presence to the authorities.

On the second day of the mission, local police and military officers and a student volunteer from a government land-measuring programme approached the team and subjected them to a lengthy and detailed questioning regarding their activities. Later on, the officials continued to make their presence felt by circling the team on motorbikes and keeping a close watch on their activities.

Villagers were also interrogated, and in other ways discouraged from giving interviews to the CCHR staff. A community representative was questioned by a military commander, and a local woman tried to discourage villagers from talking to the team by first claiming that it was unnecessary, as the land was already being demarcated by the aforementioned student group. She proceeded to warn them that they were risking losing their land titles, or jeopardising those that had yet to be given out, by cooperating with the CCHR staff.

It is reported that the team’s work was not compromised by these attempts as most of the work had already been done on the first day, and some villagers cooperated with them even after these events. Nonetheless, the CCHR has identified a growing trend in the disruption of peaceful and legitimate activities carried out by the organisation. An example of this is the summoning of CCHR President Ou Virak and several other Cambodian human rights defers for questioning in relation to their work on land rights, less than a month before these events. Front Line Defenders issued an appeal on their behalf on 19 October 2012.

Front Line Defenders urges the auhorities in Cambodia to:

1. Carry out an immediate, exhaustive and thorough investigation into the intimidation and harassment of the abovementioned members of the CCHR, as it is believed their questioning and the attempts to undermine their work were motivated solely by their legitimate and peaceful work in defence of human rights;
2. Guarantee under all circumstances that human rights defenders in Cambodia are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions, including judicial harassment.