News Archive

There are over 640 women currently detained in prisons all over Cambodia and on a day that is meant to celebrate women everywhere and promote the rights of women, LICADHO, partner NGOs, comedians and musicians spent the day remembering these vulnerable members of society. On Saturday March 8 LICADHO and partner NGOs celebrated International Women's Day by distributing food, drinks, clothes and materials to female prisoners, children living in prison and female prison guards across 20 prisons in Cambodia. These donations are greatly needed in a prison system which must subsist on a budget of 1,500 riel (USD$0.38) per prisoner per day to cover the costs of food, water, electricity, clothing and medical care.

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Early on the morning of 22 February, 2008, more than 100 heavily-armed military police, intervention police and district police officers violently and forcibly evicted 23 households in Banla S'et village, Khmuonh commune, Russey Keo district, Phnom Penh. As a result, four villagers were injured and eight were detained, leaving behind a dismantled community with nowhere to go. The eviction was carried out less than 24 hours after the community received notice of eviction. Military and police forces arrived shortly after 7.30am, and less than five minutes later, fired two tear gas canisters at residents while simultaneously shooting dozens of AK-47 bullets into the air, in a blatant attempt to intimidate and force the community to leave. Many bullets were also fired directly at a nearby vehicle, which subsequently exploded.

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On 19 February, 2008, two international human rights organizations and two Cambodian NGOs called upon Cambodian authorities to take effective measures to combat the practice of forced evictions which constitutes a flagrant violation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and other international human rights instruments that the Kingdom of Cambodia has ratified.

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Today, the 28th of January, 2008, marks the fourth year of imprisonment of Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeum who were wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for the murder of Chea Vichea, President of the Free Trade Union of the Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia. As of today the two men have served a total of 1,461 days in prison.

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Since the night of Saturday January 5, 7NG company workers and police have persistently attempted to place roadblocks on the two main public streets leading to Dey Krahorm village in Phnom Penh, repeatedly provoking confrontations with community residents which culminated on the night of January 7 with the burning of a truck used in one of the roadblocks. Residents claim that it was 7NG workers themselves who set the truck alight, in order to accuse the community of doing it.

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Members of civil society, in the middle of a prayer session clashed with district authorities when their microphones were seized and electricity cut off during a peaceful Bon Phka (flower fundraising) festival held at the Phnom Den North pagoda. The Kirivong district authorities of Takeo province broke up the gathering claiming that it was politically motivated. During the morning prayer session, a district authority representative in plain clothes interrupted the crowd by shouting at them to stop their prayers and accusing them of organizing a political rally. He warned the crowd not to talk about Monk Tim Sakhorn's case and soon afterwards, microphones were confiscated and electricity cut off by other individuals in plain clothes.

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At around 4am on November 2, 2007, more than 300 mixed police forces with two mechanical excavators - led by Russey Keo Governor Mr. Khleang Huot - came under the cover of darkness to demolish houses belonging to 132 families living in Chong Chruoy village, Chruoy Changva commune, Russey Keo district, Phnom Penh. The mixed forces blocked access to the eviction site and prevented human rights workers as well as media from monitoring and reporting on the eviction. During the forced eviction, the authorities confiscated the camera of an observing Member of Parliament, H.E Nou Sarath from the Sam Rainsy Party and two cameras belonging to a staff member of the Housing Rights Task Force, a coalition of NGOs focusing on urban eviction issues.

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On October 16, shortly before 7pm, approximately 80 police and military police - some armed with pistols - surrounded a group of about 200 Svay Rieng villagers camped in the park outside Wat Botum near the former National Assembly. The villagers, who had only arrived at the park a few hours earlier, were forced into vehicles including two buses and sent back to Svay Rieng. According to witnesses, some of the villagers were beaten during the raid on the park, and two persons were later taken to hospital unconscious. NGO workers were blocked by authorities from entering the area, but heard cries coming from the villagers.

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On September 27, 2007 the Dey Krahorm community, in Phnom Penh organized a peaceful media conference which was attended by 200 villagers and 20 7NG security guards. The media conference was meant to bring attention to the situation of the Dey Krahorm community who are at risk of being evicted from their homes by 7NG. During the conference, community representative, Touch Raotha was involved in a scuffle with a 7NG security guard. Police are alleging that Touch Raotha damaged the security guard's camera phone when he attempted to take a photo of her.

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From September 15 to 17, 2007, an art-exhibition entitled "Experience and Dreams, Drawings by Children in Prison", was hosted at the Cambodian National Cultural Centre in Phnom Penh. The exhibition put on display a collection of expressive drawings by children detained in prison that illustrated prison conditions, their personal impressions of the justice system and their thoughts and future dreams.

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Although Cambodia has seen rapid economic growth in recent years, it is still one of the poorest countries in the world with most of its citizens living in poverty. The reality of poverty is that it is indiscriminate and affects not only adults but also children. This sadly forces many young children to engage in domestic and manual labor to support their families, with a large proportion working under severe conditions.

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During the wet season in Cambodia, many people suffer from the notorious dengue virus, a virus which is carried by mosquitoes that thrive in the waters that collect during the wet season. For many people, escaping the virus means vigilantly covering up and closing windows or doors; however for women and children living literally behind prison bars, this is very difficult to do. Thanks to an extremely generous donation from the Women's International Group (WIG), LICADHO was able to distribute blankets and mosquito nets to 664 minor prisoners, pregnant women and children living in 14 Cambodian prisons.

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"Before, a husband would beat his wife and children, now he just insults them..." chilling yet sobering words from a woman surveyed by LICADHO's Women's Rights Office (WRO) following the end of its pilot project in Kandal Province, which aimed to educate the community on violence against women issues.

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At a time when the incidence of land grabbing is becoming more frequent in Cambodia and impunity for this crime is increasing for individuals with connections, wealth and power, three villagers are suffering from the results of such an unjust system. Initially, these villagers had been victims of a land grabbing dispute, however by the time their trial was over, they had been handed a six-month suspended prison sentence, lost their farming land, and had been ordered to pay a fine of 1.5 million Riel (USD $375). These villagers have now lost the ability to provide for their families and to even pay the exorbitant fine, now that their land has been unjustly taken from them.

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On the morning of April 20, 2007, 13 residents from Village 6 in Sihanoukville's Mittapheap district were arrested after they tried to defend their homes against the onslaught of 150 police attempting to evict them and 105 other families. On Tuesday July 3, 2007, the 13 appeared before the Sihanoukville Municipal Court for their trial; the next day five were acquitted and nine were convicted (one in absentia).

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