Cambodia: four activists arrested
Event- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Aug 29, 2014
- Event Description
This morning at around 9.20am, four community activists from Boeung Kak Lake Community were arrested at Wat Chas, Chrouy Changvae district. The activists had arrived to support rural land communities from Pailin, Banteay Meanchey, Battambang and Svay Rieng, who are preparing a march to petition the National Assembly and Prime Minister Hun Sen this morning. The four activists arrested are Song Sreyleap, Tep Vanny, Kek Chanrasmey and Kong Chantha. They are currently being detained at Chroy Chong Va district office. Authorities have now locked the communities inside the grounds of Wat Chas. Update: The Supreme Court today upheld the convictions of three Boeung Kak activists - including Tep Vanny - for allegedly obstructing and insulting public officials during a 2011 demonstration outside Phnom Penh City Hall. Their six month sentences were also upheld. Vanny, Bo Chhorvy and Kong Chantha were originally sentenced in September 2016, five years after an effort by some 100 community activists to deliver a petition to City Hall grew violent when security forces tried to disperse them. Authorities accused them and another activist, Heng Mom, of attacking and "insulting" security officials. According to a statement from rights NGO Licadho, neither the plaintiff's lawyers nor witnesses were present during the appeal process. "As in earlier court hearings on this case, insufficient evidence was presented to meet the legal standards for proof," the statement reads. The statement also notes that no "enforcement order" was issued, meaning Chhorvy and Chantha can be arrested at any time to serve their sentences. Vanny has been in Prey Sar prison since August 2016, and is already serving a 30-month sentence for her alleged role in a demonstration outside Prime Minister Hun Sen's house.
- Impact of Event
- 4
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly
- Freedom of movement
- Right to Protest
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Event Location
Latitude: 11.587291100000016
Longitude: 104.9221051
- Event Location
- Summary for Publications
On 29 August, four land rights activists -Song Sreyleap, Tep Vanny, Kek Chanrasmey and Kong Chantha- from the Boeung Kak Lake community were arrested in Phnom Penh as they prepared to join a protest. The march was organised by four rural communities hoping to petition Prime Minister Hun Sen for justice in their land contestation. The activists are being held at Chroy Chong Va district office, while the protestors are being detained inside the grounds of a temple (Wat Chas). Update: On 08 December 2017, the Supreme Court upholds the convictions of three Boeung Kak activists - including Tep Vanny - for allegedly obstructing and insulting public officials during a 2011 demonstration outside Phnom Penh City Hall.