Wednesday, 26 November 2008

Amnesty International Condemns Eviction of Citizens by Military Force - Tuesday, 25.11.2008

Posted on 26 November 2008
The Mirror, Vol. 12, No. 588

“Amnesty International, based in London, England, issued a statement late last week condemning the Cambodian authorities who use soldiers to violently evicted around 300 families in Chhuk, Kampot.

“According to the statement of Amnesty International, issued late last week, the use of armed forces to violently evict citizens from their houses is a measure that is not compatible with Cambodia as a democracy, implementing the rule of law. The eviction of citizens in Anlong Krom village, Ta Kaen commune, Chhuk district, Kampot, by the military Brigade 31, by police, and by forestry administrators, which severely injured three citizens and destroyed nearly 300 houses, shows to Amnesty International that the activities of the Cambodian authorities are not respecting human rights and a policy of law as the basis, which upholds the protection of human rights and the provision of a safe habitat.

“Amnesty International also encourages all relevant authorities to provide an appropriate habitat, food, clean water, and medicines to those loosing their habitats, and to provide compensation to evicted citizens without any condition.

“A researcher of Amnesty International in Cambodia, Ms. Brittis Edman, pointed out that the policy used by the Kampot authorities to evict citizens from their houses, where they had been living for a long time, was not based on documents, as required by law, as a basis depending on the decision by a court. Again, Amnesty International called on the Cambodian authorities to stop evicting citizens, and the authorities must announce that citizens to be relocated will be temporarily assigned a place, until there are alternative solutions according to the law.

“Although there was severe criticism and condemnation by human rights organizations inside and outside of Cambodia, armed forces, police, and environmental officials continued to cruelly use force and gun without mercy in Anlong Krom. Relevant officials explained that they evict citizens to remove their houses from their land where they have lived since several years ago, because they live on forest land of the state which is prohibited by law.

“In the meantime, the Khmer Census League and the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights – LICADHO – asked the relevant authorities to stop the violent eviction on citizens by the Brigade 31 in Kampot, where houses were burnt and three people suffered serious injuries, when they were hit. Officials of LICADHO said that this was not the first time that soldiers of the Brigade 31 were ordered against citizens in that region. Since early of the year, more soldiers of Brigade 31 are assigned to control the land around the villages of Anlong Krom and Chey Sena. Previously, there were clashes between soldiers and villagers, where a shot was fired close to the head of a woman, and another woman was bitten; both of them hold a plot of land.

“The director of LICADHO, Ms. Pong Chiv Kek, also known as Dr. Kek Galabru, said that the situation there becomes worse and worse, and it must be brought under control before more citizens are wounded or loose their lives. Soldiers armed with AK 47 rifles are used against civilians in many circumstance.

“LICADHO asks for an immediate halt of the evictions, while the checking land complaints of the families living there still continue.

“It should be noted that the grab of land of weak citizens by some rich and powerful people, and by dishonest oknhas, happens almost in all provinces and cities around the country, while the government led by strongman Hun Sen has not taken any action against these wicked groups that grab citizens’ land.”

Moneaksekar Khmer, Vol.15, #3622, 25.11.2008
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Tuesday, 25 November 2008

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