Koh Kong authorities detained at least 12 land rights activists, along with an activist’s 6-year-old child, on Thursday while the group was attempting to deliver a petition calling for a halt to state land grants given to individuals.
Two of the detained activists, Phav Nhoeung and Det Hou, have led community organizing efforts to support the land rights of farmers and others who have been embroiled in long-running land disputes in Koh Kong. The group fears losing their land to outsiders as a result of state-granted economic land concessions.
The Sre Ambel district police stopped the activists before they could leave the province on their way to the Ministry of Justice in Phnom Penh to deliver a petition calling for charges to be dropped against 30 other land rights activists from five communities.
After police blocked their four vans on the road, community activists began to protest on the streets of Sre Ambel district’s Ou Chrov region and refused to stop, according to land activist Yi Kunthea, who was part of the group but was not detained.
In a video posted on Facebook, Nhoeung is seen shouting with other protestors outside the police patrol post.
“I am the land protector and I lost my land. Not only that, I’m being accused of being a thief,” she said. “I have been placed under the court system. What have I done wrong?”
More police vehicles arrived and then 13 people were crammed into a car and taken to the police station in Sre Ambel, according to Kunthea. She said a barricade was put up on the main road by district police to stop people from going in and out.
“It is totally unfair for them. I do not understand why the police arrested them. What’s wrong?” Kunthea told CamboJA. “Usually before arresting someone, police must have a warrant, unless they have committed a crime.”
Kunthea said she wants high-level officials to help release the activists because they did not do anything wrong.
A video shared on Facebook by the account Rural Koh Kong Poor Farmer’s Community shows more than one hundred people protesting and temporarily blocking a car driven by what appears to be a police officer.
“Please stop the car. Look at them,” protesters called out.
Nhoeung’s son Hang Piseth, 27, told CamboJA that the activists were sent to the district police station.
Ten people were later sent to Kong Kong provincial prison while three others, including the mother-daughter pair, were released, he said.
The child spent the night in the prison, human rights NGO Licadho reported.
On Friday, police threatened to arrest approximately 20 community members who had come to the police station on Friday morning in support of the detained activists. Police were also sent to patrol the areas around the activists’ homes in Tani and Praek Chik village, Licadho reported and Piseth confirmed.
“It is very unfair. They robbed us of our land, our houses, our plantations. These are people who own the land, and made a petition to ask for help in solving our problems, but they are punished,” Piseth said. “Where is the law?”
Piseth said that police committed brutal acts, including twisting his mother’s arms behind her back and hitting her in the face during the confrontation.
“What have we done wrong to our community? We just need the law to help solve it for us and just want to live like ordinary citizens,” he added.
He called for authorities at all levels to work to release his mother and the others. His family will ask for help from NGOs to help with hiring a lawyer and working toward their release.
Only one of the four vans was allowed to continue to Phnom Penh to deliver the petition, Piseth said.
Koh Kong Provincial Police Chief Kong Mono told CamboJA that all of the 13 people were acting out against the police, whom he claimed were only patrolling the border for security reasons.
“Police stopped their cars to inspect what was in them because at the border we are patrolling strictly,” Mono said. “But they did not cooperate well with the police.”
Mono stated that all of them were sent to the Sre Ambel district police station for questioning, but a lot of other people rallied around the building and created chaos.
“People were creating disorder around the police station, and that’s why they were sent to the provincial police,” he said, adding that the case is now in the hands of the court.
“From the information I know, they have been sent to prison and charged with incitement,” said Adhoc spokesperson Soeung Sengkaruna. “We do not know clearly what the charges are, what the incitement is for.”
He added that that Adhoc and other NGOs will find a lawyer to defend them in the case.
“They were involved in protesting for justice peacefully. Democratic law allows people to air concerns when they are unhappy,” he said. “They have the right to demand justice, so it is not a criminal case. If they are charged for this we do not think that it is right.
