asianews

Monday 14 September 2009
By J.B.
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French by Luc Sâr
Click here to read the article in French

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) demands for an end to harassments against human rights defenders in the province of Rattanakiri.

Because he tried to help villagers who are about to be evicted from their lands, Pen Bonnar, the coordinator for the Adhoc human rights group, as well as Ratha Visal, a reporter for Radio Free Asia, are summoned to show up in court on 14 and 15 September, respectively. The cause for the summons: alleged incitation leading to criminal enterprises, and inciting villagers to use violence and to occupy land illegally.

According to the OHCHR communiqué, Pen Bonnar and Ratha Visal led a long term fight to defend the rights of communities that saw their lands, i.e. their earnings, taken away from them. The two defenders continued their action in spite of the harassments and intimidations dispensed by the local authorities and the court. Furthermore, in August, Judge Thor Saran from the Rattanakiri provincial court, told Pen Bonnar to leave the province, otherwise, he could face lawsuits for “incitation.”

During these past few years, the central and provincial authorities have increased the number of lawsuits using “incitation” charges in order to intimidate human rights defenders who are involved helping land dispute victims, and who demand the respect of the victims’ rights, as stipulated in the Constitution, the OHCHR indicated in its communiqué.