Civil Society Representatives Said that Cambodia Does Not Have a Mechanisms to Protect Citizens in Land Disputes, but the Authorities Deny It – Friday

Posted on 12 September 2009
The Mirror, Vol. 13, No. 629
http://cambodiamirror.wordpress.com/

“Local human rights organizations said that at present, the government and the court system in Cambodia do not have efficient mechanisms to provide justice to citizens at the community level relating to land disputes. Meanwhile, violence related to land disputes has increased.

“The head of the investigating unit of the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC), Mr. Ny Chakriya, said on Thursday [11.9.2009], ‘We see the government’s intention to address land disputes by creating the National Authority for Solving Land Disputes, but we see that the court system is used as a tool for suing.’ Mr. Ny Chakriya added that those mechanisms do not help the citizens. Human rights organization still point out that land disputes rise because of a lack of efficient solutions from the courts and from the National Authority for Solving Land Disputes. Therefore, citizens frequently go to ask for an intervention by Prime Minister Hun Sen.

“Because citizens are often arrested and jailed over land disputes, Mr. Chakriya, stated, ‘The courts are using their power to solve land disputes by arresting citizens and putting them in prison, and releasing them when they stop protesting.’

“The president of the Phnom Penh Court, Mr. Chiv Keng, told the Phnom Penh Post via telephone that some citizens lose their cases. Then they shout that the courts are unjust. He went on to say that those citizens live on land owned by somebody else, and they do not have evidence to prove their own claims to the courts. He said, ‘We act based on legal procedures monitoring these cases of land disputes.’

“A parliamentarian from the Cambodian People’s Party, Mr. Cheam Yeap, said that the government pays much attention to citizens suffering from land disputes.

“He said, ‘I do not believe that all citizens who file complaints over land grabbing always lose; the government does not tolerate any powerful officials who use their power to threaten to take villagers’ land.’

“According to an ADHOC report, 150 citizens were arrested in 2008, and there have been already 50 citizens arrested and jailed in 2009. Within three years from 2006 to 2008, ADHOC received complaints from 80,000 families over disputes about more than 176,000 hectares of land.”

Phnom Penh Post, Vol.1, #3, 11.9.2009
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Friday, 11 September 2009