PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA
Land and human rights activist Tep Vanny started her journey yesterday to Washington D.C where she will receive the Vital Voices Global Leadership in Public Life Award.
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PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA
Human rights defender and prisoner of conscience Mam Sonando, along with Touch Ream and Khan Sovann are expected to be freed from jail on Friday 15th March after the court announced changes to Sonando’s offenses, and reduced sentences to time served for all.
PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA
Land and human rights activists marched the streets of Phnom Penh to celebrate the International Women’s Day. A minute’s silence was observed for Boeung Kak’s Chea Dara, who committed suicide out of desperation over being forcibly evicted and for Yorm Bopha’s 185th day in prison.
Meanwhile, men showed their support by preparing food and organizing the event back at Boeung Kak community.
PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA
71 year-old journalist and owner of Beehive Radio Mam Sonando, and co-convicted Touch Ream and Khan Sovann appeal last year’s court sentence at the Appeal Court.
While hundreds of demonstrators outside the Appeal Court shouted for justice and their immediate release, families of the convicted waited patiently outside the room. Having been in prison since one of his daughters was only a couple of months old, Touch Ream was able to spend some family time while in court.
CAMBODIA
This post aims to pay homage to those who risk their lives and leave everything behind – including their own families – to defend their most basic rights. A summary of some of the 2012 Human & Land rights related events in Cambodia – part of my long term project on land rights and housing conditions.
Through this project, I’ve had the opportunity to meet the most amazing and inspiring people. I have also had the chance to witness staggering moments of joy, despair and frustration.
I truly hope 2013 brings some better news for those millions of people around the world whose basic rights have been undermined.
Happy 2013
PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA
Boeung Kak, Borei Kaila and Thmar Kaul communities have – once again – united to protest against Yorn Bopha’s three-year prison sentence. The villagers gathered for the last time this year in front of the Municipal Court to curse officials and ask for justice.
PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA
Despite efforts of the international community, the intervention of the UN and even the mention of his case by US president Obama during his visit to Cambodia; Mam Sonando, the owner of Beehive Radio and director of the Association of Democrats, was denied bail at the Appeal Court in Phnom Penh today.
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PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA
For the second consecutive day, Boeung Kak, Borei Keila and Thmar Kaul residents met up from early hours of the morning to once again, welcome president Obama and ask for his help on their land grabbing related cases.
Demonstrators waited patiently for long hours under the sun for Obama’s plane to arrive at 5:30pm. They drew large SOS messages on the sand, and decorated them with leaves, branches, candles and incense. At the plane’s sight, villagers ran displaying their sign boards, releasing balloons carrying human rights messages and waving American and Cambodian flags in the air, hoping their message will be seen from the air.
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PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA
Facing the Ministry of Councils – where the ASEAN Summit takes place – and with giant banners and loudspeakers, over a hundred residents from various eviction-threatened communities from Phnom Pehn, gathered at the sand dunes of what is left of Boeung Kak lake to send a second SOS message to president Obama and Hillary Clinton.
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Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Over three days, hundreds of people from the ASEAN region joined in Phnom Penh for the 1st ASEAN Grassroots Peoples Assembly (AGPA) to find a space to discuss solutions to human rights issues in the area, with the aim to deliver their suggestions to the ASEAN leaders during the summit.
