Publication : Press Release

At around 11 am on 29 June 2023, the Koh Kong Province's Sre Ambel district police arrested 11 land activists who were attempting to reach the Ministry of Justice to submit a petition seeking its intervention. The petition requested that the Koh Kong Provincial Court drop all the charges that were brought against their community members over their land rights activism, and called for legal action against those who violated their land rights. The activists are Phav Nheung, Deth Hour, Reuk Seung, Heng Chey, Sok Chey, Lam Cheav, Seng Lin, Yoeurn Khmao, Yi Kunthea, Tin Tang, and Sourn Theng. All are members of three communities composed of 197, 175, and 80 families which have been struggling with a land dispute since 2006. One of the detained activists was accompanied by her seven-year-old girl, who was also taken alongside her mother.

Information Source : CCHR Human Rights Defenders Alert – Phnom Penh, 3 July 2023 11 land activists were arrested in Koh Kong Province for attempting