Cambodia’s Top Court Denies Bail to 21 Jailed Protesters

 

Cambodia’s Supreme Court on Friday upheld a decision refusing bail to 21 people arrested during a deadly worker strike crackdown, a defense lawyer said, as dozens of supporters protested outside, calling the charges against them politically motivated and demanding their release.The top court upheld the Appeal Court’s decision denying the 21 workers and activists bail, citing their trial underway at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, lawyers said.The 21 and two others are facing charges of “causing intentional violence” and “damaging property” during the strike and face up to five years’ imprisonment as well as fines from U.S. $1,000 to $2,500 if convicted.

“The judges said the Phnom Penh court is hearing the case,” Sam Sokong, one of the defense lawyers, told RFA’s Khmer Service. “We lawyers are very sad.”Earlier this week, following a five-hour hearing, the municipal court put off their trial for the second time since late April, citing a need for further review of evidence. The trial is set to resume on May 20.The 23 have been waiting to defend themselves in court since their arrest following a January crackdown on an opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP)-backed strike by workers demanding higher wages, which left five people dead and nearly 40 wounded.

Dozens of supporters on Friday stood outside the Supreme Court during the proceedings, shouting out their demands to free the 21 still held at Prey Sar Prison in the capital.“Please, judges and prosecutors, do you hear the voices of the wives and relatives of the 21 who are waiting for their loved ones to return home,” one of them was heard shouting.Heang Sokha, the wife of defendant Chan Puthisak, asserted that the court’s decision was influenced by Prime Minister Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) and that the 23 have been unfairly linked to the party’s ongoing political deadlock with the CNRP over disputed elections in July.

“The court is very unjust. As a wife, I am waiting for him to return home to reunite with our family,” she said.“The court is biased toward the ruling party and the rich. For ordinary people like us, the judges don’t deliver justice.”The CPP and CNRP had resumed negotiations recently to end the political stalemate following July 2013 elections but the talks failed to achieve a breakthrough.The CNRP has boycotted parliament following the elections in which the CPP was declared the victor despite allegations of widespread irregularities. The opposition party had been holding protests calling for Hun Sen’s resignation until a ban on street rallies was imposed after the January crackdown.

‘Politically motivated’

Am Sam Ath, senior investigator for local rights group Licadho, said that the court’s decision was politically motivated.“The court decision is based on the current political situation—the court didn’t act independently,” he said.“It is unknown what will become of the 23.”Two of the 23 had received bail and were discharged from detention following a closed-door hearing in February, though authorities gave no reason for their release.

The remaining 21 were denied bail on grounds of posing a threat to public security, despite a deluge of appeals from local and international groups for their release.They include president of the Independent Democratic Association of Informal Economy and government critic Vorn Pov, who is suffering from kidney problems and was denied bail on four occasions between Jan. 13 and April 4, despite what rights groups have said is a “need [for] urgent medical treatment.”

Angkor Beer workers strike

 

Some 200 workers at the Angkor Beer brewery in Sihanoukville yesterday went on strike for higher wages and an end to commission withholding on large sales.According to a machine operator who asked not to be named, he and his fellow technicians maintain that their above-average training and technical know-how entitle them to $150 a month, a $30 increase over their usual monthly salary of $120.“We want a raise of at least $30 more per person,” he said. “The price of all kinds of goods has increased, but our salary is stable. We are the technicians; at least we finished high school and went to technical school, but our salary is lower than a garment factory worker’s.”The government-mandated minimum wage for garment workers is $100 a month, though some can earn upwards of $200 with overtime.

One sales and marketing employee who also asked not to be named said that the company didn’t pay commissions on large sales, and that negotiations had been under way since last month, only
to break down yesterday.“When we sold about 400,000 cases of beer to big depots, the company did not give commission for that . . . But if we sold to small depots, the company pays us,” he said. “In short, this company takes advantage of us. They cheat us.”The beer company has had labour problems in the past, with a two-week strike for unpaid overtime in 2011.

Chheng Sopheak, administration manager at Angkor, said that staffers were awaiting the company director’s return from abroad to negotiate.

“The company had informed them that this problem will be discussed in June, but they disagreed, so the strike broke out,” he said. “The company needs time to consider this, because the workers have asked for $150 per month, but we have to consider the salary of people who get $200 or more, because all of them want the company to raise their salary too.”

Yov Khemara, director of the Preah Sihanouk provincial labour department, said that he had “met both sides, but I am waiting to meet with the Malaysian director”.

CNRP threatened over rhetoric

 

A government spokesman warned yesterday that legal action may be taken against the opposition leaders if their “unlawful” campaign rhetoric incites unrest.Tith Sothea, spokesman for the Council of Ministers’ Press and Quick Reaction Unit, said that the government will consider filing complaints against Cambodia National Rescue Party leader Sam Rainsy and deputy leader Kem Sokha for their attacks on Prime Minister Hun Sen during the campaign for the May 18 council elections.“We have seen that [their campaign] is contrary to the law, such as [their] warnings to oust Prime Minister Hun Sen from office. This hour is not an hour of propaganda campaigns to choose or drop the prime minister,” Sothea said.“The royal government can consider legal action if these activities cause danger or any obstacle for stability,” he warned.

Sothea said the pair should adhere to orders from the National Election Committee (NEC) to refrain from personal attacks during the campaign.But Rainsy said he is “not concerned” by the threats.

“It is freedom of speech, as long as what we say is backed by evidence,” he said last night.

“Have you ever seen any election campaign where no party attacks another party? As long as we have grounds to do this, we will,” he added.Rainsy’s comments followed a day of campaigning in Siem Reap yesterday in which his deputy, Sokha, slammed Hun Sen’s governance in a speech to hundreds of supporters.“He knows nothing at all; he knows only watching Chinese film and taking Chinese theory to lead the country,” Sokha said. “The first, buy; the second, intimidate; the third, split.”He added that, with support waning, the premier would be better off stepping down and letting the CNRP lead the country.NEC secretary-general Tep Nytha told the Post that criticism of the opposing party’s political platform will continue to be tolerated, while attacks on individuals are considered illegal.If a party member files a complaint over a personal attack, it will be dealt with through the law, Nytha said.

Lead-up to poll saw SLCs spike

 

Prime Minister Hun Sen’s 2012 ban on the allocation of economic land concessions was supposed to halt the unpopular practice of turning over large swaths of property to developers. And going by the numbers last year, it worked.But in the vacuum, according to local rights group Adhoc, the government handed out an unprecedented number of a different kind of concession.

The report found that 485 social land concessions, or SLCs, which are intended for the disadvantaged, were issued last year, covering a total area of more than 600,000 hectares, some six times the amount granted in 2012.

Some SLCs were carved out of private land leased to large companies, while others overlapped with protected areas and state-owned land.The rush to reclassify and donate land peaked in the six months leading up to the general election in July, the report added, suggesting it “may have been more of a populist measure to win votes”, which “casts a shadow on the government’s efforts”.

Eighty-eight per cent of the 485 concessions issued last year, the report said, were granted in the run-up to the election, with the highest recorded number in the month just prior to the vote.

Thun Saray, Adhoc’s president, said yesterday that while the group welcomed the drive to issue SLCs as a way of preventing illegal encroachment on private land, the actual figures may differ significantly.

“We see many [SLCs] are in the figures, but it is just a number on paper. A great deal of land has not been implemented [for SLCs]. It is just marked as social land concessions, so the real figure is doubtful,” he said.Adhoc also noted concern that the policy could “worsen the situation of vulnerable families and aggravate landlessness, as corruption, mismanagement and serious abuses have been reported in relation to SLCs”.Despite the huge increase in SLCs, Adhoc recorded a significant “decrease in the number of conflicts related to them: two in 2013 compared with 13 disputes” in 2012, the report said.

The figures contrast slightly with a study the Cambodian Center for Human Rights conducted into land conflicts between 2011 and 2013, which found 41 new disputes in
17 locations.

The concerns include a lack of community consultations, where in many cases poor planning and analysis of suitable land have led to SLCs being awarded on land that is already claimed by other people or in the process of being registered as indigenous collective land.

In April 2013, Muslim Cham migrants moved to an SLC in Mondulkiri’s Pech Chreada district, where Phnong villagers have lived for many years.The Phnong allege that since the Cham arrived, the group has cleared up to 500 hectares of indigenous land and sold the luxury timber to local police. The two communities have been at odds ever since.

“Giving out a lot of land is good, but it should not just be on paper, or affecting other people’s land. Please do not use people protesting as hostages and put them in jail,” Saray said.

As only 40 per cent of Cambodia’s arable land remains out of the hands of private concessionaires, the limited available land has meant that “large portions of forest-covered areas, and wildlife sanctuaries – already heavily encroached by ELCs and illegal logging activities” – have been reclassified
as SLCs.

The push to issue SLCs comes after years of pressure led Prime Minister Hun Sen in May 2012 to issue a directive temporarily suspending the issuance of new ELCs, which coincided with the launch of a land-titling scheme that officials claim has allocated more than 500,000 land titles.

“What is negative is that the government does not pay attention to land disputes. The mechanism for settlement is still slow for chronic land disputes,” Saray said.Beng Hong Socheat Khemro, deputy director-general of the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction, declined to comment.Lo Navuth, director-general of the ministry’s Cadastral Department, could not be reached.According to government figures, under the May 2012 directive, the authorities have reclassified about 1 million hectares of land nationwide, including 340,000 hectares cut from 128 ELCs.Nearly 230,000 hectares have been cleaved from 16 forestry concessions and 500,000 hectares have been reclassified from state and forest land.

Vietnam protesters attack China over sea dispute

 
In the capital, Hanoi, demonstrators sang patriotic songs and held up placards opposite the Chinese embassy.Tensions have been running high after Vietnamese ships clashed with Chinese vessels guarding an oil rig in a contested area of the South China Sea.The protests appear to have the Vietnamese government's approval.The country's communist authorities have broken up previous anti-China demonstrations because of fears that they may be hijacked by pro-democracy activists, says the BBC's Asia Pacific editor, Charles Scanlon.Nevertheless, he says, Hanoi has also used the demonstrations to communicate its anger over what it sees as Beijing's aggressive infringement of Vietnamese sovereignty.

The BBC's Charles Scanlon says Vietnam's authorities rarely allow such rallies, so they are a sign of the extent of the country's angerThe protesters opposite the Chinese embassy on Sunday included war veterans and students."This is the largest anti-Chinese demonstration I have ever seen in Hanoi," a war veteran named Dang Quang Thang told the AFP news agency."Our patience has limits. We are here to express the will of the Vietnamese people to defend our territory at all costs. We are ready to die to protect our nation," he is quoted as saying.

Large anti-China protests were also seen in other Vietnamese cities.

The cemetery of elephant hunters

The cemetery of elephant hunters is about 1 km from Ban Don (Don Village) in Krong Na Commune, in the Buon Don District. It is hidden under the forest canopy. Anyone who comes here for the first time feels compelled to discover the mystery of this final resting place.
There are dozens of graves with unique architecture on about 10 hectares of land. This site is also known as the cemetery of Gru by local people. Gru means outstanding elephant hunters.
Ms. H-Cheng, the 3rd daughter of the “King of Elephants”, Ama Kong, said that this cemetery is very special. Only the best elephant hunters and their family members are allowed to be buried here.
She took us to the largest tomb and said: “This is the tomb of Y Thu Knul, the founder of Don Village as well as of the art of elephant hunting. He was respectfully called Khun Su Nop, or the King of Elephants, by the King of Siam.
Khun Su Nop hunted 400 elephants. In 1861, he caught a white elephant and presented it to the Siamese King. The king in turn presented him with a number of valuable gifts, and bestowed on him the title “King of Elephants”. He was also considered by the locals to be a powerful chieftain.
Next to Khun Su Nop's tomb is the tomb of Rleo Knul, Khun Su Nop’s nephew. In 1947, Rleo Knul also caught a white elephant and gave it to Emperor Bao Dai, the last king of Vietnam. When Rleo Knul died, Bao Dai built a pyramid tomb for him.
Referring to the art of hunting wild elephants, Ama Kong is considered the most elite descendant of Khun Su Nop. With more than 300 elephants to his name, he is also known as the King of Elephants and deserved to be buried in this legendary cemetery.
In addition to hunting elephants, Ama Kong is also known for a special herb remedy he developed to enhance men’s vitality.
All graves are oriented towards the West because, according to their beliefs, that is the direction of the dead. Graves are designed in unique styles, featuring pyramids or small houses on stilts with 4 columns and a roof system.
Tombs have items such as blankets, bowls, chopsticks, and animal bones. These are the things shared with the dead by the living, according to the customs and habits of Ede people.
In front of the tombs are statues of birds and animals. Each statue has a different meaning. For example, the peacock symbolizes nobleness, while the copper pot symbolizes prosperity. The gong symbolizes fun.
The graves of the descendants of the Kings of Elephants have symbols of elephant tusks, whereas the graves of the Kings of Elephants themselves bear statues of elephants.
“To distinguish the graves of women and men, we only need to look at the headstone. If it is the grave of a man, besides the name will be a Y letter. For a woman’s tomb, it’s an H," said H-Cheng.

The tomb of Rleo Knul.   The tomb of Khun Su Nop.      The tomb of Ama Kong.