Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) strongly condemns the continued cruel treatment of poor tenants following their brutal eviction and the destruction of their homes on May 3 (to see our original appeal on this issue please refer to: UA148-2006). Now the entire village on the bank of the Bassac River–not far from the centre of Phnom Penh–has been demolished and the site has become a desolate place where hundreds of families of poor tenants are camping out days and nights in the open with little shelter in the hot sun and in monsoon rains.
The Cambodian authorities have continued to prevent these poor tenants from building any form of shelter. They have also continued to block off the site for humanitarian groups to give those homeless tents or any others assistance. They have also cut off running water and electricity for them and have further banned any sale of water on the site. Furthermore, they have put up a wall to block off the unattractive sight to the public.
This denial of basic necessities has begun to take a toll on the tenants, especially the children and elderly. This cruel treatment is meant to make life so unbearable for these tenants that they will be forced to move out of the village on their own or to accept meager compensation to move elsewhere.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to the Prime Minister of Cambodia calling for an immediate halt to the eviction of the Bassac River residents and demand that a negotiated settlement that respects their human rights be found.
As Cambodia is dependant on foreign assistance, please also send a copy of your letter to the foreign office in your own government and urge it to use its mission in Phnom Penh to pressure the government of Cambodia to stop this senseless and inhumane eviction.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Sample letter to the Prime Minister:
Dear Prime Minister Hun Sen
CAMBODIA: Inhumane treatment of poor tenants forcibly displaced
I am appalled to learn of the continued cruel and inhumane treatment of poor tenants forcibly displaced following their brutal eviction and the destruction of their homes on May 3. I am equally disturbed to learn that the entire village on the bank of the Bassac River has been demolished, forcing hundreds of families to live in dreadful conditions, exposed to the harsh elements of the area.
Not only have these families not been able to build new shelters, but they have been denied assistance from humanitarian groups, who have not been allowed to access the area. I am also aware that basic amenities, such as water and electricity have been denied to the families. Not surprisingly, these harsh and cruel conditions have begun to take a toll on the displaced tenants, particularly the elderly and the young.
I urge your government to refrain from treating these people in such a manner. Your government must first and foremost ensure that all residents are given new premises with appropriate social amenities, including a school, health centre, electricity, running water and access roads. This should be done in consultation with the residents and outside experts to ensure that--unlike in previous relocation projects--the people do not abandon the resettlement area and again drift back into Phnom Penh. I ask that your intervention be forthcoming to reduce the amount of time that these people are subjected to such inhumane conditions.
Your government should also ensure that owners of rented houses have not exploited the plight of poor tenants to claim most of the benefits of compensation and resettlement for themselves, while leaving their tenants homeless. These owners should be the last to receive recompense in the relocation process, as their fundamental right to housing and other basic rights have not been affected.
I trust you will give due consideration to the above and take immediate and necessary action. I trust that you will understand that as this incident is gaining attention internationally it is negatively affecting the reputation of your government and may cause donor countries to reconsider their support for work in Cambodia.
Yours sincerely
_______________________
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTER TO:
Mr. Samdech Hun Sen
Prime Minister
Office of the Council of Ministers
Phnom Penh
CAMBODIA
Fax: + 855 23 426 054
PLEASE SEND COPIES TO:
1. H.R.H. Prince Norodom Ranariddh
President of the National Assembly
11 Moha Vithei Preah Monivong (93)
(P.O.Box 1444)
Sankat Srah Chak, Khan Daun Penh
Phnom Penh
CAMBODIA
Fax. +855 23 218 547
E-mail: s.k.k.cabinet@camnet.com.kh
2. Mr. Ang Vong Vathna
Minster of Justice
No 240, Sothearos Blvd.
Phnom Penh
CAMBODIA
Fax: + 855 23 364119
Email: moj@cambodia.gov.kh
3. Mr. Hor Namhong
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
No 161, Preah Sisowath Quay
Phnom Penh
CAMBODIA
Fax: + 855 23 216144/ 216939
Email: mfaicasean@bigpond.com.kh
4. Mr. Douglas Gardner
UNDP Resident Representative in Cambodia
53, Pasteur Street
Boeung Keng Kang
P.O. Box 877
Phnom Penh
CAMBODIA
Fax: + 855 23 216 257
E-mail: douglas.gardner@undp.org
5. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights - Cambodia
N° 10, Street 302
Sangkat Boeng Keng Kang I
Khan Chamcar Mon
Phnom Penh
CAMBODIA
Tel: +855 23 987 671 / 987 672, 993 590 / 993 591 or +855 23 216 342
Fax: +855 23 212 579, 213 587
Email: cohchr@online.com.kh
6. Prof. Yash Ghai
Special Representative of the Secretary-General for human rights in Cambodia
Attn: Ms. Afarin Shahidzadeh
Room 3-080
OHCHR-UNOG
8-14 Avenue de la Paix
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 91 79214
Fax: +41 22 91 79018 (ATTENTION: SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE CAMBODIA)
Email: urgent-action@ohchr.org
7. Mr. Miloon Kothari
Special Rapporteur on adequate housing
Attn: Ms. Cecilia Moller
Room 4-066/010
UNOG-OHCHR
CH-1211, Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9265
Fax: +41 22 917 9010 (ATTENTION: SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ADEQUATE HOUSING)
Email: urgent-action@ohchr.org
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ahrchk@ahrchk.org)
