Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has just learned that Ms Em Ponny had been assaulted by three of her superiors on 17 June 2006. Em Ponny is a teacher at the Wat Mohamontrey primary school in Olympic commune, Chamcar Mon District, Phnom Penh, and is a member of an independent teachers union called Independent Teachers Association.
In mid-April Em Ponny gave a male colleague a leaflet from her trade union urging people and teachers to join the May Day celebration to read. Her superiors perceived her gesture as an act of propaganda to get teachers of that school to join her union which they saw as a rival to the government sponsored teachers association inherited from the communist days. According to Ms. Ponny, three of the superiors, Ms Yin Sokha, an official of the primary education department of the Ministry of Educaiton, Ms Yeum Leum and Ms Ouk Theary, head teacher and deputy head teacher of the school respectively, started beating her in the school yard in front of the head teacher’s office as soon as she got off her bicycle. They used their hands and sticks, causing injury to her right brow and bleeding and bruising to other areas of her body.
Em Ponny has requested her union and competent authorities to help her in finding justice, especially in bringing her attackers to court for punishment according to the law. On June 23 Rong Chhun, the president of her union wrote a letter to the Ministry of Education to act upon her request. The AHRC has also learned that the police and the prosecution have made investigations into her case.
The AHRC condemns this act of violence against Ms Em Ponny. This is a violation of her rights and an act of cruel treatment by her superiors. It commends the Cambodian police and prosecution for responding to her request and take action to bring her attackers to court for punishment. The AHRC urges the Cambodian government and courts to protect the constitutional rights of the Cambodian people, including teachers, and severely sanction any violation of these.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
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SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ______________,
CAMBODIA: Teacher assaulted by her superiors
Name of victim: Em Ponny; Occupation teacher at the Wat Mohamontrey primary school
Names of alleged perpetrators: Ms Yin Sokha, an official of the primary education department of the Ministry of Education, Ms Yeum Leum, head teacher and Ms Ouk Theary, deputy head teacher of the school
Date of incident: 17 June 2006
I write to voice my concern about the alleged assault of school teacher, Ms. Em Ponny at the Mohamontrey primary school in Olympic commune, Chamcar Mon District, Phnom Penh. In mid-April Em Ponny was distributing leaflets from her trade union, the Independent Teachers Association urging people and teachers to join the May Day celebration to read. Her superiors perceived her gesture as an act of propaganda to get teachers of that school to join her union which they saw as a rival to the government sponsored teachers association inherited from the communist days.
According to Ms. Ponny, three of the superiors, Ms Yin Sokha, an official of the primary education department of the Ministry of Education, Ms Yeum Leum, head teacher and Ms Ouk Theary, deputy head teacher of the school, started beating her at the school yard in front of the head teacher's office as soon as she got off her bicycle. They used their hands and sticks, causing injury to her right eyebrow and bleeding and bruising to other areas of her body.
Em Ponny has requested her union and competent authorities to help her in finding justice, especially in bringing her attackers to court for punishment according to the law. On June 23 Rong Chhun, the president of her union wrote a letter to the Ministry of Education to act upon her request. I have learned that the police and the prosecution have made investigations into her case and I trust that action will be taken against those responsible for this crime.
I trust that you would agree that Ms. Em Ponny has fallen victim to a grossly disproportionate act of violence. Schools should ensure a proper and conducive environment free from any violence. I urge the Cambodian police and prosecution to respond to Ms. Ponny's request and take action to bring her attackers to court for punishment and to place sanctions against violations of rights of teachers.
I look forward to your intervention in this matter.
Yours sincerely,
______________________
PLEASE SEND LETTERS TO:
1. Mr. Samdech Hun Sen
Prime Minister
Office of the Council of Ministers
Phnom Penh
CAMBODIA
Fax: + 855 23 426 054
2. H.E.Mr. Sar Kheng
Deputy Prime Minister
Minister of Interior
Phnom Penh
CAMBODIA
Email: moi@interior.gov.kh
3. Mr. Ang Vong Vathna
Minster of Justice
No 240, Sothearos Blvd.
Phnom Penh
CAMBODIA
Fax: + 855 23 364119
Email: moj@cambodia.gov.kh
4. 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
5. 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
6. H.E.Dr. Kol Pheng
Senior Minister for Education, Youth and Sports
#80, Preah Norodom Blvd
Phnom Penh
CAMBODIA
Tel: +855 23 217 253
Fax: + 855 23 212 512
Email: moeys@everyday.com.kh
7. Ms. Yakin Erturk
Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women
c/o Ms Vernonica Birga
Room 3-042
c/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9615
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTN: SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN)
Email: vbirga@ohchr.org / urgent-action@ohchr.org (please also cc: rrico@ohchr.org)
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ahrchk@ahrchk.org)
