[NOTICE: The AHRC have developed a new automatic letter-sending system using the “button” below. However, in this appeal, we could not include e-mail addresses of some of the Cambodian authorities. We encourage you to send your appeal letters via fax or post to those people. Fax numbers and postal addresses of the Cambodian authorities are attached below with this appeal. Thank you.]
URGENT ACTION URGENT ACTION URGENT ACTION URGENT ACTION
ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION – URGENT APPEALS PROGRAMME
Urgent Appeal
28 November 2006
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UA-384-2006: CAMBODIA: Death threats to an activist working against land grabbing in Ratanakiri
CAMBODIA: violation of the right to life; un-rule of law, suppression of freedom of expression
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Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information that a 44-year-old human rights activist actively campaigning against the illegal land grabbing in Ratanakiri for yeas has received a death threat message through his mobile phone on 15 November 2006. When a Radio Free Asia reporter called back to the number that the message was sent from to identify the caller, strangely two different persons, who insisted that they live in different provinces, responded to the calls and said that they never sent such message. The victim and his colleague believe that this is a well planned threat to intimidate him to stop his work.
CASE DETAILS:
At 11:20pm on 15 November 2006, Mr. Pen Bonna, 44-year-old human rights activist in Ratanakiri province received a death threat message to his mobile phone by an anonymous person. He received a text message of “lets go to eat rice in the Pagoda” with a hell ghost picture attachment from a mobile phone number 012 173 0601. In Cambodian culture, there is well known Pchom Ben Festival in September that the Cambodian people usually offer rice balls at the temple to the ghosts of their family members or relatives. Therefore, the message means that he is not the alive person anymore but the ghost who need to go to temple to eat rice, which is an indirect death threat to the victim.
Upon hearing the incident, a Radio Free Asia reporter in Ratankiri province called back to the phone number which the test message and the picture image were sent. But strangely the first phone call was answered by a woman who insisted to live in Onlong Veng, Udor Meanchey province and when the reporter called to the same phone number second time, another man who received the call insisted him that he was an electrician in Seim Reap province. Both persons denied sending the text message and the image to Mr. Bonna. Based on this development, the victim suspects that this was a well planned threat upon him by government officials or businessmen who might be annoyed by his work against illegal land grabbing in the province.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Mr. Bonna is a strong human rights advocate working at a local human rights organization ADHOC-Ratakiri branch, Cambodia for many years. His work mostly focuses on advocating indigenous people’s rights against the illegal land grabbing and illegal logging on land belonging to indigenous people in the province. As a part of his work, Mr. Bonna always highlighted the misconduct or corruption of the high ranking government officials or police officers in these matters. He also openly reported and investigated many cases of the illegal logging which were covered up by the government officials or private businessman. Furthermore, Mr. Bonna has brought to several cases before the provincial court or provincial administration authority to seek their intervention to stop the illegal lad grabbing and logging. The local human rights groups think that Mr. Bonnas’ work might have upset those officials or businessmen.
Illegal land grabbing has become a major human rights issue in Cambodia. Even Prime Minister Hun Sen stated in public that any army general commander or high ranking government official involved in illegal land grabbing or logging, would be dismissed from their job or convicted by court.
Recently Mr. Bonna had a huge success in one land grabbing and illegal logging case in which an ex Ratankiri province authority is allegedly involved. The municipal court in Ratanakiri recently convicted several ex government officials including the former Ratanakiri provincial governor Mr. Kham Khoeun. The former governor was sentenced in absentia to 17-years of imprisonment for his involvement in the notorious 2004 illegal logging scandal at Virachey National Park. Relating to the same case, Mr. Yoeung Baloung, the former Ratankiri provincial police chief was also sentenced to 13-years of imprisonment; the Ratankiri provincial military commander Mr. Moeug Samoeun was sentenced to 15 years in prison with fine of USD 20,000; Virachey Park Director Mr. Koy Sokha and the former border commander of Royal Cambodian Arm Force Battalion I Mr. Liam Say were sentenced to 15-years of imprisonment with fine of USD 12, 500 each.
According to Mr. Bonna, prior to the death treat, on October 26 a Land Rover car without the number plate attempted to crash into him while he was riding his motorbike. He was returning after investigating a land grabbing case at that time and luckily escaped from being injured. He could not recognize the car driver as he drove the car very fast. In Cambodia, it is generally accepted that Land Rover cars without the number plate belong to government officials.
This is another example of a life threatening case to the human rights defenders in the country. The AHRC has previously reported a similar case that Mr. Soy Sopeap, the news analyst for CTN TV in Cambodia who criticized the military commander over the land grabbing received a death threat letter on September 7 (See further: UA-304-2006). Prior to this incident, Mr. You Saravuth, the editor of the Khmer language newspaper Khmer Srolanh Khmer received a death treat letter via fax on June 21 after his newspaper reported on an allegation of the illegal land grabbing case in Mondolkiri and Ratanakiri provinces in which Hun To, the prime ministers nephew, and a senior army officer were allegedly involved.
However, it is sad to note that the Cambodian authorities have failed to conduct any effective investigation or identify the alleged perpetrators of these cases.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to the relevant authorities listed below calling for an immediate and thorough investigation into this case and the arrest of the alleged perpetrator. Please also urge the Cambodian government to take strong action to investigate all the alleged cases of threats and intimidation to the human rights defenders working against illegal land grabbing and logging and provide adequate protection to them.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear_________,
CAMBODIA: Death threats to an activist working against land grabbing in Ratanakiri
Name of victim: Mr. Pen Bonna, aged 44, the activist of the local human rights organization ADHOC-Ratakiri branch, Cambodia
Alleged perpetrator: Unidentified person who is believed to be back up by government officials or businessmen who are involved in illegal land grabbing or logging in Ratanakiri province
Date of incident: At around 11:20pm on 15 November 2006
I am writing to express my deep concern regarding a death threat on 15 November 2006 against a 44-year-old Mr. Pen Bonna who is an active human rights campaigner and investigator against the illegal land grabbing in Ratanakiri for yeas.
According to the information I have received, at 11:20pm on 15 November 2006, Mr. Pen Bonna received a text message of “lets go to eat rice in the Pagoda” with a hell ghost picture attachment to his mobile phone from a mobile phone number 012 173 0601. In Cambodian culture, there is well known Pchom Ben Festival in September that the Cambodian people usually offer rice balls at the temple to the ghosts of their family members or relatives. Therefore, the message means that he is not the alive person anymore but the ghost who need to go to temple to eat rice, which is an indirect death threat to the victim.
I was informed that a Radio Free Asia reporter in Ratankiri province called back to the phone number which the test message and the picture image were sent. But strangely the first phone call was answered by a woman who insisted to live in Onlong Veng, Udor Meanchey province and the immediate second call was received by another man, who insisted him as an electrician in Seim Reap province. Based on this fact, the victim suspects that this was well planned threat upon him by government officials or businessmen who might be annoyed by his work against illegal land grabbing in the province.
I am well ware that Mr. Bonna is a strong human rights advocate working for an human rights organization named ADHOC-Ratakiri provincial branch for many years. He is mainly working on the illegal land grabbing and logging over the land belonging to indigenous people allegedly by local businessmen or government officials.
According to Mr. Bonna, he recently had a huge success case in one land grabbing case which ex Ratankiri province authority is allegedly involved. The municipal court in Ratanakiri recently convicted several ex government officials including the former Ratanakiri provincial governor Mr. Kham Khoeun, who was sentenced in absentia to 17-years of imprisonment for his involvement in the notorious 2004 illegal logging schandal at Virachey National Park. Relating to the same case, Mr. Yoeung Baloung, the former Ratankiri provincial police chief, the Ratankiri provincial military commander Mr. Moeug Samoeun, Virachey Park Director Mr. Koy Sokha and the former border commander of Royal Cambodian Arm Force Battalion I Mr. Liam Say were also sentenced to over 10 years of imprisonment.
The victim also complained that prior to the death treat, on October 26 he was almost crushed by a Land Rover car without the number plate when was returning by his motorbike from investigating a land grabbing case. I am aware that in Cambodia, it is generally accepted that Land Rover cars without the number plate belong to government officials.
I am deeply concerned that this is not an isolated case of death threats against human rights advocates working against illegal land grabbing and logging issue. I was also informed that on 7 September 2006, Mr. Soy Sopheap, the news analyst for CTN TV who criticized the military commander over the land grabbing received a death treat letter. In another case, Mr. You Saravuth, the editor of the Khmer language newspaper Khmer Srolanh Khmer also received a threatening letter via fax on 21 June 2006 after his newspaper reported alleged involvement of Hun To, the prime ministers nephew, and a senior army officer into one illegal land grabbing case in Mondolkiri and Ratanakiri provinces.
In light of the above, I strongly you to immediately order a thorough and impartial investigation into this case, identify the alleged perpetrator and bring that person to justice as soon as possible. Proper measures need to be taken to provide effective protection to the victim. I also urge you to inquire all the alleged death threats against human rights defenders on the land grabbing issue including Mr. Soy Sopeap and Mr. You Saravuth to bring those responsible to justice. I do hope that the Cambodia government has a strong willing of conducting the proper and effective investigation in order to maintain the good security for these above victims and in order to strengthen rule of law in the country.
I also urge the donor governments, UN agencies, international aid agencies and the international human rights community to work with the Cambodian government and courts to end this abuse of power by people in position or authority or private businessmen, especially the threat to their lives.
I look forward to your immediate intervention.
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PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
- Mr. Samdech Hun Sen
Prime Minister
Cabinet of the Prime Minister
No. 38, Russian Federation Street
Phnom Penh
CAMBODIA
Tel: +855-23-21 98 98
Fax: +855-23-36 06 66
E-mail:cabinet1b@camnet.com.kh
- Mr. Sar Kheng
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior
275 Norodom Blvd.
Phnom Penh,
CAMBODIA
Fax/phone: +855 23 72 19 05/72 6052/72 11 90
E-Mail: info@interior.gov.kh or moi@interior.gov.kh
- Mr. Ang Vong Vathna
Minster of Justice
No 240, Sothearos Blvd.
Phnom Penh
CAMBODIA
Fax: + 855 23 36 4119/21 66 22
- Mr. Henro Raken
Prosecutor General
Court of Appeal
No. 14, Boulevard Sothearos
Phnom Penh
CAMBODIA
Tel: +855 23 21 84 60
- Mr. Mourng Poy
Governor
Village 5, Laban Seak commune,
Ban Lung district,
Ratanakiri province,
CAMBODIA
Tel: +855 12 974 020
Fax: +855 75 974 020
- Dr. Yan Narin
Justice of Ratanakiri Provincial Court
La Ban Seak commune,
Ban Lung district,
Ratanakiri province
CAMBODIA
- Mr. Ray Rey
Police Commissioner of Ratanakiri
Village 5, Laban Seak commune
Ban Lung district,
Ratanakiri province
CAMBODIA
Tel: +855 12 755 051
Fax: +855 75 974022
- Ms Margo Picken
Director
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights – Cambodia
N¢X 10, Street 302
Sangkat Boeng Keng Kang I
Khan Chamcar Mon
Phnom Penh
Cambodia CAMBODIA
Tel: +855-23-987 671 / 987 672, 993 590 /993 591 or +85523 216 342
Fax: +855-23-212 579, 213 587
- Prof. Yash Ghai
UN 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: +4122 91 79018 (ATTENTION: SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE CAMBODIA)
- Ms. Hina Jilani
Special Representative of the Secretary General for human rights defenders
Attn: Melinda Ching Simon
Room 1-040
C/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 93 88
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTN: SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS)
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ahrchk@ahrchk.org)
