The Weekly News Wrap: What Happened in Cambodia This Week?

The following is Cambodian news summary for the week, reported in English by
Khmerization:

As election is drawing near, political parties are jockeying for some sorts of issues to garner supports and to throw punches at the ruling Cambodian People’s Party and Prime Minister Hun Sen. News-breakers are busy the whole week reporting what news-makers are making. Here are some that have been reported by Radio Free Asia.

1. Commodity prices in various cities and towns (3rd May 2008)

Prices of general commodities are increasing steadily but food and petrol prices have stayed the same. The price of high grade rice is steady at 4,000 riels (US$1) per kilo and the a 50 kilogram sack of rice cost US$45. The price of diesel per litre has increased by 250 riels to 4,800 riels.
The price of meat generally had gone up, after the Khmer New Year, with the price of beef and pork had gone up to 25,000 riels per kilo in Mondulkiri.
In Kampong Chhnang, there are reports that prices of goods had gone up, upsetting many people. The price of kerosene had gone up to 5,000 riels per litre.
In Pursat, everything had gone up, with the price of beef costing 18,000 riels, pork 17,000 riels and fish 15,000 riels per kilo. And price of a high grade rice cost 3,000 riels per kilo.
In Banteay Meanchey, the price of low grade rice had gone up from 800 Thai baht to 1,000 baht. But the price of high grade rice like the Maliss Rice had gone down from 1,200 baht to 1,100 baht.

2. Sam Rainsy led a protest against New City Textile Factory (2nd May 2008)

This this probably an event that drew more attention of the textile workers which numbered around 400,000 country-wide. Despite small in number, it has the potential to get the maximum publicity for Mr. Sam Rainsy’s election campaign and is probably an election winning strategy, smartly organised by Mr. Sam Rainsy.
Around 400 workers joined the protest against the factory’s plan to relocate to an area outside the capital city. The workers refused to move and demanded the factory pay out their entitlements to the amount of between $50-$100 and to increase their relocation allowances.

3. LICADHO reported that freedom of press had not improved (2nd May 2008)

One day before the anniversary of the International Day of Freedom of the Press, Licadho, a local human right organisation, reported that freedom of the press in Cambodia had not improved.
Dr. Pung Chiv Kek, president of Licadho, said that many journalists have been threatened and that overwhelmingly numbers of media outlets had been controlled by the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP).
The Licadho’s report said that many printed and broadcast media have affiliations with the ruling CPP which normally only report about the works and the activities of the ruling CPP and its officials. The Licadho’s report not only detailed about the imbalance of the media reporting in Cambodia, but also about the physical and death threats against journalists. Up until now (from 1993?), there are 9 journalists who have been murdered for doing their jobs.
Spokesman for the government, Mr. Khieu Kanharith, rejected the Licadho’s report saying that the freedom of press in Cambodia had improved.

4. The CPP’s commune chief threatened members of the Norodom Ranariddh Party (NRP)-(2nd May 2008)

Members of the NRP said that the CPP’s commune chief of Seang Kvien commune had prevented them from participating in and meeting with officials of the NRP who had organised a public forum. The commune chief threatened to take their names out of the election register if they joined the forum.
Mr Sok Sokun, chief of the NRP for Prey Veng province, told Radio Free Asia that the CPP’s commune chief had deployed security forces to block all access in order to prevent the NRP members from participating in the forum.
Many people told Radio Free Asia that the chief threatened to take their names out of the electoral rolls if they joined the NRP. The chief, Mr. Ka San, denied that he threatened those people saying that he only asked them to write a letter stating what are the aims of the meeting so he can deploy security forces to protect them.
According to COMFREL’s (committee for free and fair elections) reports, from 2006 to 2008, threats and intimidations against political activists had increased twofold.
The report said that in most cases, threats were made against opposition activists. Among them the NRP had received 12 cases of threats and intimidations.

5. Land disputes at Kors Kralor district in Battambang province (2nd May 2008)

About 145 families had pitted themselves against 157 families who were supported by the police in a land dispute at Kors Kralor district over the lands spanning over 1,2000 hectares.
Human rights organisation alleged that the dispute happened because a group of 157 families, who were supported by the police, encroached, violated on the lands and demolished the homes belonging to a group of 145 families. According to the reports, in 1998 half of the 1,200 hectares had been distributed to the 145 families of the former Khmer Rouge fighters and another half had been distributed to a group of 157 families who have sold and re-sold the lands. As a result of the sales, they have encroached on the lands belonging to the 145 families of the ex-KR soldiers.
District official, Mr. Nhek Sophorn, confirmed that the 145 families of the ex-Khmer Rouge soldiers had official titles to the lands.
The dispute is still on going.

6. Koh Kong residents came to protest against land grabbing in Phnom Penh (1st May 2008)

About 75 families from Koh Kong protested in front of PM Hun Sen’s resident demanding the return of their 159 hectares of lands allegedly seized by Mr. Heng Suy‘s company.
The protest in front of Hun Sen’s resident happened following their unsuccessful protest on the site of their lands which resulted in 3 protesters seriously injured and the arrest of one protester.
The protesters said that they have lived in these 159 hectares blocks of lands since 2002 and had been issued with land titles by the local authorities. In a series of letters and documents sent to Minister of Interior Sar Kheng, Mr. Yuth Phuthorng, Governor of Koh Kong province, wrote that the 75 families had land titles issued by the commune chief in 2002. But the same documents received by Radio Free Asia also showed that Mr. Seng Suy’s company had land titles since 1993.
But according to the investigator of the human right group ADHOC, Mr. Bay Sopheap, Mr. Heng Suy had violated the people’s lands by bulldozing the lands and houses and instead he had built one big house and two huts on the disputed lands.
According to Mr. Bay Sopheap, the court had judged the lands to be in disputes and that no party can yet make the claims to the lands, but Mr. Seng Huy violated the court’s decision and began bulldozing the lands, triggering people’s reactions to stage a protest on the site and then in front of PM Hun Sen’s house. //