CCHR Human Rights Defenders
Alert - Phnom Penh, 4 December 2012
Banteay Meanchey activist
summonsed for questioning for the second time on charges of an unspecified nature
On 23 October 2012, Battambang
Provincial Court issued a warrant for San Samneang to appear for questioning by
the Investigating Judge on 4 December 2012 at 2:00 pm. However, San Samneang
only received the warrant on 3 December 2012, leaving him with only one day to meet
with his lawyer and to prepare for the questioning.
This is the second time that San Samneang has been called for
questioning at Battambang Provincial Court. On 30 January 2012, he was summonsed
to appear before the Prosecutor for questioning relating to charges of intentionally causing damage and intentional
acts of violence, under Articles 410 and 217 respectively, of the Cambodian
Penal Code 2009. The charges remain the same, however the summons received
yesterday contained no information regarding the nature, date or location of
the purported act, or the specific legal basis for the charges.
San Samneang stated that the charges may relate to a gathering he organized
in December 2009 in relation to a land dispute between local business woman,
Theth Phary, and community members from two villages straddling the Battambang
and Banteay Meanchey provincial border: Boeung Pi village, Lvea Commune, Bavel
district, Battambang and Prasat Rang, Takong Commune, Malai district, Banteay
Meanchey.
The gathering was in response to an incident in December 2009 in which
Theth Phary sent workers, together with armed police and military personnel, to
harvest and collect rice in Boeung Pi village that was said to have been
planted by villagers on the disputed land. Mr. San Samneang stated that the
villagers in Boueng Pi farmed and had ownership over the land since 2002.
If found guilty of intentional violence under Article 217, San Samneang could
be punished by imprisonment of one to three years and a fine of two million to
six million Riels. If found guilty of intentionally causing damage to property
under Article 410, he risks imprisonment of six months to two years and a fine
of one million to four million Riels.
For
more information, please contact CCHR Human
Rights Defenders Project Coordinator Suon Bunthoeun via telephone at +855 (0) 12
48 35 46 or e-mail at bunthoeun@cchrcambodia.org.
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