Police Banned Romeas Hek Villagers from Protesting

On May 24, 2010 about 200-300 villagers from a contested land area in Svay Rieng were banned on the way from aiming to protest in front of provincial court in order to demand the release of a representative Yea Yeng, who was arrested and sent to prison for illegally detaining people, including one military police officer and two Peam Chaeng Rubber company staff.

Among those people who came to Svay Rieng province by taxi cars and motobikes, a monk was also prohibited and forced to thumbprint to stop protesting, otherwise he would be arrested in case he still participated in the demonstration.

The venerable monk, who was indimidated, named Son Chanthorn, 23, from Tasuos pagoda, Tros commune, Romeas Hek district, Svay Rieng. He was forbidden by Kampong Trach communal police.

Related to the case, villagers said that among 3,960 hectares of land, which had been granted by the government, 800 was overlapped with their land. Besides police were trying to arrest many of them in accordance with the order by provincial court prosecutor.

Meanwhile out of 15 among the above villagers, 5 were those who summoned for questioning at court in the accusation of the same Yea Yeng’s case. One of them, Soth Sarorn decided to appear and planned to explain to the court that the protesting villagers had only detained the company representative for a short time to convince the company to clear a road that had been blocked by its activity.

That day a right organization Adhoc issued a statement requesting a release of Mr. Yea Yeng.