តើ​មាន​អ្វី​ខ្លះ​នៅ​ពី​ក្រោយ​ឃាតកម្ម​លើ​បណ្ឌិត កែម ឡី

ការ​បាញ់​សម្លាប់​លោក​បណ្ឌិត កែម ឡី អ្នក​វិភាគ​សង្គម និង​នយោបាយ​ឥត​សំចៃ​មាត់​នោះ គឺ​ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​ភ្ញាក់​ផ្អើល​ពី​សាធារណជន​ជាតិ និង​អន្តរជាតិ និង​ស្ថាប័ន​អង្គការ​ធំៗ នៅ​លើ​ពិភពលោក​បាន​ចេញ​សេចក្ដី​ថ្លែងការណ៍​ថ្កោលទោស​ទៀត​ផង។

ឃាតកម្ម​នេះ ត្រូវ​បាន​អ្នក​ឃ្លាំមើល​សិទ្ធិមនុស្ស​ចាត់​ទុក​ថា មិន​ខុស​ពី​ឃាតកម្ម​លើ​ប្រធាន​សហជីព សកម្មជន​បរិស្ថាន និង​អ្នក​សារព័ត៌មាន​នោះ​ឡើយ គឺ​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​ហាក់​លាក់​បាំង​មិន​ចង់​ឲ្យ​សាធារណជន​ដឹង​ពី​ការ​ពិត និង​អ្នក​បញ្ជា​ពី​ក្រោយ​ខ្នង​នោះ​ឡើយ។ ក្រុម​អ្នក​ការពារ​សិទ្ធិមនុស្ស​ទាំង​នោះ​ពន្យល់​ថា ការ​រារាំង និង​លាក់បាំង​បែប​នេះ គឺ​អាច​ពាក់ព័ន្ធ​នឹង​គណបក្ស​កាន់​អំណាច។

តើ​ឃាតកម្ម​លើ​បណ្ឌិត កែម ឡី មាន​អ្វី​ខ្លះ​នៅ​ពី​ក្រោយ​ខ្នង?
លោក​បណ្ឌិត កែម ឡី អ្នក​វិភាគ​បញ្ហា​សង្គម​ឥត​សំចៃ​មាត់ មិន​ខ្លាច​សេចក្ដី​ស្លាប់ ទោះ​បី​លោក​ដឹង​ថា ពេល​លោក​វិភាគ​ម្ដងៗ មិន​ដែល​គិត​ថា​លោក​នឹង​មាន​ជីវិត​ក្ដី ប៉ុន្តែ​ទី​បញ្ចប់​ឃាតក​បាន​បាញ់​ប្រហារ​លោក​នៅ​កណ្ដាល​ទីក្រុង​ភ្នំពេញ ដែល​សាធារណជន​មាន​ភាព​រន្ធត់ និង​សោកស្ដាយ​ក្រៃលែង។

មក​ទល់​ពេល​នេះ មាន​រយៈពេល​ជាង​បី​ខែ​ហើយ គិត​ពី​ថ្ងៃ​ដែល​ឃាតក​បាញ់​សម្លាប់​លោក​នៅ​ក្នុង​ស្តារម៉ាត (Star Mart) កាល់តិច ស្ដុប​បូកគោ កាល​ពី​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​១០ ខែ​កក្កដា ឆ្នាំ​២០១៦ តែ​មក​ទល់​ពេល​នេះ យុត្តិធម៌​សម្រាប់​រូប​លោក និង​ក្រុម​គ្រួសារ​មិន​ទាន់​មាន​នៅ​ឡើយ។

ឃាតកម្ម​លើ​លោក​បណ្ឌិត កែម ឡី មាន​ចំណុច​សង្ស័យ​ជា​ច្រើន​ដែល​ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​ធ្វើ​អ្នក​ឃ្លាំមើល​សិទ្ធិ​មនុស្ស រួម​ទាំង​អ្នក​ជិតស្និទ្ធ​នឹង​លោក​បណ្ឌិត កែម ឡី ផង បញ្ជាក់​ថា ឃាតកម្ម​គឺ​ជាប់​ពាក់ព័ន្ធ​ជាមួយ​មន្ត្រី​ជាន់​ខ្ពស់​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​ណា​មួយ​នៅ​ពី​ក្រោយ​ខ្នង​រឿង​នេះ បើ​ពុំ​ដូច្នេះ​ទេ តុលាការ ឬ​សមត្ថកិច្ច​បញ្ចេញ​កាមេរ៉ា​សុវត្ថិភាព និង​បង្ហាញ​ជន​ពាក់ព័ន្ធ​ដទៃ​ទៀត​ក្រៅ​ពី អឿត អាង ហៅ ជួប សម្លាប់ នោះ​ហើយ។

Boeung Kak activists quizzed over Wat Phnom attack

Two Boeung Kak lake activists were questioned by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday in relation to a 2013 attack by unidentified assailants on community members at the capital’s Wat Phnom.

Land activists from the Boueng Kak and Borei Keila communities were attacked by a group of men wearing masks and armed with slingshots, batons and sticks during a nighttime candle-light vigil in September 2013, with 11 activists and a rights monitor injured.

Five of the activists who filed a complaint over the incident were questioned by the Ministry of Interior in May, and yesterday two more of the victims – Mao Sokha and Som Soueng – were questioned in court about their recollections of the now three-year-old incident.

“We do not know the identity of the perpetrators but, at the time, the authorities were standing behind them,” Soueng told reporters after the questioning. She added that she had lost hope of getting justice and that the group had been left with only “the scars from their wounds.”

Sokha said the group was also confused because the summons listed the date of the incident as May 6, 2016, and not September 2013. “Maybe they [officials] were confused,” she said.

Inspection follows death of quarry workers

The Ministry of Mines and Energy yesterday ordered a Lim Heng Group-owned construction firm to temporarily shut down operations following the death of three workers in a rock slide on Sunday.

“The inspector of the department ordered them to delay operations completely for the investigation,” ministry spokesman Dith Dina said in an email yesterday. “The ministry has ordered Lim Heng to urgently solve any issues with the families while the ministry sends inspectors to investigate the incident. The decision of . . . what action to take depends on the report of the inspectors,” the email continued.

He added that the company had the appropriate licences for mining and was registered with Social Security Fund.

According to Dina, the company’s accident report said an excavating machine was digging out earth and stone on a hillside when loose rocks began falling down the slope, burying a second excavator and the three victims below.

Ath Khem, Banteay Meanchey police chief, said provincial authorities are also investigating. The families have not yet been compensated, per O’Prasat commune chief Khim Mara.                          

Ethnic minority families claim violent evictions in Preah Vihear

Six ethnic Kuoy families were violently evicted from their homes in Preah Vihear over the weekend, according to eyewitnesses, with further evictions threatened for another 13 families this morning.

Boeng Choen, 44, was ploughing her rice field in Tbeng Meanchey district’s Brame commune on Saturday when a neighbour called to say uniformed men were tearing down her house. Attempting to return home in a truck with 15 other villagers, she found the way blocked by 25 police, military police and provincial Forestry Administration (FA) officials, she said yesterday.

Provincial Governor Oun Chenda said yesterday that the land on which Choen and five other families had built their homes belongs to neighbouring Chheb district and that all those evicted were squatters.

But Choen, who claims no prior notice was given of the evictions, said she and her family have been living on the land since 1995. Yesterday, she showed reporters a copy of a document dated 2007 and thumbprinted by a former Brame commune chief saying the land belonged to her family.

Current Brame commune chief Meach Sarng said yesterday that there are 19 families facing eviction in the commune, all of them with proper documentation of their land. However, Choen said that when she presented her documents to officials on Saturday, they dismissed them as “invalid”.

Photos taken on Saturday show timber being taken from the demolished home and loaded onto a truck with state licence plates under the observation of military and FA officials.

When she was eventually allowed back to the land her home used to stand on, Choen was joined by her sister, Khom Rany, 26. Rany said yesterday that she had begun to take photos of the wreckage on her phone but a scuffle ensued during which officials led by provincial FA chief Ith Phomara punched her and confiscated her phone.

Phomara did not respond to requests for comment, but Chenda, the provincial governor, denied a confrontation took place.

“Our people, provincial Forestry Administration officials and others told them not to take any photos or videos,” Chenda said without explaining why photographing the area had been disallowed. “They kept filming and taking photos, so we just took their phone. We didn’t fight, we just got their phones.”

Caoung Phea, a project officer with the Cambodia Indigenous Peoples Organisation (CIPO), yesterday described Saturday’s events as both a human rights abuse and criminal assault, for which CIPO intends to file complaints with the provincial court and the Cambodian Human Rights Committee.

The remaining 13 families were told they had three days to leave or be similarly evicted. Phea said CIPO intends to file petitions today with UN Special Rapporteur Rhona Smith, the Ministry of Land Management and the Agriculture Ministry.

Commune chief accused of clearing state forestland

A Forestry Administration official said yesterday that authorities have filed a court complaint accusing a commune chief in Kampong Thom province of clearing protected state forestland for private sale.

Sao Vanny, chief of the Forestry Administration for Sandan district, said that two tractors were seized during a crackdown on illegal forest clearing on Friday, and that authorities had also found about 3.5 hectares of forestland cleared for sale.

“After a few days of investigation, authorities realised that both tractors belonged to Huot Chheang, the chief of Sroeung commune,” Vanny said. “The authorities have made a case to charge him with secretly clearing reserved forestland of the state.”

Reached yesterday, Chheang denied that the area cleared was state-owned, claiming that a cashew farmer named “Heang” rented 5 hectares to his son.

“Before clearing, I asked for permission from the district governor . . . and [he] told me that clearing a five-hectare farm can be decided by the commune authorities if the land is private,” he said.

“Therefore, I decided to allow my son to take the job.”                                                                             

ពលរដ្ឋ​ដែល​រង​ផល​ប៉ះពាល់​ដោយ​ទឹក​ជំនន់​ត្អូញត្អែរ​ពី​ផល​លំបាក

ពលរដ្ឋ​ដែល​រង​ផល​ប៉ះពាល់​ដោយ​ទឹក​ជំនន់​ត្អូញត្អែរ​ពី​ផល​លំបាក

ប្រជា​ពលរដ្ឋ​ជា​ច្រើន​រយ​គ្រួសារ ដែល​រស់​នៅ​ក្រោម​ខ្សែ​ទឹក ក្នុង​ស្រុក​គងពិសី ខេត្ត​កំពង់ស្ពឺ និង​ផ្នែក​ខ្លះ​នៃ​ខេត្ត​តាកែវ ត្អូញត្អែរ ពី​ផល​លំបាក នៃ​ទឹក​ជំនន់​នេះ។

ពួកគេ​ត្រូវ​រស់នៅ​ដោយ​ការ​គំរាមកំហែង​ដោយ​ទឹកជំនន់​នេះ អស់​រយៈពេល ២ថ្ងៃ​មក​ហើយ មក​ទល់​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​១៨ តុលា។ ប៉ុន្តែ​ខាង​អាជ្ញាធរ បាន​អះអាង​ថា ទឹក​ជំនន់​ឆ្នាំ​នេះ ពុំ​បណ្ដាល​ឲ្យ​បាត់បង់ អាយុ​ជីវិត​មនុស្ស និង​សត្វ​ពាហនៈ​ទេ ក្រៅ​ពី​ខូចខាត​ផល​ដំណាំ និង គមនាគមន៍​មួយ​ចំនួន។

ផ្លូវជាតិលេខ៣ នៅម្តុំ ភូមិព្រៃស្តេច ឃុំវាល ស្រុកគងពិសី ខេត្តកំពង់ស្ពឺ

Court Still Wants Kem Ley’s Wife

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court announced yesterday that it would continue efforts to have the wife of murdered political analyst Kem Ley appear to answer questions after she did not appear yesterday as summoned.

Bou Rachana has been summonsed twice since August to appear before investigators in the case of her murdered husband, but she is now in Thailand with her five children, waiting for an asylum application to be processed.

Spokesperson for the court Ly Sophanna said Ms. Rachana’s failure to appear would not affect the ongoing investigation.

“We sent the subpoena through the correct procedures,” he said, declining to comment further.

Mr. Ley was murdered nearly three months ago at a gas station cafe in Phnom Penh and despite the arrest of key suspect Eurth Ang within minutes, little information has been released by authorities amid increasing calls for more transparency in the case.

In a separate case, four land-rights campaigners from the Boeung Kak community who were attacked by Daun Penh district security forces in 2013 were in court yesterday in relation to charges brought by 11 campaigners accusing the forces of using intentional violence with aggravating circumstances.

Som Seoung, Srey Sophoeun, Hanh Sros and Mao Sokha were all in court yesterday morning to clarify their version of events of the incident that took place at the Wat Phnom roundabout on September 22, 2013.

Mr. Seoung told judge Lim Makaron that community protesters had gathered to meditate and push authorities to expedite their land claims. He also said that they asked for the release of some fellow campaigners, but that local security forces had violently attacked them and injured at least 11.

“[The court] is late for people who have problems, and it’s very slow,” he told the court.

“Perhaps I don’t hope to get justice because this case happened years ago.”

Failure of dams leads to flooding in Phnom Penh, Kampong Speu

Thousands of homes in Phnom Penh and Kampong Speu have been flooded after three dams were seriously damaged following two weeks of torrential rain and warnings from government officials.

The homes of 1,637 families in nine different Dangkor district communes have been flooded following severe damage to the three dams, according to a police inspector who asked to be identified only as Panha. An additional 1,367 homes have been flooded in Kampong Speu.

Prek Thnout dam was seriously damaged in one spot – where a section of concrete wall collapsed – and sprung a more minor leak in another yesterday, according to Dangkor District Governor Nut Putdara. On Saturday, Roland Chrey dam in Kampong Speu was damaged, and Svay dam followed suit yesterday evening.

Putdara told the Post yesterday that the damage to the Roland Chrey and Svay dams in Kampong Speu had contributed to the damage of the dam in Dangkor.                                                 “After Roland Chrey and Svay Dam broke in Kampong Speu province, the water level in the Prek Thnout River near Phnom Penh rose dramatically,” he said, explaining that the sudden influx of water was too much for the dam to bear.

Authorities have enlisted local people living near Prek Thnout dam into helping repair the damage to prevent even more serious flooding. They have been unsuccessfully trying to plug the leaks with sandbags and a makeshift earthen berm.

“Now, our authorities are actively trying to repair the dam and prevent further damage by using sandbags, tree branches and soil,” Putdara said.

Earlier this month, Putdara warned villagers to be prepared to evacuate to safe zones on higher land in the event of serious flooding.

Yesterday evening, Chhum Chhin, chief of Baku village in Dangkor district, told the Post that 70 families living in his village have packed their things and moved from their flooded homes to safer areas. They are currently living on elevated roadways and hills nearby.

“We are worried about the flood. I think that if it keeps raining and water keeps flowing from Kampong Speu province, houses, schools and pagodas located in the lowland area near the Prek Thnout River will be flooded,” Chhin said.

In Kampong Speu, authorities reported that flooding damaged the two dams at a total of six locations, causing further flooding that made 20 sections of road inaccessible and destroyed 146 hectares of rice crops.

Kampong Speu Provincial Governor Vi Samnang reported that the 1,367 families in nine communes of Kong Pisei district are experiencing flooding, but said the dams cannot be repaired.

“Now, we cannot block the dam since the current is too strong. So we have to let it flow in order to avoid the serious damage,” Samnang said.