Rights Activist Denies Phnom Penh Move Is Due to Charges

18 October 2012
The Cambodia Daily
Ethnic minorities and indigenous people / Human rights / Judiciary and courts / Land / Land tenure and land titling / Law and judiciary / Phnom Penh / Social development
Activists / Adhoc / Cambodian Center for Human Rights / Chhay Thy / CPP / DM Group / ethnic minority villagers / Human Rights / human rights workers / incitement charges / Journalists / justice system / land disputes / NGOs / Ou Virak / Pen Bonnar / protests / Radio Free Asia / Ratanakkiri / Ratanakkiri provincial court / Sok Ratha / Tampuon villagers

A Ratanakkiri-based human rights worker charged by the Ratanakkiri Provincial Court with inciting ethnic minority villagers to protest during a 2009 land dispute with a private agro-industry company has been transferred to work in Phnom Penh. Pen Bonnar, Ratanakkiri provincial coordinator for Adhoc , said yesterday that his decision to take a posting with the organization in Phnom Penh had nothing to do with the lawsuit against him, and that Adhoc President Thun Saray had repeatedly asked him to move to the head office. … Kith Chem, the CPP chief of Batang commune in Lumphat district, has accused Mr. Bonnar, along with fellow Adhoc investigator Chhay Thy, Cambodian Center for Human Rights President Ou Virak, and Radio Free Asia reporter Sok Ratha of inciting Tampuon villagers to violently protest against the DM Group, a firm with which they were embroiled in a land dispute. …