Villagers vow to defy fresh ban on marches

29 May 2014
The Cambodia Daily
Anti-corruption / Civil society / Constitution and rights / Crime and law enforcement / Government / Human rights / Land / Land policy and administration / Land tenure and land titling / Law and judiciary / Ministries and other national bodies / Social development
ACU / Adhoc / Anti-Corruption Unit / Freedom Park / Khuong Sreng / Land Communities for Peace / National Assembly / Phnom Penh City Hall

More than 1,500 villagers plan to march to the Anti-Corruption Unit and National Assembly in Phnom Penh on Thursday in defiance of a fresh ban issued by City Hall prohibiting them from doing so. The villagers form a group known as the Land Communities for Peace and say they want to file petitions with both bodies to bring attention to rampant deforestation, land disputes and issues related to the granting of social land concessions. Representatives met in Phnom Penh with municipal deputy governor Khuong Sreng on Monday to inform him of their plans. … Instead, Mr. Sreng called on the villagers to send seven representatives to City Hall so that municipal officials can assist them in filing the petitions. But villager Seng Sokheng, who lives in Oddar Meanchey province, said the marches will go on as planned. …

 Joshua Wilwohl
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/villagers-vow-to-defy-fresh-ban-on-marches-59966/