UN Housing Envoy Wants Eviction Activists Freed
The U.N.’s Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing, Raquel Rolnik, has waded in to the furor surrounding the imprisonment this week of two anti-eviction activists from Boeng Kak and Borei Keila communities, posing with a poster calling for the release of the two women. Yorm Bopha, 32, from Boeng Kak lake was detained and summarily jailed on Tuesday, while 64-year-old Toem Sakmony from Borei Keila was similarly arrested and jailed on Wednesday. Ms. Bopha was charged with “intentional violence” and Ms. Sakmony was charged with making a “false declaration” though court and police officials have released no other information related to the alleged crimes. … Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan said he had not seen Ms. Rolnik’s photograph, adding that the case is before the courts, which he claimed were independent in Cambodia. …
