Armed force burns down the homes of poor villagers to forcibly evict them from the area

(Amnesty International) Around 100 soldiers, police, military police and Forestry Administration officials forcibly evicted around 300 families in Ta Ken commune, Chhuk District in the province of Kampot on 17 and 18 November.

November 17th around 130 houses in a village in Kampot Province were burnt down by the mixed force. The next day they returned and burnt down the remaining 170 houses.

The villagers did not receive any prior notification of the eviction, which appears to have taken place without any legal eviction order. The families living in the village are poor farmers, some have now lost all their belongings in the fires. Representatives of the authorities have said the village lies within a protected area of forest, but observers say the boundaries of that area are unclear. The land is very fertile and attractive for business interest.

As a party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and other international human rights treaties which prohibit forced eviction and related human rights violations, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Cambodia has an obligation to stop forced evictions and to protect the population from forced evictions.

Tens of thousands Cambodians have already been forcibly evicted in recent years, many left homeless, others relocated to inadequate resettlement sites with poor infrastructure, lacking basic amenities including sanitation, and with limited access to work opportunities. Individuals and groups with political or economic power are allowed to act with impunity in arbitrarily expropriating land.

Send immediate appeals to Cambodian ministers. Write your own or use my letter:

Dear Minister,

It has come to my knowledge that 300 poor families from Anlong Krom village was forcibly evicted on the 17-18 November. I am very concerned at the eviction and the destruction of their homes, and urge You to immediately provide emergency relief, including adequate shelter, food, clean water and medical assistance.

I further call on You to proceed with concrete steps to ensure they receive adequate reparation, including adequate alternative accommodation and compensation, and urge You to undertake a full, effective and independent inquiry into the legality of the forced eviction and the violence by members of the mixed force, following which those responsible should be brought to justice.

I finally call on the authorities to end all forced evictions and declare and enforce a moratorium for all mass evictions until legislative and policy measures are in place to ensure that evictions are conducted only in full compliance with international human rights laws and standards.

As a party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and other international human rights treaties which prohibit forced eviction and related human rights violations, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Cambodia has an obligation to stop forced evictions and to protect the population from forced evictions.

Respectfully and sincerely,

Name, Address

Addresses to the ministers are to be found here.