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Article

18 Jun 2017

Author:
Sek Odom, Cambodia Daily

Cambodia: Environmental activist alleges police harassment and seeks help from UN OHCHR

"Anarchist" Activist Flees Village for UN, Alleging Harassment", 13 June 2017

An environmental activist branded an “anarchist” by a government spokesman said he fled to the U.N. human rights office in Phnom Penh...after police harassed him for becoming involved in a dispute between sand dredgers and villagers in Kandal province.

Villagers... asked for help from the NGO Mother Nature after nine of their homes fell into the Tonle Bassac river last month because of erosion they blame on rampant river sand dredging, activist Thun Ratha said... 

Mr. Ratha, who has been involved in Mother Nature protests against environmentally destructive coastal sand dredging in Koh Kong province... planned on staying through the weekend to help villagers mobilize against the dredging...

He coordinated a protest...that drew about 100 local residents.

...Mr. Ratha said, the commune police chief and village chief arrived at his accommodation demanding to know why he was in the area and asking to photograph his identification card. He refused their requests.

“I only stayed at a private house,” he said. “Why did I need to tell them?”

Fearing Mr. Ratha would be arrested, villagers then escorted him to the Phnom Penh offices of OHCHR, the U.N. human rights agency...

...OHCHR spokesperson Sovanna Mann said the agency did not comment on individual cases.

...District police chief...claimed it was protocol for police to ask for the identities of visitors and said...Ratha had lied...about his motives by telling them he was merely visiting family.

Mines and Energy Ministry spokesman Dith Tina blamed natural causes for the riverbank erosion but said that authorities had ordered local dredging companies to shore up the riverbank with sand immediately after the collapse...