The 24-hour hunger strike by 4 representatives of Boeung Kak Lake, entangled in a never ending land issue and protesting for the release of Yorm Bopha, land rights activist and Amnesty International Prisoner of Conscience, ended this morning with 2 remaining protesters. In time to gather forces for the upcoming Appeal’s Court trial tomorrow…
In a country where people eat 5 times a day (when they have the money to do so) it is not a small achievement to decide to go on hunger strike… Boeung Kak Lake representatives Tep Vanny, Bov Sopheak, Kung Chhantha and Bo Chorvy are doing just that: a 24h hunger strike in front of the Appeals Court to ask for justice for Yorm Bopha, jailed land activist and Amnesty International Prisoner of Conscience.
On the occasion of International Children’s Day, the Boeung Kak Lake community wanted to remind the fact that Yorm Bopha, land rights activist and Amnesty International Prisoner of Conscience who will be in front of the Appeal’s Court on June 5th, is also a mother. The community staged a march from the former lake to the Appeal’s Court for the classmates of Yorm Bopha’s children.
Some 50 residents from Boeung Kak Lake who were evicted a couple of years ago are camping since thursday in front of the Municipality building…
A big thank you to all those who attended the opening of ‘Quest for Land’ at Meta House last night, as well as to those who helped me put the show together.
In case you missed the opening, the exhibition will be on the walls for the next two weeks…
Boeung Kak Lake members blocked Monivong Boulevard this morning, during a demonstration requesting a solution for their land issue which has been dragging on since several years. They were dispersed by the water cannons of fire trucks ordered by the police.
See also this, and this, and this, and this… It will give you some background…
The opening of ‘Quest for Land’, the exhibition celebrating the 1st anniversary of the app for the iPad (available on iTunes here) is this wednesday at 6:00PM at Meta House on Sothearos Boulevard (Phnom Penh-Cambodia)…
You are welcome…
See also this…
The CNRP (Cambodian National Rescue Party) held a second rally this morning to ask for an electoral reform. Over 2,000 people showed up, listening to the figureheads Kem Sokha, Mu Sochua, Prince Sisowath Thomico, before marching towards the European Union offices and the UN Human Rights offices to deliver a petition. The official campaign for the general elections has not started yet, but Prime Minister Hun Sen has already accused some CNRP members of having ties with terrorists and of being republicans.
The troubling presence of some 50 tuk-tuk drivers who were demonstrating simultaneously with the CNRP rally in front of the UN Human Rights offices to deliver a petition while at the same time using extremely offensive words towards UN Human Rights envoy Sorya Subedhi, prompted the UN to ask for police protection. There were indeed a few policemen in the shadow of a tree at the corner of the street. I am not sure the tuk tuk drivers deserve a photograph in this blog though.
