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| Ven. Luon Sovath, a land activist in Cambodia (Photo: BBC) |
28 March 2011
By Phorn Ryna
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Soch for KI-Media
Click here to read the article in Khmer
Venerable Luon Sovath, who appeared among the group of protesting Boeun Kak residents, is in hiding and he does not dare go to his pagoda because the authority is looking to arrest him.
Ven. Luon Sovath told RFA in the evening of Sunday 27 March that the authority was looking to arrest him since the morning of 25 March when he was watching and taping the protesters demanding a resolution to their rights to own the land in the Boeung Kak Lake area which took place in front of the Phnom Penh city hall. He was facing arrest because the authority accused him of violating the Buddhism rule because he was siding with the protesters.
In response to this accusation, Ven. Luon Sovath said that he did nothing to violate Buddhism. However, the authority attempted to chase him out from the location, but he refused: “I was not involved with the Boeung Kak residents, as a monk, I was only watching. Therefore, I did nothing to violate the law or any rule, then they sweet talk in an attempt to make me leave, but I refused. Then they said that if I don’t leave, I must bear the responsibility, they will not be responsible.”
At that time, Ven. Luon Sovath was taken out of the location by officials from the UN OHCHR in Cambodia and taken to a safe place. Ven. Luon Sovath indicated: “Due to their concerns on human rights in Cambodia, they took me out from the residents and brought me to safety. They followed with their cars until I arrived to my monk residence, but in reality, they [the authority] have all planned to surround my residence or arrest me.”
Ven. Luon Sovath confirmed to RFA on his Facebook wall that there are some people who used his identity (name and picture) to write articles cursing Cambodian leaders. This incident took place when he returned from his meeting in the US where he was invited to attend by a US human rights organization.
Ven. Luon Sovath used to express his opinion to find justice for victims of a land dispute in Chikreng commune, Chikreng district, Siem Reap province. During that dispute, the cops fired and shot villagers who were harvesting rice, two villagers were injured from that police violence. He was also threatened on many occasions by the authority after he publicly tried to find resolution for the villagers in Siem Reap.
On Sunday night, RFA could not reach the authority in this case.
Currently, Ven. Luon Sovath is staying at a safe location under the protection of the UN OHCHR in Cambodia.
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