Urgent Action 3-9-11

URGENT ACTION APPEAL
- From Amnesty International USA

To learn about recent Urgent Action successes and updates, go to
http://www.amnestyusa.org/iar/success
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For a print-friendly version of this Urgent Action (PDF):
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8 March 2011

UA 63/11 - Fear for Safety/Forcible Eviction

CAMBODIA Up to 1,500 families

Up to 1,500 families living around Boeung Kak Lake in Phnom Penh are facing imminent forced eviction, as the local authority and the company developing the land seek to clear the area. Intimidation and threats have been used against villagers to coerce them into accepting inadequate compensation or resettlement, and the security forces have used unnecessary force against peaceful gatherings of protesters.

On 2 March the Municipality of Phnom Penh (MPP) issued an eviction notice to residents of villages 6, 20, 21, 22 and 24 located around Boeung Kak Lake. It gave a one week deadline for the villagers to contact the local authority about compensation, failing which "strict measures" would be taken. The eviction notice also indicated that the authorities would not be "responsible for loss or destruction of property". This deadline has now been extended.

The families have lived with the threat of forced eviction since the MPP granted a 99-year lease for the land to a private company for development of the area in February 2007. In August 2008 the company began filling the lake with sand, causing flooding and destruction of properties. Since then around 2,000 families living in the vicinity have been forcibly evicted, with the remaining families (around 10,000 people) at risk, despite many having strong claims to formal land title deeds under Articles 30 and 31 of the 2001 Land Law.

No meaningful consultation has been carried out with the families. They have either been offered compensation which is insufficient to provide comparable alternative housing, or relocation to a site with limited access to work opportunities, poor infrastructure and a lack of basic amenities.

In January, the families submitted a proposal to the MPP for adequate on-site housing on 12% of the leased land. The detailed plan was developed by the residents with architects from a local NGO. The MPP rejected the proposal on 22 February. On 28 February, around 100 police officials used excessive force against some 200 residents who gathered peacefully to ask the MPP governor to reconsider. Police beat and hit some of the villagers with electric batons, including a woman who was violently pushed into a police car. Three people were arrested and later released.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
According to the Municipality of Phnom Penh, the 133 hectares leased to a private company are to be turned into "pleasant, trade, and service places for domestic and international tourists", but beyond that few details have been disclosed. The agreement between the company and municipality was reached without any consultation with the affected population. In early 2008 representatives of the people affected told Amnesty International that they had learnt about the agreement and the plans through the television news.

Since filling of the lake began, police and company workers have threatened and harassed the residents, and attempted to prevent them from holding meetings and from peacefully protesting against the forced eviction. In October 2010, police used unnecessary force, including electric batons, to break up a peaceful protest by Boeung Kak Lake villagers during the visit of the UN Secretary-General. One resident, Suong Sophorn, was beaten unconscious and detained by police until the departure of the Secretary-General. He had previously been arrested and fined in 2009 for painting "Stop Eviction" on his house.

The forced eviction of residents living around Boeung Kak Lake is under further scrutiny because of a case brought to the World Bank by the community and three NGOs. This case alleges that the residents were denied the opportunity to register their claims to land ownership under the World Bank administered Land Management and Administration Project (LMAP) which was designed to provide land titles throughout Cambodia.

Thousands of people around Cambodia are adversely affected by forced evictions, land grabs and land disputes, some in connection with economic land concessions granted to powerful companies and individuals. Increasing numbers of communities and individuals are protesting and petitioning the authorities in defense of their right to housing.

Cambodia is a state 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). The government therefore has an obligation to stop forced evictions and to protect the population from forced evictions.

Forced evictions are evictions carried out without adequate notice and consultation with those affected, without legal safeguards and without assurances of adequate alternative accommodation.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible:
- Demanding the authorities ensure no forced evictions of families living around Boeung Kak Lake are carried out;
- Calling on the authorities to engage in meaningful consultation with the affected families about adequate compensation, or adequate alternative housing, including by giving serious consideration to the alternative proposal by residents for on-site development;
- Urging the authorities to ensure that the rights of the residents of Boeung Kak Lake are respected and protected, including by ensuring an immediate end to the excessive use of force, and harassment, intimidation and restrictions on the right to peaceful protest.


APPEALS TO:
Governor
Phnom Penh Municipality
Kep Chuktema
# 69 Blvd. Preah Monivong
Khan Daun Penh
Phnom Penh,
CAMBODIA
Fax: 011 855 23 430 681
Email: info@phnompenh.gov.kh
Salutation: Your Excellency

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior
Sar Kheng
#75 Norodom Blvd.
Khan Chamkarmon
Phnom Penh,
CAMBODIA
Fax: 011 855 23 212708
Email: moi@interior.gov.kh
Salutation: Your Excellency

COPIES TO:

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
Hor Nam Hong
No 3 Samdech Hun Sen Street
Sangkat Tonle Bassac
Khan Chamcar Mon
Phnom Penh,
CAMBODIA
Fax: 011 855 23 216141

Ambassador Hem Heng
Royal Embassy of Cambodia
4530 16th St NW
Washington DC 20011
Fax: 1 202 726 8381
Email: recdc@embassyofcambodia.org


PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY.
Check with the AIUSA Urgent Action office if sending appeals after 19 April 2011.

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Amnesty International is a worldwide grassroots movement
that promotes and defends human rights.

This Urgent Action may be reposted if kept intact, including contact information and stop action date (if applicable).
Thank you for your help with this appeal.

Urgent Action Network
Amnesty International USA
600 Pennsylvania Ave SE 5th fl
Washington DC 20003
Email: uan@aiusa.org
http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/
Phone: 202.509.8193
Fax: 202.675.8566
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END OF URGENT ACTION APPEAL
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++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

URGENT ACTION APPEAL
- From Amnesty International USA

To learn about recent Urgent Action successes and updates, go to
http://www.amnestyusa.org/iar/success
----------------------------------
For a print-friendly version of this Urgent Action (PDF):
http://www.amnestyusa.org/actioncenter/actions/uaa05511.pdf

Note: Please write on behalf of these persons even though you may not have received the original UA when issued on March 3, 2011. Thanks!

8 March 2011

Further information on UA 55/11 (3 March 2011) - Risk of torture/ill-treatment

ZIMBABWE
Munyaradzi Gwisai,
Hopewell Gumbo,
Antonater Choto,
Welcome Zimuto,
Eddson Chakuma,
Tatenda Mombeyarara

Thirty-nine of the 45 activists arrested in Harare on 19 February were freed after the treason charges against them were dismissed by a magistrate court. However, six activists remain in custody facing treason charges. Meanwhile, 24 activists arrested in Mutare, including a parliamentarian, had a hearing of the state's appeal on bail postponed.

On 7 March, 39 social justice and human rights activists facing treason charges were freed after a magistrate in Harare dismissed the charges against them. They had spent more than two weeks in custody. The activists were part of a group of 45 activists arrested on 19 February after attending a lecture to discuss events in Egypt and Tunisia. However, Munyaradzi Gwisai, Hopewell Gumbo, Antonater Choto, Welcome Zimuto, Eddson Chakuma and Tatenda Mombeyarara were remanded in custody to 21 March because they were either directly linked to International Social Organisation which convened the meeting or were speakers at the meeting.

Lawyers representing the activists told the court that the detained activists were being held in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day. The lawyers also told the court that 11 women activists who had been detained at Chikurubi Women's Prison were forced to work for three hours a day in violation of their rights as pre-trial detainees.

Meanwhile, on 7 March a High Court judge postponed the hearing of an appeal filed by the State in the case of Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) parliamentarian Douglas Mwonzora and 23 villagers arrested on allegations of public violence in Nyanga mid February. The case was postponed to 9 March after the judge noted that the record of proceedings was incomplete with some pages missing. The 24 MDC-T members are detained at Mutare Remand Prison.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible:
- Highlighting your concern over the detention of the 45 activists in solitary confinement for more than two weeks and urging them to ensure the remaining six activists in custody are not subjected to torture, inhuman and degrading treatment, including not being detained in solitary confinement.
- Urging them to drop the treason charges against the six activists arrested solely for exercising their right to freedom of expression and to immediately and unconditionally release them.



APPEALS TO:

Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs
Hon Patrick Chinamasa
Government of Zimbabwe
New Government Complex
P. Bag 7751, Causeway
Harare,
ZIMBABWE
Fax: 011 263 4 790901
Salutation: Dear Minister

The Attorney General
Johannes Tomana
Government of Zimbabwe
P. Bag 7714, Causeway
Harare,
ZIMBABWE
Fax: 011 263 4 777049
Salutation:Dear Attorney General


COPIES TO:

Ambassador Dr. Machivenyika T. Mapuranga
Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe
1608 New Hampshire Ave. NW
Washington DC 20009
Phone: 1 202 332 7100
Fax: 1 202 483 9326
Email: info@zimbabwe-embassy.us
zimembassy@yahoo.com

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY.
Check with the AIUSA Urgent Action office if sending appeals after 19 April 2011.


----------------------------------
Tip of the Month:
Write as soon as you can. Try to write as close as possible
to the date a case is issued.

** POSTAGE RATES **
Within the United States:
$0.28 - Postcards
$0.44 - Letters and Cards (up to 1 oz.)
To Canada:
$0.75 - Postcards
$0.75 - Airmail Letters and Cards (up to 1 oz.)
To Mexico:
$0.79 - Postcards
$0.79 - Airmail Letters and Cards (up to 1 oz.)
To all other destination countries:
$0.98 - Postcards
$0.98 - Airmail Letters and Cards (up to 1 oz.)

Amnesty International is a worldwide grassroots movement that promotes and defends human rights.

This Urgent Action may be reposted if kept intact, including contact information and stop action date (if applicable).
Thank you for your help with this appeal.

Urgent Action Network
Amnesty International USA
600 Pennsylvania Ave SE 5th fl
Washington DC 20003
Email: uan@aiusa.org
http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/
Phone: 202.509.8193
Fax: 202.675.8566
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END OF URGENT ACTION APPEAL
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