Press Release: Chim Keo

December 10 is human rights day. Mr. Chim Keo will spend this day in his prison cell of 25m2 in Battambang. A cell that he shares with 15 other inmates. Mr. Keo was unrightfully detained. Battambang’s prosecutor accuses Mr. Keo of infringing the property rights of Mr. Eang Oeun, a businessman from Battambang. The investigating judge decided to detain Mr. Keo on the basis of invalid grounds. The land dispute was already brought before the Supreme Court in Phnom Penh. On August 24, 2005 the five members of the Supreme Court judges rendered their verdict stating that Mr. Keo had not violated Mr. Eang Oeun’s property.

Even if the verdict did not state who the disputed land belong to but it is seems Mr. Keo has the rightful owner of his land that he has been farming since 1990. In spite of the fact that justice took its rightful course it still looks like wealthy businessmen can overrule the rule of law and can take justice in their own hands by summoning the Battambang investigating judge to detain Mr. Keo unlawfully. Defending legal aid lawyer Mr. Diep Kulam is currently finding ways to get his client out of prison as soon as possible. Mr. Keo suffers from life threatening diabetes and hepatitis. So far the Ministry of Justice, Cambodia Human Rights Committee, Prosecutor General of the Supreme Court and the Chief of Discipline Council of Supreme Council of Magistracy seems not able to help his client.

“This incident reflects badly on the human rights situation and the rule of law in Cambodia,” says Mrs. Peung Yok Hiep, director of Legal Aid of Cambodia. “If Cambodia wants to become a developed country we have to respect the rule of law and cannot succumb to the whims of rich businessman. Recently our Prime Minister Samdach Hun Sen clearly appealed to all judges to stop detaining people in civil disputes over land. Disputes over land should not be dealt with as criminal cases (infringement of property rights) but as civil cases as is done in most developed countries.”