Chhay Roth
Chhay Roth, an activist living in Village 1’s Group 7 in Commune 1, was arrested while trying to protect the property rights of his fellow villagers to land in the Kbal Chhay freshwater area. The land was previously granted to the village to grow crops, but on January 21, 2019, a government team showed up to dig a trench and clear the land to restrict access and make way for the demolition of local houses.
Nearly 100 villagers peacefully protested to prevent the team from digging. Authorities arrived at the scene and quickly arrested Chhay Roth and Tep Sopha, a volunteer with the Cambodian Labour Confederation. Both Chhay Roth and Tep Sopha were attempting to document the villagers’ grievances and help find a solution to the land grab issue. Over 100 families had petitioned provincial governor Yun Min for a solution to the land issue, but had not been recognized. In addition to arresting Chhay Roth and Tep Sopha, the authorities used violence to stop the protest, firing three bullets and using physical force against the protesters.
Chhay Roth remains in prison pending charges. In a statement from jail, he said, “They arrested me by grabbing the collar of my shirt. They handcuffed me and accused me of masterminding the protest. Now they have detained me at the provincial police station.”
Crimes: In jail awarding charges to be filed
Imprisonment: In jail awarding charges to be filed