Rights Workshop Banned, a Week Later

A week after holding a two-day workshop on law and human rights with about 40 villagers in Preah Vihear province, human rights group Adhoc received a letter on Friday informing them that it was banned.

Dated June 15 and signed by pro­vincial administration director Ung Vuthy, the letter states that the work­shop in Chheb district could not go ahead “because it is the rainy season and villagers are busy farming.”

However, Lor Chan, Adhoc’s pro­vincial coordinator, said the letter arrived eight days after the session had finished, and that the workshop had gone ahead as planned, albeit with officials attempting to disrupt it.

“Three police officials led by deputy district governor Sok Monyrith came on the first morning to prohibit the event,” he said.

After being shown a previously obtained letter of permission from provincial governor Oum Mara, however, the officers departed and the session was allowed to continue, he said.

In March, authorities in Ratanakkiri prov­ince shut down a similar Adhoc workshop on the grounds that the group had failed to obtain permission.

narim@cambodiadaily.com

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