Two members of the Hang Dara Democratic Movement Party fled their homes recently to escape from alleged police harassment, relatives of the party members said Thursday.
Ou Sovan Dy, president of the Hang Dara Party’s Battambang office, ran away from his home Wednesday after police called on him there, said Chouy Pao, his 36-year-old wife.
“I think this is political intimidation because they knew my husband was attending [party] meetings,” she said. “I am worried about my husband’s security; he never had any problems in the village but the police did not tell me why they wanted to see him.”
Hang Dara Party member Prum Proeung, the deputy president of the party’s Battambang branch, also fled his home, Chouy Pao said.
Police had never visited Ou Sovan Dy’s house before he joined the party and came to his house only after he and Prum Proeung attended a party meeting that day aimed at strengthening the Hang Dara Party ahead of the July general elections, she said.
The party’s deputy secretary-general, Hang Samrith, said the police were intimidating the members when they went to the house.
“This is political intimidation—why do the police come to the house after [members] had attended a party meeting?” Hang Samrith asked. “I would like to appeal to all organizations to help intervene on our behalf.”
A local police official denied they were intimidating the party members. “We just called them in to ask them why they promised to give people land in Battambang,” said Koy Kosal, the Thmar Koul district police chief, referring to reports that the two party members were giving land away. “We just want to know where the land is and who they are going to give the land to—this is not involved in any political intimidation.”
Hang Dara, who says he is a former Funcinpec member, formed the party in June. In August, four party activists said they were threatened by local authorities.
