President and members of Coalition of Cambodian Farmer Community charged with incitement

 


Buth Reaksmey Kongkea

 Ratanakiri Provincial Court on Saturday charged and detained three senior officers from the Coalition of Cambodian Farmers Community Association (CCFA). The three men were charged with incitement, after allegedly leading farmers to defy the government and calling for a farmers’ revolution.

 Ratanakkiri provincial police Deputy Chief Colonel Teng Saroeun named the three accused men as Theng Savoeun, president of CCFA; and Nhel Pheap and Than Hach, senior advocacy officers with CCFA.

Col. Saroeun said that the trio was charged with “incitement to commit a felony or cause social unrest” under Articles 494 and 495 of the Criminal Code.

If convicted, they face punishment from six months to two years in prison.

 He said that on May 13 and 14, the three accused conducted a CCFC network training seminar on “Farmers’ Techniques and Agricultural Products Strategy '' with the participation of farmers from around Ratanakiri province. 

He added that about 40 people attended the training seminar.

 “During the training, the three men called for a farmers' revolution. They urged the farmers to defy the government over agricultural policies,” he told Khmer Times yesterday.

“Their activities violated the laws,” he said. 

He said that Savoeun, Pheap and Hach were arrested on May 17 in accordance with a court arrest warrant. 

He added that at that time, police also arrested 14 other people who are farmers and belong to the CCFC farmer network. This group were later released after they were educated and signed a contract promising they will no longer participate in illegal activities. 

Ministry of Interior spokesman, Khieu Sopheak, said that the three men were arrested because they were sowing rebellion among farmers for falsely dropping accusations against the government over the agricultural products policy.  

He said that they had incited farmers to be angry with government leaders and were aiming to create insecurity, disorder and turmoil.

“Our authorities had sufficient evidence to accuse and arrest three of them,” he said.

He added that the evidence consists of training notes and materials for the seminar that police seized from them after arrest. The three men confessed to using the documents.

Neither the three men nor their lawyer Ms. Sam Sokunthea could not be reached for comment yesterday.



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