Apr 21, 2011
DPA
Phnom Penh - Land rights activists demanded an investigation after police on Thursday beat and arrested 11 villagers, including women and two children, who were protesting their imminent evictions in a land deal in Phnom Penh.
The residents were in a group of 100 villagers who gathered at the municipality's head office, seeking discussions over their pending evictions.
Rights workers said the villagers were surrounded by more than 100 armed riot police and military police. At least four women were knocked unconscious after being hit with electric shock batons, they said. Two others were injured in beatings, and two boys, 11 and 12, were among those arrested, they added.
The Housing Rights Task Force, a local non-governmental organization, said the authorities must stop intimidating residents of Phnom Penh's Boeung Kak lake area.
'Beating the villagers and ignoring their voices won't make the problems go away,' the organization said in a statement.
No comments:
Post a Comment