An Adhoc human rights activist based in Banteay Meanchey province was summoned to the provincial court to clarify his involvement in protests earlier this week.

The court order, issued by provincial court judge Phann Van Roth, called Sum Chankea, provincial coordinator for local rights group Adhoc, to the court to discuss his role in “protests.” The summons fails to identify which protest, as there were multiple in the province last week.

Contacted by phone yesterday, Mr. Chankea said he was summoned on accusations of incitement, yet he claimed to have been monitoring the human rights activists involved in the protests that happened on Monday and Tuesday.

When asked who accused him, Mr. Chankea said he was unsure of who would say he was behind the “allegedly illegal protests causing disorder in society.”

Mr. Chankea said he went to the court yesterday to clarify the situation after the court issued another order summoning him.

Ny Chakrya, had of Adhoc’s head of the human rights and legal aid section, said the court order was issued against a human rights activist working to implement human rights in Cambodia.

“The summonsing of Mr. Chankea is wrong and against court procedure. The court has to give him a period of five days,” he said.

On Tuesday, people in a community affected by Asia Development Bank-sponsored projects protested in front of the provincial court in Banteay Meanchey demanding the release of a community representative that authorities detained on Monday because he dragged an effigy of allegedly corrupt government officials around Poipet town.

Provincial court prosecutor Phann Van Roth declined to comment when contacted yesterday.

From Khmer Times