Ly Seav Minh, who gave up her scholarship to support her family through a land dispute. She is now in pre-trial detention and faces up to two years in prison.

Ly Seav Minh is 23 years old and lives with her mother, father and brother in Toul Kork district, Phnom Penh. The family has lived on the land for 35 years and despite possessing evidence of their lengthy occupation of the land, they have been involved in a long-running land dispute with the municipality and the Khun Sea Company, to which the municipality sold the land in 2010. Originally six other families were involved in the dispute but all have now accepted compensation payments and moved away after facing consistent intimidation from the company.

Ly Seav Minh’s own family has been the victim of repeated attacks over the years including attempted arson, having venomous snakes thrown into the home, poisoning of their animals and threats of physical violence. On March 4, 2014, two unidentified men assaulted her father, Ly Srea Kheng, and beat him with a hammer as he was on his way to the market. A month later, their house was partially destroyed by a group of men armed with wooden sticks and large knives. The family captured evidence of this attack on video but the authorities took no action. Despite the many attacks and threats, the family still refuses to move.

http://www.licadho-cambodia.org/articles/20150128/143/index.html

Source: (LICADHO)