Chan Puthisak
Chan Puthisak is a land rights activist and human rights defender who works to combat corruption in Cambodia. He principally mobilises communities surrounding the Boeung Kak Lake in order to fight against an eviction order issued to them by the Government for the benefit of a private corporation in order to carry out development plans to make the area into a tourist destination. These development plans would include filling 90% of the lake, which constitutes the primary water source for local fishermen and farmer communities, and forcefully evicting local residents to make the area more attractive to domestic and international tourists.
The Cambodian authorities use legislation and the judicial system, and threats of arrest or legal action, to restrict free speech, jail government critics, and disperse workers, trade union representatives and farmers engaging in peaceful assembly. The authorities routinely forcibly and often violently disperse public protests. HRDs who work to promote and protect economic, social, and cultural rights are particularly at risk of persecution.
