Women lead the charge as Cambodians resist

Tribune magazine has published my interview with Cambodian MP Mu Sochua

 

Mu Sochua. Picture by Cattleya Jaruthavee

Tens of thousands of people in Cambodia have been forcibly evicted from their homes as powerful companies and individuals take advantage of land concessions.

 

Those grabbing the land are often linked to Cambodia’s ruling People’s Party, and are supported by a corrupt and ineffective policing and judicial system.

But Cambodians are not standing idly by. They are fighting back and often those leading the fightback are women.

Mu Sochua is a prominent Cambodian MP who has championed those evicted from their land – and faced threats and intimidation from the government in return. In 2009, she sued Prime Minster Hun Sen for defamation but lost. He counter-sued and won. As a result, Sochua lost her parliamentary immunity and was fined $4,000. The fine was eventually paid by her party. She now faces further legal action as a result of her activities to highlight the plight of the dispossessed.

Speaking on the phone from Cambodia, Sochua sounds upbeat despite an arduous day touring affected areas and then a four-hour drive back home.

You can read the rest of the article on the Tribune website.