Rann Reuy
Phnom Penh Post
SIEM Reap provincial court on Thursday released 14 Banteay Srei district villagers who earlier this week were ordered to serve pretrial detention after being charged with the destruction of trees on state land, an investigating judge said Thursday.
The villagers had been among a group of 32 who were arrested Monday after officials accused them of clearing land that is also claimed by Royal Cambodian Armed Forces soldiers.
Investigating Judge Hok Pov said that no trial date had been set in the case. “I order [authorities] to release them on bail because I think they will not create any hurdles for our investigation,” he said.
The arrests had been swiftly condemned by rights groups, which said the case had offered evidence of two worrying trends: an increase in arrests related to land disputes, and the use of military personnel to resolve them. Military police had carried out the arrests.
The ongoing row in Banteay Srei concerns 150 hectares of land in Phnom Kulen National Park, and pits more than 50 families against the soldiers.
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