Tep Vanny

Originally from the Kandal Province, Tep Vanny moved to Phnom Penh in 1998, where she worked as a grocery seller. Her life took a decisive turn when she and her husband, Ou Kong Chea, a civil servant in the Ministry of Defense, resisted accepting a buyout offer for their land in Boeung Kak that they deemed far below market value. Their refusal to sell led to her husband losing his job, but their commitment to preserving their home and community only grew stronger.

In 2008, the Cambodian government granted Shukaku Inc., a Chinese-Cambodian joint venture, the rights to redevelop Boeung Kak Lake in central Phnom Penh. Soon after, the company began displacing thousands of families who faced intimidation and insufficient compensation for their property. Vanny and other women from Boeung Kak formed a protest group known as the League of Boeung Kak Women, which became a powerful force in challenging both the government and Shukaku’s development plans. Through her role as the group’s de facto spokesperson, Vanny mobilized women from the neighborhood, drawing attention to the forced evictions and exposing the deep-seated corruption underlying the development project.

The Boeung Kak Women organized countless peaceful protests outside government institutions, including the National Assembly, the Ministry of Justice, and the Phnom Penh court. In one of the group’s most significant protests in 2012, they demonstrated on a sand-filled area of the lake, where Shukaku Inc. was actively building. The protest was met with a violent crackdown by security officials, resulting in the arrest of thirteen women, including Vanny, who were sentenced to prison on charges related to illegal occupation. Despite their release after a month of imprisonment, the arrests galvanized international attention.

Vanny’s courage and outspokenness have drawn attention to the injustices faced by her community and have highlighted the power of grassroots activism. Her persistence earned her recognition and admiration from human rights organizations worldwide, and her determination to secure justice for her community brought meaningful change, including a 2011 World Bank decision to suspend all lending to Cambodia in response to the Boeung Kak evictions. In 2013, Vanny received the Vital Voices Global Leadership Award, presented by former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, an acknowledgment of her work and dedication to the land rights movement.

In 2016, Vanny was arrested during a protest and sentenced to six months in prison on charges of “insulting a public official.” Instead of her release at the end of this sentence, the Cambodian authorities reactivated a previous case against her, resulting in an additional conviction for “intentional violence with aggravating circumstances.” Vanny was sentenced to two and a half years in prison, sparking global outrage and protests led by prominent human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, which recognized her as a prisoner of conscience.

On August 20, 2018, after serving over 700 days of her sentence, Tep Vanny was granted a royal pardon by Cambodia’s King Norodom Sihamoni at the request of Prime Minister Hun Sen, who faced mounting international pressure to release her. Her release was celebrated by supporters worldwide, yet she remained committed to advocating for the rights of her fellow activists and her community. The royal pardon also extended to three other members of the Boeung Kak 13, bringing some relief to the families and activists who had fought alongside her.

Tep Vanny’s impact as an advocate for human rights and social justice has been recognized internationally. She has represented the Boeung Kak community on global platforms, delivering speeches in the United States, France, Brazil, the Netherlands, Singapore, and Thailand. Her activism highlights the complex dynamics between governments, corporations, and vulnerable populations, and her work has empowered countless others in Cambodia and beyond to stand up for their rights.