Tep Vanny

Tep Vanny (born 12 April 1980) is a prominent land rights activist and human rights defender, leader and creator of Boeung Kak 13, an activist group that has led peaceful protests since 2008 against the Cambodian government leasing land to the Shukaku corporation, which has led to the forcible eviction of almost 20,000 people in the region of Boeung Kak Lake in Phnom Penh.

Ou Kong Chea lost his job when the couple refused to accept the buyout offer for their land in the Boueng Kak neighbourhood as they deemed to be below market value.

[9] On 15 August 2016, she was arrested for protesting the arbitrary detention of human rights defenders and sentenced to six months in prison on the grounds of “insulting a public official”.

[12][13] In August 2018, Vanny received a royal pardon by Cambodia’s King Norodom Sihamoni on request of Prime Minister Hun Sen and was released from prison.

[16] Tep Vanny has acted as spokeswoman for the Boeung Kak Lake community and she has given talk three times in the United States, as well as in France, Brazil, the Netherlands, Singapore and Thailand.