A chronic land conflict has taken place since 2003 in Tuol Mtes village, Thibpadei commune, Koas Krala district, Battambang province, between 36 families and Teng Chanthou, who was alleged to have used soldiers to grab those villagers’ land of about 116 hectares.
Once again on August 11, 2009 the residents thumbprinted and filed a complaint to Mr. Sar Kheng, Interior Minister and Deputy Prime Minister to seek his intervention over the matter in order that they could get back the 116 hectares of land.
In the complaint they revealed that they came to occupy the area in 1979. Up to 1987, however, they could not farm because of war. When they came back again to the area from 1991-92 to 1997, it was covered with forests and mines. At that time they were working so hard to clear the area that Thebdey communal chief and Maung Reusei district governor issued land titles to them.
Later on, in 1999 Teng Chanthou, accompanied by soldiers, came to the area to claim his legal rights on that land, which was also recognized and signed by village and communal chief. Since then Teng Chanthou started to intimidate villagers by using joint armed forces to shoot and arrest them whenever they went to farm on the land. In the mean time, those victims filed complaints with district and provincial authorities, but they had been ignored.
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