Two More Villagers Charged in a Land Dispute with Ly Yong Phat

Two more villagers in Amleang commune, Thpong district, Kampong Speu province, who have also been involved in protesting against the Phnom Penh Sugar Company, were reportedly summoned to Takeo Provincial Court for questioning in the accusation of having lived on the land, which belongs to the company owned by Cambodian People’s Party Senator Ly Yong Phat.

Those who were charged for the above act included Chhuon Chuon and his neighbor Sok Than, who were summoned to present at court on September 7, 2010.

Related to this issue, Chhuon Chuon told the media that the company wanted to grab his land. He was asked to leave to resettle in a new area in exchange with about $500 as compensation. However, he refused to move; therefore the company lodged a complaint against him [and Sok Than] for living on the Ly Yong Phat-owned company.

For this reason, Chheang Kimsruon, a representative of Phnom Penh Sugar Company, denied that the company had done that. In fact, the complaint had been filed by the previous landowner, Hab Ren, Amleang commune councilor. Hab Ren, she added, had tried to negotiate with these two men many times, but they [the two villagers] did not listen; so she [Hab Ren] has lodged a complaint to ask the villagers to make sure at the court whether or not they have sufficient document to prove ownership of the land, on which they have lived.

The land conflict between Ly Yong Phat Company and Amleang villagers has continued since 2009. The Ly Yong Phat-owned company was granted around 20,000 hectares of land as economic land concession in order to grow sugar canes. The concession has affected 11 villages in Amleang commune, Thpong district, Kampong Speu province. Shortly after the company got the concession, the company started its project and cleared out villagers’ farmland there. The villagers have protested and lodged complaints against the company, but their problem has not just and fairly been solved yet. In addition, two representatives were arrested after they had been called for questioning [but they have been released on bails]. Presently two other villagers are charged for living on the company’s land.