Villagers Blocked of Access to Kampong Chhnang Province

On Tuesday, September 14, 2010, around 300-400 villagers from Boribour district were blocked of access to Kampong Chhnang province in order to submit complaints with the provincial authorities to seek for intervention on their land, which was allegedly grabbed by Pheapimex Co. Ltd.

Early morning of the day, those local people were travelling on a hired car, but they were premeditatedly stopped on the way of National Road 5, by a group of joint forces, police and military police. Even though they explained their difficulties and problems, which have faced, those authorities did not listen. Therefore, the villagers decided to walk to the Boribour district office instead.

According to a community representative, Penh Ath, 48, from Anhchanh Rung village, Anhchanh Rung commune, Boribour district, said that out of all villagers, only around 100 could push their way to visit Boribour district governor. The governor promised to help solve the problem. He asked those people to go back and additionally thumbprint so that he could send them to provincial governor [concerned provincial authorities]. She added that nearly all families in Boribour district were affected from the clearance for land in the area because many of them normally send their cattle to graze; and some others look for non-timber forest products.

The villagers lose their occupation and sources of income. Agricultural activities have or will be affected; transportation and travel within the area is restricted; the people lack access to the forest, fishing areas and water resources. The collection of Non-timber forest products has severely decreased.

Up to now, those affected families have lodged complaints with those concerned provincial and national authorities to intervene the issue, but again and again the people are ignored.

Pheapimex Co. Ltd. was granted an economic land concession of about176, 065 hectares in Kampong Chhnang and 138, 963 hectares in the neighbor province Pursat by the Cambodian government in 2000. The concession has affected 4 districts in Kampong Chhnang, Boribour, Rolea B’ier, Sameakki Mean Chey and Tuek Phos district, and 4 districts in Pursat, Bakan, Krakor, Phnom Kravanh and Sampov Meas district.