Villagers Protested against Economic Land Concession in Koh Kong

Around 200 villagers, who were affected by a Chinese company in Koh Kong, were coming to Phnom Penh to seek intervention from Cambodian Government; especially from Prime Minister Hun Sen. However, they were ignored, banned and suppressed by some 40 joint armed forces. Finally those residents were pushed back to Botum Vortey Pagoda.

These people said that Chinese Union Development Group, which received 36,000 hectares of economic land concession from the government, and planned to invest a US$3.8 billion in seaside tourist zone project, had broken the promises to offer fair compensation to more than 1,000 families who will be relocated by the project in Botum Sakor and Kiri Sakor districts.

They revised that in January 2010, provincial authority and company representative promised to give US$ 8,000 per hectare as compensation, but the villagers have been offered land and only $300 in exchange for resettling. The authority warned that if any village did not accept the compensation, they would get nothing, instead. However, the villager added, villagers would receive only 5 hectares of land in new location, but they now have from 20 to 30 hectares.

Keo Khorn, Che Hean and Rum Sophea, who were quoted by media as saying that prior to this, on April 29, provincial governor came with a letter, which signed by Prime Minister Hun Sen that cancelled their land titles and said their land had been given to Union Development Group.

However, it has been seen that the above economic land concession has been illegally granted for Article 59 of 2001 Land Law states that at most only 10,000 hectares is granted to concessionaire for national development.