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.

Impacts of Economic Land Concession Pheap Phimex Co., Ltd

On August 11, 2009, villager representatives from 11 affected villages in Kra Kor, Kra Vanh and Sampov Meas districts came to Phnom Penh to lodge complaints with the national level authorities against the Phea Phimex Co., Ltd., which received an economic land concession from the Cambodian government of about 315, 028 hectares in two provinces, Pursat (138,963 hectares) and Kampong Chhnang (176,065 hectares).

Impacts of Economic Land Concession in Cambodia

In relation to Economic Land Concessions which the Cambodian government has granted to all local, joint venture and international companies; national and international non-governmental organizations and stakeholders have criticized the negative impacts of the strategy on local culture, economics and society. Furthermore, it has been seen that most of the contracts are around a century in length, which means that these negative impacts may last for a long time. In general the impacts include forced eviction, setting light to their houses, threatening to arrest, sending to prison for criminal offenses such as incitement, or state-owned property destruction, physical assault, and armed threats.

Impact of Economic Land Concession on Local Livelihood in Banteay Meanchey

About 150 families, who asserted to own 150 hectares of land in Slorkram commune, Svay Chek district, Banteay Meanchey, expressed their concerns that they may have lost their land, which was grabbed by local authority to give to a local company, Chak Puok Co., Ltd.

The people said that they were awarded a 150-hectare social land concession in 1998, after they repatriated from camps along Thai border in 1993. Local authorities, however, said that the villagers violently grabbed and illegally cleared the state-owned land in the aforesaid site.

Ethnic Jarai Protested against Iron Ore Company in Ratanakiri

On May 25, 2010 about 90 families of ethnic minority from O’Yadav and Lumphat districts, Ratanakiri province were planned to protest against a Vietnamese mining firm, Hong Anh Ratanakir, which was granted 15,400 hectares of land to explore iron ore in the above districts.

Villagers in Kratie Protested before Premier House in Phnom Penh

On May 17, 2010 about 150 villagers were coming from Kratie province in order to protest against their land being grabbed by several private companies, Huot Sambat, TTY, CT Men and Sovan Rithy, in front of Botom Vortey Pagoda in Chaktomok commune, Daun Penh district, Phnom Penh.

Economic Land Concession Negatively Impacts on Local Livelihood

The Coalition of Civil Society Organizations, including the Cambodian Human Rights Actions Committees (CHRAC), the NGO Forum and the Housing Rights Task Force (HRTF) issued a joint statement on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 regarding illegal economic land concessions which were granted by the government to various companies, which belonged to a person, an action which is inconsistent with the 2001 Land Law and Sub-degree on Economic Land Concession No. 146.

Phnom Penh Sugar Co. Ltd Continued Clearing Villagers’ Land in Amleang

According to the report by a villager Men Pao, 40, in Amleang commune, on April 7 there were joint forces of about 20 soldiers and military police came to the above area in order to defend the clearing activity of Phnom Penh Sugar company on villagers’ land. He revealed that on April 7, about 9:30 am a group of armed forces, brought with AK 47 in hands, led by an unidentified forest official to protect the company against around 200 villagers, who were trying to protest and stop the activity. He also said that the company representative used to promise that they would not bulldoze villagers’ land, but in contrast they went back on their word over and over again.

Impact of Economic Land Concession on Villagers in Kampong Speu

Regarding the protest against their land being bulldozed by two Economic Land Concession companies in Kampong Speu, five villager representatives among 11 affected villages in Amleang commune, Thpong district, were summoned by Kampong Speu Provincial Court for questioning on March 24, 2010 in accordance with the complaints by the companies. Out of them, two were shortly arrested after questioning on that morning according to Article 94 and Article 114 of Code of Criminal Procedure of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

Land Grabbing of Ethnic Group in Ratanakiri

Solution has not been solved yet in relation to the land conflict in Bu Sra commune, Pech Chenda district, Mondulkiri province between a joint company Khoau Chuly and French Company Sofina and local villagers, who have had effect from the development project.

Land Evictees Accused of Incitement in Kampong Chhnang

In relation to land dispute about 108 hectares in Lorpeang village, Taches commune, Kampong Tralach district of Kampong Chhnang province, between KDC International, which belongs to Mrs. Chea Keng, wife of Mr. Suy Sem, the Minister of the Ministry of Industry Mines and Energy and 64 local families, up to now many of the villagers have been arrested and accused of incitement; and some of them migrated to Thailand to escape from being captured even though in August 8, 2008 there was directive from Prime Minister Hun Sen, KDC company appropriately resolved the problem for villagers in Lorpeang and Beoung Kak village.