PHNOM PENH, June 8 (Reuters) - Cambodian squatters blew up four bridges to prevent troops evicting them from land they occupied in Kampot, the governor of the coastal province said on Thursday.
There were no reports of injuries in the day-long stand off between villagers, armed with a few rifles and hand guns, axes and sticks, and 200 troops about 50 miles (80 km) from Phnom Penh, Governor Thach Khorn told Reuters.
"We deployed troops to surround the area so as to tell people to leave the land, but they armed themselves to confront us instead," he said.
"We are trying not to use violence, but to persuade them to leave the land which they have occupied."
Thach Khorn said more than 1,780 farmers occupied the land after hearing the government planned to develop it, many of them Khmer Rouge who defected to the government after their leader Pol Pot died in 1998.
The villagers, who occupied 4,800 ha (12,000 acres) near a former battle site at Taken Kohsla just over two weeks ago, were not reachable for comment.
Thach Khorn said he did not expect them to hold out long as the area was prone to malaria and they had limited food.
Land disputes are a hot issue in Cambodia, where garment factories and hotels have sprung up to expand the major textile and tourist industries.
On Tuesday, at least 700 soldiers evicted more than 1,000 squatters in Phnom Penh.
Early last year, troops shot dead six villagers in a forceful land eviction in the northwest.
There were no reports of injuries in the day-long stand off between villagers, armed with a few rifles and hand guns, axes and sticks, and 200 troops about 50 miles (80 km) from Phnom Penh, Governor Thach Khorn told Reuters.
"We deployed troops to surround the area so as to tell people to leave the land, but they armed themselves to confront us instead," he said.
"We are trying not to use violence, but to persuade them to leave the land which they have occupied."
Thach Khorn said more than 1,780 farmers occupied the land after hearing the government planned to develop it, many of them Khmer Rouge who defected to the government after their leader Pol Pot died in 1998.
The villagers, who occupied 4,800 ha (12,000 acres) near a former battle site at Taken Kohsla just over two weeks ago, were not reachable for comment.
Thach Khorn said he did not expect them to hold out long as the area was prone to malaria and they had limited food.
Land disputes are a hot issue in Cambodia, where garment factories and hotels have sprung up to expand the major textile and tourist industries.
On Tuesday, at least 700 soldiers evicted more than 1,000 squatters in Phnom Penh.
Early last year, troops shot dead six villagers in a forceful land eviction in the northwest.
1 comment:
God, do some thing Hun Sen!
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