By Prak Chan Thul
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
Almost 150 families living along the edge of Tonle Bassac's Village 14, and who say they have legal documents proving they moved onto the land between 1983 and 1992, have retained lawyers to fight their possible eviction from the area.
Known as Group 78, and home to 146 families, the residents have retained lawyers of the Community Legal Education Center and Legal Aid of Cambodia in their fight to secure land titles they say are being improperly denied to them.
Thousands of families have been evicted from Village 14 over the last two months and now the municipality has declared the land on which Group 78 is located public property.
CLEC lawyer Eang Sopheak told reporters that the Phnom Penh Cadastral Commission recognized the rights of the families to own the land in 1992.
"The villagers even have the documents of the village chief and commune chief selling the land to them," he said.
"These fulfill the requirements of the 2001 Land Law," he said.
According to the Land Law, anyone able to prove they have lived on land for more than five years must be issued land titles. Authorities, however, have refused to give titles to residents of Group 78.
Group 78 villager Say Sophal told reporters that some of the residents' houses have already been bulldozed and that they have been told by the municipality they will be moved soon to near where the so-called Village 14 "renters" were removed to on June 6.
"We are like ants drowning in the water," Say Sophal said.
Phnom Penh Governor Kep Chuktema said he had no comment on Group 78.
Known as Group 78, and home to 146 families, the residents have retained lawyers of the Community Legal Education Center and Legal Aid of Cambodia in their fight to secure land titles they say are being improperly denied to them.
Thousands of families have been evicted from Village 14 over the last two months and now the municipality has declared the land on which Group 78 is located public property.
CLEC lawyer Eang Sopheak told reporters that the Phnom Penh Cadastral Commission recognized the rights of the families to own the land in 1992.
"The villagers even have the documents of the village chief and commune chief selling the land to them," he said.
"These fulfill the requirements of the 2001 Land Law," he said.
According to the Land Law, anyone able to prove they have lived on land for more than five years must be issued land titles. Authorities, however, have refused to give titles to residents of Group 78.
Group 78 villager Say Sophal told reporters that some of the residents' houses have already been bulldozed and that they have been told by the municipality they will be moved soon to near where the so-called Village 14 "renters" were removed to on June 6.
"We are like ants drowning in the water," Say Sophal said.
Phnom Penh Governor Kep Chuktema said he had no comment on Group 78.
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