By Thet Sambath
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
Authorities in Battambang province plan to evict more than 3,000 families living in Bavel district to solve what rights groups say is a simmering land dispute involving rogue RCAF soldiers who have detained villagers and torched homes.
Sieng Suthang, deputy provincial governor, said by telephone Monday that officials have repeatedly told representatives of the 3,170 families that they must leave the disputed 10,000 hectares of forested land. But authorities have not yet set a date for the large-scale eviction, he said.
"We have already discussed this land, and we have decided it is state forest land and we will evacuate them in the near future," he said. "They know about this evacuation, and we will have trucks to take them to their villages," he said.
A July 18 statement from the Battambang branch of the Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee, a coalition of 21 rights organizations, accused provincial soldiers of arresting and temporarily detaining inhabitants of Bavel's Boeng Pram area in Ampil Pram Doeum commune from 2005 onwards.
The statement also accuses soldiers of burning villagers' houses, threatening them with guns and forcing them to thumbprint contracts giving up their land.
Yin Mengly, provincial coordinator for local rights group Adhoc, said the government had previously allocated the land to RCAF soldiers, but that their seniors had instead sold the land to private investors. Because the land was left unused, the families began moving on to the land in 2005, he said.
Provincial Military Commander Uk Knouch denied his soldiers have been mistreating villagers, and claimed that villagers brandishing farmyard implements have been chasing soldiers off the land.
Uk Knouch claimed his soldiers have simply tried to prevent people from outside the area from grabbing land from the villagers. Rights groups have gathered their information only from villagers, he added.
"They never asked our men who are stationed at that place," he said.
Sieng Suthang, deputy provincial governor, said by telephone Monday that officials have repeatedly told representatives of the 3,170 families that they must leave the disputed 10,000 hectares of forested land. But authorities have not yet set a date for the large-scale eviction, he said.
"We have already discussed this land, and we have decided it is state forest land and we will evacuate them in the near future," he said. "They know about this evacuation, and we will have trucks to take them to their villages," he said.
A July 18 statement from the Battambang branch of the Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee, a coalition of 21 rights organizations, accused provincial soldiers of arresting and temporarily detaining inhabitants of Bavel's Boeng Pram area in Ampil Pram Doeum commune from 2005 onwards.
The statement also accuses soldiers of burning villagers' houses, threatening them with guns and forcing them to thumbprint contracts giving up their land.
Yin Mengly, provincial coordinator for local rights group Adhoc, said the government had previously allocated the land to RCAF soldiers, but that their seniors had instead sold the land to private investors. Because the land was left unused, the families began moving on to the land in 2005, he said.
Provincial Military Commander Uk Knouch denied his soldiers have been mistreating villagers, and claimed that villagers brandishing farmyard implements have been chasing soldiers off the land.
Uk Knouch claimed his soldiers have simply tried to prevent people from outside the area from grabbing land from the villagers. Rights groups have gathered their information only from villagers, he added.
"They never asked our men who are stationed at that place," he said.
2 comments:
I wish all Khmers who are non-CPP to be united in order to win the next general election.It means those who will not vote for CPP won't fight each other and hold their hand to liberate our Homeland from.....? in order to promote prosperity to our people.And I also bag to those opportunist politicians of the Non- CPP's party to quit politic in 2008'election including Mr. Sam Rainsy who are trying to cheat our courageous Khmer Activists.
I wish NO:FUNCINPEC-CPP's government, NO:SAMRAINGSY-CPP's government and NO:FUNCINPEC-SAMRAINGSY-CPP'S government.
I wish after 2008's election Cambodia will be independent for the second time!!!!
A Khmer Patriotist
Good luck and best wishes Khmer Patriotist. May your dream come true....
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