Land Dispute: NARLD shows off its first trimester result, Kep Chuktema explains about relocations
By Duong Sokha
Cambodge Soir
Translated from French by Luc Sâr (from Paris)
For its fifth session, the National Authority for the Resolution of Land Disputes (NARLD) welcomed on Wednesday the Phnom Penh governor who came to provide clarifications on the recent expulsions of the capital downtown’s inhabitants. This session also serves to present the NARLD work report for the first trimester by its secretariat, work which is essentially dedicated to operations for taking back land which was illegally cleared.
According to Chum Bun Rong, NARLD spokesman, the institution received since its creation last March, 2,537 complaints and it obtained the release of 26 people arrested for involvements in land disputes. NARLD also contributed to the questioning of 10 people suspected of involvements in wood trafficking, during NARLD’s operations in several provinces.
“For the time being, we will resolve the first 10 complaints, step by step. For each case, an investigation must be performed into the plaintiffs and those who are involved in the complaints. In principle, local land registry committees should resolve these litigations. But, for cases where these local committees do not have the necessary competence to fulfill this task, we will push the concerned ministries to do it,” Chum Bun Rong explained.
Under the order of the prime minister, the institution took back 187,868 hectares [of land] which was illegally cleared and exploited in 23 cities and provinces. NARLD is in the process of distributing the confiscated land to 21 families, Chum Bun Rong assured. He also encouraged the “true-landless people” to put an application with the provincial authorities so that they can receive land confiscated by NARLD.
Regarding the relocation of inhabitants from the Sambok Chab village, the Bassac area, and the Dey Kraham zone, to lands located outside of Phnom Penh, “the governor explained that they were volunteers to be relocated,” Chum Bun Rong reported. “The companies which own the land have compromised by providing them some money and [building] materials. The municipality had also spent thousands of dollars for buying them new lands,” Chum Bun Rong stressed.
Regarding the communities bordering the police hospital Preah Monivong A and B, they were also expulsed, not without confrontations though, and they were relocated outside of Phnom Penh, the governor stressed that the latter operations were the responsibility of the ministry of Interior and not that of the municipality. “Incidents which occurred were caused by some opportunists. All this gave the impression that people were forced to be moved, whereas all moving was done according to an agreement concluded with the inhabitants who volunteered,” Kep Chuktema, the senior government official, said in an attempt to convince his audience.
One of NARLD vice-presidents, SRP MP Eng Chhay Eang, had also defended the measures taken by his organization and by the Phnom Penh municipality. The latter had “allowed the [private] companies to negotiate with the villagers before relocating them on new lands,” in particular in the case of the Dey Kraham area where no violence occurred. “The municipality talked about the difficulties it encountered regarding the relocation of the people,” Eng Chhay Eang added during the NARLD session. “I told him [Kep Chuktema] to let the public know in order to avoid criticisms.”
Sao Chanhorm, Licadho investigations coordinator, expressed her reserve on the actions taken by the NARLD which did not yet respond to written demand by NGOs for the release of thirteen villagers arrested for land disputes. Nine of the arrested villagers came from Takeo, three from Bassac district in Phnom Penh, and one from Koh Kong.
Nevertheless, Chum Bun Rong assured that a round table will be organized soon by the NARLD. It will gather representatives of civil societies, news media, and the State, all of which will be invited to put their head together to find the mean to resolve “justly and equitably” land disputes.
According to Chum Bun Rong, NARLD spokesman, the institution received since its creation last March, 2,537 complaints and it obtained the release of 26 people arrested for involvements in land disputes. NARLD also contributed to the questioning of 10 people suspected of involvements in wood trafficking, during NARLD’s operations in several provinces.
“For the time being, we will resolve the first 10 complaints, step by step. For each case, an investigation must be performed into the plaintiffs and those who are involved in the complaints. In principle, local land registry committees should resolve these litigations. But, for cases where these local committees do not have the necessary competence to fulfill this task, we will push the concerned ministries to do it,” Chum Bun Rong explained.
Under the order of the prime minister, the institution took back 187,868 hectares [of land] which was illegally cleared and exploited in 23 cities and provinces. NARLD is in the process of distributing the confiscated land to 21 families, Chum Bun Rong assured. He also encouraged the “true-landless people” to put an application with the provincial authorities so that they can receive land confiscated by NARLD.
Regarding the relocation of inhabitants from the Sambok Chab village, the Bassac area, and the Dey Kraham zone, to lands located outside of Phnom Penh, “the governor explained that they were volunteers to be relocated,” Chum Bun Rong reported. “The companies which own the land have compromised by providing them some money and [building] materials. The municipality had also spent thousands of dollars for buying them new lands,” Chum Bun Rong stressed.
Regarding the communities bordering the police hospital Preah Monivong A and B, they were also expulsed, not without confrontations though, and they were relocated outside of Phnom Penh, the governor stressed that the latter operations were the responsibility of the ministry of Interior and not that of the municipality. “Incidents which occurred were caused by some opportunists. All this gave the impression that people were forced to be moved, whereas all moving was done according to an agreement concluded with the inhabitants who volunteered,” Kep Chuktema, the senior government official, said in an attempt to convince his audience.
One of NARLD vice-presidents, SRP MP Eng Chhay Eang, had also defended the measures taken by his organization and by the Phnom Penh municipality. The latter had “allowed the [private] companies to negotiate with the villagers before relocating them on new lands,” in particular in the case of the Dey Kraham area where no violence occurred. “The municipality talked about the difficulties it encountered regarding the relocation of the people,” Eng Chhay Eang added during the NARLD session. “I told him [Kep Chuktema] to let the public know in order to avoid criticisms.”
Sao Chanhorm, Licadho investigations coordinator, expressed her reserve on the actions taken by the NARLD which did not yet respond to written demand by NGOs for the release of thirteen villagers arrested for land disputes. Nine of the arrested villagers came from Takeo, three from Bassac district in Phnom Penh, and one from Koh Kong.
Nevertheless, Chum Bun Rong assured that a round table will be organized soon by the NARLD. It will gather representatives of civil societies, news media, and the State, all of which will be invited to put their head together to find the mean to resolve “justly and equitably” land disputes.
1 comment:
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