Om Yentieng, vice-president of the National Authority for Resolving Land Disputes (Photo: RFA)06 August 2006
By San Sovit
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by KI-Media
Many questions and accusations have been raised to the [RFA] interviewer claiming that the government officials and those in power have abused their power to take away the land from the poor.
Some said that the National Authority for Resolving Land Disputes which was formed several months ago, did not resolve any important issue, except for releasing some people who were arrested because of land disputes. Some even wonder whether those government officials in charge of the National Authority for Resolving Land Disputes had taken advantage of their positions to grab a lot of lands for themselves or not: “Did the leaders of the National Authority for Resolving Land Disputes grab several tens of thousands of hectares of land or not?”
Other questions were raised as to why those who have money want only to develop good areas such as in the city of Phnom Penh, why didn’t there rich people who want to help develop Cambodia not develop areas which have not seen any development progress yet instead? Why do these rich people want to come only to areas that have already been established, and then they push the poor people to go live at areas where they face hardship? “If they have money by the millions, why don’t they build a factory or something else in a new area instead?”
Om Yen Tieng, the vice president of the National Authority for Resolving Land Dispute, had reacted to some of the issues raised but he was not able to provide a clear answer to some of them because the questions raised by people were not based on any actual facts. To some questions, Om Yen Tieng said that they were merely comments rather than actual questions.
Om Yen Tieng said: “I think that what you just said is not a question, it’s like a comment, nevertheless, I am stressing that sometimes, the comment is not correct, it is opposite to the reality. Regarding the two questions, they are both not real questions, we cannot base on it on anything if you ask: ‘Do you know?’ I know but it is not the issue you are talking about. For example, it is said that for the majority of the land, the poor people did not receive them, however, you ask me back that those in power are abusing the poor to take [their land] and even land in mountainous areas, so does it mean that the poor have land or not? Let’s clarify this first, let’s not mix things up.”
Nevertheless, Om Yen Tieng said at the end that the government will fight all obstacles to arrest any government officials who use their power to abuse the people.
Om Yen Tieng said: “Any government officials involved, we are telling you we will take care of those officials. This is a new issue, in the past, we never took it to that level because before and after the formation of the [National] Authority [for Resolving Land Disputes], there are several [government] institutions who are only looking to see whether it is black or white [i.e., land abuse was perpetrated or not]. However, when the Authority looks for black or white [i.e. land abuse act], if it finds that the population has done some mistakes, it is not that important. On the other hand, if a government official, or a land title official is affixing his signature to allow the abuse to others, they will be taken away [i.e., punished].”
Some said that the National Authority for Resolving Land Disputes which was formed several months ago, did not resolve any important issue, except for releasing some people who were arrested because of land disputes. Some even wonder whether those government officials in charge of the National Authority for Resolving Land Disputes had taken advantage of their positions to grab a lot of lands for themselves or not: “Did the leaders of the National Authority for Resolving Land Disputes grab several tens of thousands of hectares of land or not?”
Other questions were raised as to why those who have money want only to develop good areas such as in the city of Phnom Penh, why didn’t there rich people who want to help develop Cambodia not develop areas which have not seen any development progress yet instead? Why do these rich people want to come only to areas that have already been established, and then they push the poor people to go live at areas where they face hardship? “If they have money by the millions, why don’t they build a factory or something else in a new area instead?”
Om Yen Tieng, the vice president of the National Authority for Resolving Land Dispute, had reacted to some of the issues raised but he was not able to provide a clear answer to some of them because the questions raised by people were not based on any actual facts. To some questions, Om Yen Tieng said that they were merely comments rather than actual questions.
Om Yen Tieng said: “I think that what you just said is not a question, it’s like a comment, nevertheless, I am stressing that sometimes, the comment is not correct, it is opposite to the reality. Regarding the two questions, they are both not real questions, we cannot base on it on anything if you ask: ‘Do you know?’ I know but it is not the issue you are talking about. For example, it is said that for the majority of the land, the poor people did not receive them, however, you ask me back that those in power are abusing the poor to take [their land] and even land in mountainous areas, so does it mean that the poor have land or not? Let’s clarify this first, let’s not mix things up.”
Nevertheless, Om Yen Tieng said at the end that the government will fight all obstacles to arrest any government officials who use their power to abuse the people.
Om Yen Tieng said: “Any government officials involved, we are telling you we will take care of those officials. This is a new issue, in the past, we never took it to that level because before and after the formation of the [National] Authority [for Resolving Land Disputes], there are several [government] institutions who are only looking to see whether it is black or white [i.e., land abuse was perpetrated or not]. However, when the Authority looks for black or white [i.e. land abuse act], if it finds that the population has done some mistakes, it is not that important. On the other hand, if a government official, or a land title official is affixing his signature to allow the abuse to others, they will be taken away [i.e., punished].”
3 comments:
Take your empty promise and shoved it into Hun Sen's ass. All governments in the offices right now just are headless when it comes to morality and decent principle in the society.
We needed Stealth B1B and drop one Nukes on Hun Sen's lap.
I unbelieve you ah yuon, you just resolve for Hun Sen's families right.
Ah Lop!
You did not make any sense to me!
Niyeay Men Ches Kiet!
Ah Pler!
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