By Thet Sambath
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
Ratanakkiri Provincial Court has ordered police to stop officials and villagers from bulldozing 115 hectares of disputed land in the province for fear that their forest clearance will spark violence.
Mey Sokhan, the court's prosecutor, said he told the provincial police last week to prevent a Bokeo deputy district governor, a Lum Chey commune councilor and a Take village chief from clearing the land in O’Yadaw and Bokeo districts.
"I am worried that both sides would clash with each other so I have issued an order to police officers to immediately prevent confrontation and violence," Mey Sokhan said Monday.
The prosecutor issued the order after 18 residents of Chrung and Ka Chok villages complained to him that the officials, along with residents of neighboring Take, had been grabbing their land.
"Villagers told me they had complained to the police, the military and the Bokeo district governor for months but no action was taken," Mey Sokhan added. "I have to stop the clearance of trees on the land and cease any violence among them."
Pen Bonnar, provincial coordinator for local rights group Ad-hoc, said the two groups of villagers both claim the 115 hectares as their own.
Thirty-two families in Take village have sold the land to a private businessman, infuriating the residents of Chrung and Ka Chok, Pen Bonnar said.
"Both sides filed a complaint to our office against each other for the right to own this land," he said.
Pen Bonnar said he has forwarded their complaints to Provincial Governor Moung Poy and asked him to help the two factions reach a compromise.
Moung Poy said he has sent his officials to investigate the dispute. He added that villagers should not have complained to the court. "Our officials can do it and solve their dispute," he said.
Bokeo district governor Soth Pao said the villagers should have approached him for help rather than NGO workers.
"They may think that district authorities have no ability to solve this," he said.
"We do not know which side this land belongs to but we want them to compromise and reach an agreement."
Mey Sokhan, the court's prosecutor, said he told the provincial police last week to prevent a Bokeo deputy district governor, a Lum Chey commune councilor and a Take village chief from clearing the land in O’Yadaw and Bokeo districts.
"I am worried that both sides would clash with each other so I have issued an order to police officers to immediately prevent confrontation and violence," Mey Sokhan said Monday.
The prosecutor issued the order after 18 residents of Chrung and Ka Chok villages complained to him that the officials, along with residents of neighboring Take, had been grabbing their land.
"Villagers told me they had complained to the police, the military and the Bokeo district governor for months but no action was taken," Mey Sokhan added. "I have to stop the clearance of trees on the land and cease any violence among them."
Pen Bonnar, provincial coordinator for local rights group Ad-hoc, said the two groups of villagers both claim the 115 hectares as their own.
Thirty-two families in Take village have sold the land to a private businessman, infuriating the residents of Chrung and Ka Chok, Pen Bonnar said.
"Both sides filed a complaint to our office against each other for the right to own this land," he said.
Pen Bonnar said he has forwarded their complaints to Provincial Governor Moung Poy and asked him to help the two factions reach a compromise.
Moung Poy said he has sent his officials to investigate the dispute. He added that villagers should not have complained to the court. "Our officials can do it and solve their dispute," he said.
Bokeo district governor Soth Pao said the villagers should have approached him for help rather than NGO workers.
"They may think that district authorities have no ability to solve this," he said.
"We do not know which side this land belongs to but we want them to compromise and reach an agreement."
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