Land Disputes Most Serious Problem, Say NGOs
By Saing Soenthrith
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
"The problem of land grabbing is a big issue for our country because between 15 and 20 percent of villagers have no land and 17 percent of villagers with land have experienced violations by the powerful and rich."
—Thun Saray, President of ADHOC
Land grabbing and the rising tide of landless people are the human rights issues requiring the most immediate attention in Cambodia, a roundtable discussion on human rights activity heard Thursday.
"This problem will become very complex if we don't resolve it in time because violations are increasing by 2 percent every year," Thun Saray, president of the rights group Adhoc, told a panel on European Commission-funded rights programs in Cambodia.
In the last year, violations of socio-economic rights have risen even though violations of political rights decreased, Thun Saray also told the gathering, held jointly by the EC and the Club of Cambodian Journalists.
"The problem of land grabbing is a big issue for our country because between 15 and 20 percent of villagers have no land and 17 percent of villagers with land have experienced violations by the powerful and rich," he said.
Pen Samithy, CCJ president and editor in chief of the Khmer-language newspaper Rasmei Kampuchea Daily, said that while human rights violations had many causes, only the government could find a solution.
The roundtable was attended by Information Minister and government spokesman Khieu Kanharith and representatives from the Cambodia Center for Human Rights and the Committee for Free and Fair Elections.
Khieu Kanharith said that land disputes were on the rise because Cambodia's population was growing while the amount of arable land remained fixed at 2 million hectares.
"These days, our population is 14 million people but the farmland remains the same. So land disputes have occurred," he said.
"We can't solve them across the country all at once but it is a problem our government is working to solve."
"This problem will become very complex if we don't resolve it in time because violations are increasing by 2 percent every year," Thun Saray, president of the rights group Adhoc, told a panel on European Commission-funded rights programs in Cambodia.
In the last year, violations of socio-economic rights have risen even though violations of political rights decreased, Thun Saray also told the gathering, held jointly by the EC and the Club of Cambodian Journalists.
"The problem of land grabbing is a big issue for our country because between 15 and 20 percent of villagers have no land and 17 percent of villagers with land have experienced violations by the powerful and rich," he said.
Pen Samithy, CCJ president and editor in chief of the Khmer-language newspaper Rasmei Kampuchea Daily, said that while human rights violations had many causes, only the government could find a solution.
The roundtable was attended by Information Minister and government spokesman Khieu Kanharith and representatives from the Cambodia Center for Human Rights and the Committee for Free and Fair Elections.
Khieu Kanharith said that land disputes were on the rise because Cambodia's population was growing while the amount of arable land remained fixed at 2 million hectares.
"These days, our population is 14 million people but the farmland remains the same. So land disputes have occurred," he said.
"We can't solve them across the country all at once but it is a problem our government is working to solve."
9 comments:
Land grabbings are causing from corruptions. Most of the corrupted monies are being invested into lands instead of banking in overseas because some of corrupted people do not understood banking system and cannot believe in Banking except a small group of very powerfull one. Since the prices are good, some powerfull richs are stealing people lands for resale to make easy monies. THe government has so far earned no cent from these lands transaction. China is very sucessfully in land reform by putting land ownership to the state. Noone can own land except farmers and these farmers can only own a small piece enough for family use. Noone are allowed to own big piece of land like in Cambodia. Non farmers residence cannot own farm lands and their properties wonership is limited to 70 years. All profit from selling fix assets must subject to tax. The government introduce tax to combat with land grabbing and lands ownship to cut out all speculators whose will only give negative impact to the economy and the society by creating landless farmers and homeless citizen.
AH Khieu Kanharith said population growth? Hell yeh! The 4 million of illegal Viet pour into Cambodia isn' it?
If the population growth caused land disputes, then the population would need to be reduced. Pol Pot had the right thinking and policy after all.
SiS
Khiev Kamharith himself has also stoled public properties for himself. Ask Him how can he got the night club along Monivong Boulevard?
To 2:18pm
You hit the home run!
To 2:20pm
I think you need to do a little more thinking. Don't forget The KR trail is coming next year!
It is not only Cambodia has population growth.
"population is around 14 millions but farmland remains the same so land disputes have occured" K-Kanharith said. i think he must be Viet. because V's population has been increasing so fast that it has to steal or grab anther land to avoid Land Disputes, right? his mindset is Viet- mindset , he can't find other ways to get rid of this issue beside stealing !!
Kanharith is not Vietnamese he is only dog to the Viet!
If people have grow and have no land they would not complain about people stealing their land you fool!
Stealing that poor people complain!
Post a Comment