Villagers' Homes Bulldozed on Gov t Officials' Land
By Lor Chandara
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
Police, military police and court officials, backed up by dozens of laborers and a bulldozer, flattened 22 homes in Phnom Penh's Meanchey district on Friday, enforcing a court order granting the disputed land to senior government officials, authorities said.
Representatives of the 40 families in Prek Pra commune whose wooden houses were destroyed in the eviction said they had not been warned in advance and they were now homeless as a result.
"I have been living here for a long time. Where can I go if I have nowhere else to live," said Heng Chamroeun, 47. "I need to find other land to shelter my family."
As the bulldozer tore through the houses, the evicted homeowners pulled a sign for Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling CPP out of the ground and held it up in protest. The villagers held the sign up until they were chased away by armed police officers providing security for the eviction workers.
Interior Ministry police officer Leang Ratha, who said he was acting as a representative of five landlords, said that two of the owners were CPP Minister of Post and Telecommunications So Khun and CPP lawmaker Bou Thang, who could not be reached for comment.
Leang Ratha said the land dispute had been in the courts since 2000 and the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the five landlords in August. Dith Munty, Supreme Court president is also a member of the CPPs most powerful organizing body, its steering committee.
Meanchey district Governor Kouch Chamroeun said the 40 families were living on private property and they would not be compensated.
"We are enforcing the law on those who are living illegally on private property," he said.
Representatives of the 40 families in Prek Pra commune whose wooden houses were destroyed in the eviction said they had not been warned in advance and they were now homeless as a result.
"I have been living here for a long time. Where can I go if I have nowhere else to live," said Heng Chamroeun, 47. "I need to find other land to shelter my family."
As the bulldozer tore through the houses, the evicted homeowners pulled a sign for Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling CPP out of the ground and held it up in protest. The villagers held the sign up until they were chased away by armed police officers providing security for the eviction workers.
Interior Ministry police officer Leang Ratha, who said he was acting as a representative of five landlords, said that two of the owners were CPP Minister of Post and Telecommunications So Khun and CPP lawmaker Bou Thang, who could not be reached for comment.
Leang Ratha said the land dispute had been in the courts since 2000 and the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the five landlords in August. Dith Munty, Supreme Court president is also a member of the CPPs most powerful organizing body, its steering committee.
Meanchey district Governor Kouch Chamroeun said the 40 families were living on private property and they would not be compensated.
"We are enforcing the law on those who are living illegally on private property," he said.
1 comment:
Sometime you have to take fire to fight a fire! I say burn the mother fuckers houses down!
AH SOK KHUN and BOU THANG must not allow to have their evil way!
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