A Phnong ethnic minority representative shows the location of the land-disputes (Photo: Uk Sav Bory, RFA)23 June 2007
By Uk Sav Bory
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
Phnong ethnic minority from Mondulkiri province threaten to use violence to demand back their ancestral lands after the authority confiscated them to build a road, but, instead, put these lands up for sale. The threat took place after Phnong ethnic minority from two districts in Mondulkiri province have unsuccessfully protested several times at the provincial city.
A representative of 19 Phnong families from Pou Loung village, Rumanea commune, Sen Monorom district, Mondulkiri province, claimed that the deputy commander of the army engineering division No. 179 asked a plot of 1000-by-500-meter of land from the Phnong ethnic minority to park their equipments during the construction of road No. 76A since 2004. But, now, homes have been of the plot of land requested instead.
The Phnong ethnic minority came to Phnom Penh on 11 June to bring their complaints to all national institutions for help in solving this issue. They said that if the Phnong people cannot find a legal remedy to their grievances to the government, they will use violence to retake back their ancestral lands. “We will use violence with our traditional means, such as bows, arrows, and spears, etc…,” they said.
The Phnong ethnic minority tribal chief from Pou Loung village said that an ancestral burial ground measuring 300-by-300-meter was grabbed by the army engineering division on 24 November 2006, thereby causing disasters among the Phnong minority people as they are now ridden with diseases because of this ancestral taboo violations.
The Phnong tribal chief said: “It is a Phnong custom, our living depends on the spirits of the genies protecting the mountains and forests (Areak Prey Phnom), and the protection of the burial grounds is an additional factor to bring in a prosperous living condition.”
A representative of 46 Phnong families from Klang Ler village, Sok San commune, Koh Nhek district, said that the Koh Nhek deputy district governor, the third deputy provincial governor, and government forestry officials in Mondulkiri province, have colluded to grab 300-hectare of the Vil Chum farm lands belonging to the Phnong people, by using guns to threaten the ethnic minority people, and forcing them to stop all planting activities starting since 04 June 2007.
Dr Pung Chiv Kek, Licadho human rights group President, said that local officials and army officers have been accused of grabbing ancestral lands from ethnic people, in violation of the land laws and in violation of the directives issued by the Council of Ministers.
Ieng Sopheak, a lawyer for the Community Legal Education Center (CLEC), said that numerous land disputes were initiated because of development claim. However, in reality, these developments turn out to be land-grabbing perpetrated by powerful government officials who violate the land law and the criminal law as stipulated in Article 262 of the land law.
Regarding the accusations made by the Phnong ethnic minority people, RFA could not immediately contact the accused local authorities, the forestry officials and the army engineering division, to obtain their response to these accusations.
A representative of 19 Phnong families from Pou Loung village, Rumanea commune, Sen Monorom district, Mondulkiri province, claimed that the deputy commander of the army engineering division No. 179 asked a plot of 1000-by-500-meter of land from the Phnong ethnic minority to park their equipments during the construction of road No. 76A since 2004. But, now, homes have been of the plot of land requested instead.
The Phnong ethnic minority came to Phnom Penh on 11 June to bring their complaints to all national institutions for help in solving this issue. They said that if the Phnong people cannot find a legal remedy to their grievances to the government, they will use violence to retake back their ancestral lands. “We will use violence with our traditional means, such as bows, arrows, and spears, etc…,” they said.
The Phnong ethnic minority tribal chief from Pou Loung village said that an ancestral burial ground measuring 300-by-300-meter was grabbed by the army engineering division on 24 November 2006, thereby causing disasters among the Phnong minority people as they are now ridden with diseases because of this ancestral taboo violations.
The Phnong tribal chief said: “It is a Phnong custom, our living depends on the spirits of the genies protecting the mountains and forests (Areak Prey Phnom), and the protection of the burial grounds is an additional factor to bring in a prosperous living condition.”
A representative of 46 Phnong families from Klang Ler village, Sok San commune, Koh Nhek district, said that the Koh Nhek deputy district governor, the third deputy provincial governor, and government forestry officials in Mondulkiri province, have colluded to grab 300-hectare of the Vil Chum farm lands belonging to the Phnong people, by using guns to threaten the ethnic minority people, and forcing them to stop all planting activities starting since 04 June 2007.
Dr Pung Chiv Kek, Licadho human rights group President, said that local officials and army officers have been accused of grabbing ancestral lands from ethnic people, in violation of the land laws and in violation of the directives issued by the Council of Ministers.
Ieng Sopheak, a lawyer for the Community Legal Education Center (CLEC), said that numerous land disputes were initiated because of development claim. However, in reality, these developments turn out to be land-grabbing perpetrated by powerful government officials who violate the land law and the criminal law as stipulated in Article 262 of the land law.
Regarding the accusations made by the Phnong ethnic minority people, RFA could not immediately contact the accused local authorities, the forestry officials and the army engineering division, to obtain their response to these accusations.
1 comment:
Lets fight the power! We need to show riches that the poor will fight to survive. Without land there will be no food for our children. FIGHT!, FIGHT!, FIGHT!
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