Home burning of villagers' houses by military police officers in Spean Chhes, Sihanoukville (Photo: Licadho)Original report from Phnom Penh
16 June 2008
Military police and security forces of the Ministry of Environment's forestry department destroyed 83 thatch homes Monday in Chhouk district, Kampot province, in what villagers and human rights groups say violated their rights to live on the land.
The mixed security force of about 100 troops, equipped with rifles, axes and hammers, dismantled the homes starting from 8 am Monday, villagers and officials told VOA Khmer.
"We must dismantle all anarchic houses, because these houses, constructed of thatch, have no one living there, and to protect against the grabbing of state land," said Sim Vuthea, a local member of the Kampot province social land concession commission, a government group.
The commission had permitted 181 families to stay on the forest land, because they had built farms and cultivated fields, Sim Vuthea said. However, the 83 thatch homes belonged to no one and were a part of the assets of an additional 227 families the commission was not permitting to remain on state land.
Villagers told VOA Khmer they were living there, but fled when they heard the forces were coming.
"I am very disappointed with the government, and I felt hopeless when I saw my home destroyed, but I have no right to retaliate for what they did," said Chhim Chhin, a 58-year-old farmer.
"If the authorities had confiscated this land as state property, it would be very good," Adhoc rights investigator Try Chuan said. "But the authorities should have solved the villagers' demands, because a small number of villagers could accept the authorities' request, but the majority of them did not accept it."
The mixed security force of about 100 troops, equipped with rifles, axes and hammers, dismantled the homes starting from 8 am Monday, villagers and officials told VOA Khmer.
"We must dismantle all anarchic houses, because these houses, constructed of thatch, have no one living there, and to protect against the grabbing of state land," said Sim Vuthea, a local member of the Kampot province social land concession commission, a government group.
The commission had permitted 181 families to stay on the forest land, because they had built farms and cultivated fields, Sim Vuthea said. However, the 83 thatch homes belonged to no one and were a part of the assets of an additional 227 families the commission was not permitting to remain on state land.
Villagers told VOA Khmer they were living there, but fled when they heard the forces were coming.
"I am very disappointed with the government, and I felt hopeless when I saw my home destroyed, but I have no right to retaliate for what they did," said Chhim Chhin, a 58-year-old farmer.
"If the authorities had confiscated this land as state property, it would be very good," Adhoc rights investigator Try Chuan said. "But the authorities should have solved the villagers' demands, because a small number of villagers could accept the authorities' request, but the majority of them did not accept it."
7 comments:
Yes, every lands government (CPP) take from people call state lands. Will see that state lands sooner belong to private investor and the moneys go into (CPP). That game we know for long time.
khmers Rouge Zei Pee Pee 's nature is brutality ,So it's hard for them to take it away...khmers Rouge Zei Pee..Pee r inhuman....their nature is Dogs....low life......
Thank you to all for protecting Cambodia from Ah Khmer-Yuon illegal squatters and criminals.
Thank you for helping us send this Viet/Yuon dog eater @7:17 AM back to eat dog in Hanoi.
Sorry 7:23 AM, because of budget cut, we have to send 7:17AM to the crocodile farm.
Thank you for protecting our crocs may they never suffer hunger.
My friend Sokha have future projects for this piece of land that why I order eviction.
Hun Sen.
Let's hope that all of Ah Khmer-Yuons got the message.
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