Violent eviction in Preah Vihear perpetrated by soldiers (Photo: Licadho)
Soldiers guarding land where they burnt down the houses in a violent eviction in Preah Vihear (Photo: Licadho)
Cambodia's Strongman and his generals (Photo: Global Witness)By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
03 February 2009
“I don’t know who is grabbing whose land ... Sometimes in some places, the people grab military land, and in some other places, the military grabs the people’s land” - General Pol Saroeun, Hun Sen's army chief of staffMilitary involvement in land grabs increased three-fold in 2008, affecting 60,000 families and tens of thousands of hectares of farmland nationwide, a rights group said Tuesday.
In its annual report, Adhoc said 125 land grabs were undertaken by military officials in 2008, up from 40 cases in 2007.
“The land issue became much worse in 2008 compared to 2007,” Adhoc President Thun Saray said. “Our human rights organization is very concerned.”
The number of killings in land disputes went up from two in 2007 to eight in 2008, the group said.
Arrests and detention of land-grab protesters also increased, from 139 in 350 cases in 2007 to 150 in 306 cases, while more than 100 land protesters evaded arrest warrants.
The group also reported threats against 164 activists helping victims of land grabs.
Adhoc’s chief investigator, Ny Chakrya, said at least 62,500 families lost land to military seizures in the 125 cases in 2008. Each case involved between 200 hectares and 500 hectares of land.
“Most of the cases occurred in the provinces of Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, Ratanakkiri, Mondulkiri and Kratie,” he said.
Newly appointed Royal Cambodian Armed Forces Gen. Pol Sareoun said Tuesday the law would handle the problem.
“I don’t know who is grabbing whose land,” he said. “Sometimes in some places, the people grab military land, and in some other places, the military grabs the people’s land.”
Government spokesman Khieu Kanharith dismissed the report.
“The government has not turned a deaf ear on this problem,” he said. “Up to now, the government has resolved many land disputes. In 100 land disputes, the government resolved more than 30 to 40 cases. But we cannot solve all the land disputes completely.”
8 comments:
that is it, polsaroeun'scomment sums it all up about his competence. sometimes people grab military land. you must be so damned brave to grab military land in cambodia.
If you don't know it is military land, you don't have to be brave.
In any case, it is not important who grabbed whose land. The truth will eventually come out, and the land will be returned to their legitimate owner
Just like his treason master.... he speak his mind. He know's that there are no cosequences to his action. Maybe Huynh Sen hired him as general/realtors.
Who in their right f**king mind dare to land grab a military land? Another uneducated fools who want to run Cambodia by his word of mouth. So-so sad!
I suppose it is not so bad to let the military have some land, that way no foreigner dare to grab land from them.
Hun Sen, People have already said you are 2nd POL POT. You have never done something for khmer people especially the poor.
You have to wonder that why there are much donation for your govement because they want to improve the life style of people.
you have many advisors so must use this brain for poor people not for your group and your families.
CHUN KLORT CHEAT died such as POLPOT and HUK LUNDY, you have to think. Help Poor people get heaven. Help Rich get hell and Jail.
When all the land are gone to grasp, then they will sell their wife and daughters to prostitution!!! Khmer, today, are pathetic race.
Ah Hun Sen you must die ugly ,this is my curse
11:03AM I hope it is not you and your family that are pathetic?
And hope only ah CPP Hun Xen do!!!!
Ah Hun Xen already sell his daughter to ah Hok Lundow viet spy!!!!
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