Villagers protest the presence of excavators on disputed land in Kandal province last month. (Photo by: Pha Lina)Tuesday, 11 May 2010
May Titthara
The Phnom Penh Post
AUTHORITIES in Kandal province’s Kandal Stung district announced during a meeting with villagers Monday that Prime Minister Hun Sen’s cabinet had ruled that around 200 hectares of contested land in Prek Sleng commune belongs to the Heng Development Company, and that local residents have no legal claims to it, villagers said.
A letter from the cabinet, which also stated that the villagers had no right to protest the decision, was quickly denounced by the 18 village representatives present at the meeting as illegitimate.
Oeung Chanry, one of the representatives who attended, said the only explanation for the authorities’ announcement was that the letter was “fake”. “I cannot believe Prime Minister Hun Sen would do this,” she said.
Villagers say they have been farming the land since 1986, but officials claim the Heng Development Company purchased it in 1996 for commercial rice cultivation.
Oeung Chanry said that during the meeting, village representatives demanded that the company produce land titles to prove that they owned the land. “Who sold the land to them?” she said.
Mathieu Pellerin, a consultant for the rights group Licadho, said Sunday that the company had never provided proof that it possessed the appropriate land titles. “As far as we are concerned, we were never shown these documents,” he said.
However, Lim Leang Se, deputy chief of the premier’s cabinet, said, “Prime Minister Hun Sen has recognised that Heng Development Company is the owner of that land because they have the land title, and another part is for a fishing area.”
Ouch Leng, land programme officer for the rights group Adhoc, said the authorities should find a mutually acceptable resolution to the dispute. “If the authorities do not find a clear resolution, violence will occur,” he said.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY WILL BAXTER
A letter from the cabinet, which also stated that the villagers had no right to protest the decision, was quickly denounced by the 18 village representatives present at the meeting as illegitimate.
Oeung Chanry, one of the representatives who attended, said the only explanation for the authorities’ announcement was that the letter was “fake”. “I cannot believe Prime Minister Hun Sen would do this,” she said.
Villagers say they have been farming the land since 1986, but officials claim the Heng Development Company purchased it in 1996 for commercial rice cultivation.
Oeung Chanry said that during the meeting, village representatives demanded that the company produce land titles to prove that they owned the land. “Who sold the land to them?” she said.
Mathieu Pellerin, a consultant for the rights group Licadho, said Sunday that the company had never provided proof that it possessed the appropriate land titles. “As far as we are concerned, we were never shown these documents,” he said.
However, Lim Leang Se, deputy chief of the premier’s cabinet, said, “Prime Minister Hun Sen has recognised that Heng Development Company is the owner of that land because they have the land title, and another part is for a fishing area.”
Ouch Leng, land programme officer for the rights group Adhoc, said the authorities should find a mutually acceptable resolution to the dispute. “If the authorities do not find a clear resolution, violence will occur,” he said.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY WILL BAXTER
i don't understand, is the PM a supreme court judge or what? why is he deciding for himself and not the highest judge in the nation? cambodia needs to have an independent judicial system, free from political affiliation, really! where is the check and balance in gov't? still weak for sure, cambodia can sure use this kind of reforms, really!
ReplyDeleteWho's gonna help you now villagers, now that Samdech whatever-the-rest-of-his-title-is has sided with the company owner? perhaps you ought to think about contributing to his "social fund"? He is now a prime minster as well as a judge because he has decided that the land belong to the company. Are you all going to vote for him and his CPP next time?
ReplyDeletei don't vote for him or sam rainsy either. i think there should be new, younger, vibrant leader for cambodia next time. eith sam rainsy and hun sen is acceptable, really! we need someone different who are highly educated from about the world, someone effective, not ineffective like the funcipec people. someone that are enlightened and well trained with real vision for cambodia, not just promises. someone has is willing to get his or her feet dirty and someone that really love and care about cambodia and khmer people as a whole, not god-king again, though! we need a new strong-man, but one that is bring a real difference to cambodia, not just same old same!
ReplyDeleteIt is your Karma when you vote for Ah Hun Sen Khvak Youn.
ReplyDeleteAs long uncle Hoon Xhen is alive Cambodia and Cambodians will always be a victim. Hasn't everyone already realize that Hoon Xhen is a tyrant not a leader. Kill him you stupid Cambodian! If you coward then stop complaining. Continues to live on both bended knees under his regimes.
ReplyDelete" I can appointed you, I can promoted you, so I can depromoted you, I can fire you! I can put you in jail ,I can release you! I can give and I can take any thing away from you!"
ReplyDelete" Not thing move without my order in Cambodia! The law is me and I am every thing including SHIT"
"Ho Xen is my new name"
Democratic Kampuchea Pol Pot Khmer Rouge Regime
ReplyDeleteMembers:
Pol Pot
Nuon Chea
Ieng Sary
Ta Mok
Khieu Samphan
Son Sen
Ieng Thearith
Kaing Kek Iev
Hun Sen
Chea Sim
Heng Samrin
Hor Namhong
Keat Chhon
Ouk Bunchhoeun
Sim Ka...
Committed:
Tortures
Brutality
Executions
Massacres
Mass Murder
Genocide
Atrocities
Crimes Against Humanity
Starvations
Slavery
Force Labour
Overwork to Death
Human Abuses
Persecution
Unlawful Detention
Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime
Members:
Hun Sen
Chea Sim
Heng Samrin
Hor Namhong
Keat Chhon
Ouk Bunchhoeun
Sim Ka...
Committed:
Attempted Murders
Attempted Murder on Chea Vichea
Attempted Assassinations
Attempted Assassination on Sam Rainsy
Assassinations
Assassinated Journalists
Assassinated Political Opponents
Assassinated Leaders of the Free Trade Union
Assassinated over 80 members of Sam Rainsy Party.
"But as of today, over eighty members of my party have been assassinated. Countless others have been injured, arrested, jailed, or forced to go into hiding or into exile."
Sam Rainsy LIC 31 October 2009 - Cairo, Egypt
Executions
Executed over 100 members of FUNCINPEC Party
Murders
Murdered 3 Leaders of the Free Trade Union
Murdered Chea Vichea
Murdered Ros Sovannareth
Murdered Hy Vuthy
Murdered Journalists
Murdered Khim Sambo
Murdered Khim Sambo's son
Murdered members of Sam Rainsy Party.
Murdered activists of Sam Rainsy Party
Murdered Innocent Men
Murdered Innocent Women
Murdered Innocent Children
Killed Innocent Khmer Peoples.
Extrajudicial Execution
Grenade Attack
Terrorism
Drive by Shooting
Brutalities
Police Brutality Against Monks
Police Brutality Against Evictees
Tortures
Intimidations
Death Threats
Threatening
Human Abductions
Human Abuses
Human Rights Abuses
Human Trafficking
Drugs Trafficking
Under Age Child Sex
Corruptions
Bribery
Embezzlement
Treason
Border Encroachment, allow Vietnam to encroaching into Cambodia.
Signed away our territories to Vietnam; Koh Tral, almost half of our ocean territory oil field and others.
Illegal Arrest
Illegal Mass Evictions
Illegal Land Grabbing
Illegal Firearms
Illegal Logging
Illegal Deforestation
Illegally use of remote detonation bomb on Sokha Helicopter, while Hok Lundy and other military officials were on board.
Lightning strike many airplanes, but did not fall from the sky. Lightning strike out side of airplane and discharge electricity to ground.
Source: Lightning, Discovery Channel
Illegally Sold State Properties
Illegally Removed Parliamentary Immunity of Parliament Members
Plunder National Resources
Acid Attacks
Turn Cambodia into a Lawless Country.
Oppression
Injustice
Steal Votes
Bring Foreigners from Veitnam to vote in Cambodia for Cambodian People's Party.
Use Dead people's names to vote for Cambodian People's Party.
Disqualified potential Sam Rainsy Party's voters.
Abuse the Court as a tools for CPP to send political opponents and journalists to jail.
Abuse of Power
Abuse the Laws
Abuse the National Election Committee
Abuse the National Assembly
Violate the Laws
Violate the Constitution
Violate the Paris Accords
Impunity
Persecution
Unlawful Detention
Death in custody.
Under the Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime, no criminals that has been committed crimes against journalists, political opponents, leaders of the Free Trade Union, innocent men, women and children have ever been brought to justice.
Eviction everywhere in the Country, soon no more poor people because they are killed riches. Poverty deduction is a very good strategic plan of the Government.
ReplyDeleteEviction everywhere in the Country, soon no more poor people because they are killed by riches. Poverty deduction is a very good strategic plan of the Government.
ReplyDelete