Sunday, June 13, 2010

"Even if you live on these lands for 100 years long, we will still take [your land] away from you...": The land-grabbing Long Sreng Co.

56 families could face food shortage because their lands are given away as concession to a company by Hun Xen’s gov’t

12 June 2010
By Or Phearith
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Oss Srè
Click here to read the article in Khmer


Villagers from O’Pram Pi village, Prek Kak commune, Kampong Cham province, indicated on 12 June that 56 families will face food shortage next year if they can grow crops on their lands as they used to do every year.

The villagers claimed that their lands were handed to them by their ancestors and they used to live on these lands, but they don’t know why the government is turning their lands to a private company without informing them before hand.

An elderly woman said that the villagers could face hunger if the government does not help resolve this case on time for the upcoming rainy season.

The villagers added that the Long Sreng Co., aka Heng Long Co., organized a meeting on 09 May where they told the villagers: “Even if you live on these lands for 100 years long, we will still take them away from you as long as your lands are included in the map the government gave to us legally, therefore, no authority will help and get involved in this case.”

On 10 June, the 56 families traveled to provincial office to turn in their protest petition, asking for an intervention so that the 8.54-hectare land occupied by their village and their 21.6-hectare of rice fields be returned to them so that they can grow crops. There, Yin Bun Tith, a provincial official made an arrangement for the villagers to return home for now. However, as of today, he still had not confirmed how he will proceed with the intervention, claiming that he is too busy with a relative’s funeral.

The villagers indicated that the Long Sreng Co. wants to chase them away and send them to live in a new area by giving them very minor compensation. A representative of the Long Sreng Co. indicated that this is a case of housing swap and the government is in charge of this issue, the company is merely providing some additional incentive for soothing the spirit of the villagers.

The representative of the Long Sreng Co. said that his company used to resolve such problems with success in several places already, so much so that the Council of Ministers issued a letter to all other rubber plantation companies to take the same steps as it did.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

There is no law in Cambodia . The government can do anything to its own people regardless of wrong or right . That's dictatorial government . People around the country need to rise up against those power abusers ... kill a few to save millions or vote them out of the power . Land along the border has been given to Viet , land in the city has been given to developing companies and land in the countryside has been giving to companies for agricultural . That idea is to make khmer get weaker and then Viet will take over one day .
Hun Sen , Heng Samrin and Chea Sim are number one public enemies .

Anonymous said...

where Ah Choy marai Ah long kim lieng ? kick him back to live with ah hunsen .or send him to live with ah hem heng.fuck u Ah long kim lien

Anonymous said...

Tep Vong and Sihanouk and Hun sen and Chea Sim and Heng Samrin and .....are khmer rooooouges and thank you HoChiMinh.
Hahahahah Legal GV of khmer rouge in 2010.
Chét roy,

Anonymous said...

The currupted government will gets soon for their evil deeds.

They not gonna last. Government of crooked nature will not last.

Their children will pay for what their parent does unjustly 10 folds.

Vietcong is having fun now, but time will come for them. They forgotten their history when the french abused them, when the US bombed them.

Soon, china gonna hammer them.

Anonymous said...

All these lands grabbed companies are assigned by Hun Sen to represente Vietnamese government to take Cambodian land from Cambodian citizen and let them to suffer until their death. Without any removal of present leadership, Cambodia is facing to extintion.

Anonymous said...

Hun Xen government is continuing or finishing what Pol Pot government stated!

UN by not completed the Paris agreement, the justice and peace were not give to people of Cambodia but it is giving the power tho individuel like Shihanouk, Ranarith, Son San, Hun Sen, Chear Sin, Heng samrim and....!


Should we Cambodian thank you UN for half help that may save our live for the moment but kiling our hope, our culture, our spirit as a nation, real peace, and justice of humankind? Or JUST PLAINLY say FUCK For your help UN!!!!!

UN you do a lousy job! should leave us in the jungle! Die as proud free men!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Does Cambodia has a legitimate land law? And how much long will the govt still abusing its citizens?

Anonymous said...

i think they are saying two wrongs don't make it right! however, we need to understand that it was the stupid KR that created all these problems in the first place. now they are dead, the problems is left for generation of cambodians to work it all out, and rule of law is one of the sound solution, really! think about it, when we deal with cambodia and khmer people, we all have to have compassion, lots of patience, understand of their sufferings, etc..., otherwise, we are not part of the solution, instead, we are part of the problem, you know! wake up people!

I'm GAY said...

Long Sreng Co. is an idiot.
CPP sold him the land, but the next one come to power will take away the land from his company. It has been happening every where.

Anonymous said...

NOW, these currupted official and company can take lands away from khmer people.

When this regime is gone, the people will burns the company or houses on the stolen land.

Anonymous said...

well, if they do it right in the first place, there needn't be any worry about this kind of repercussion in the future, really! rule of law, please!