Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Violent dispute is far from over

A bloodied policeman and a villager receive treatment from a doctor after the violent land dispute last month in Kampong Speu province. (Photo by: Sovan Philong)

Monday, 11 July 2011
Khouth Sophakchakrya
The Phnom Penh Post

OFFICIALS are reportedly planning another attempt to enforce a Supreme Court-ordered eviction in Kampong Speu province, villagers said yesterday, following an effort last month that ended in violence.

Bun Sokhom, a 46-year-old resident of Stok Slar village in Oudong district’s Phnom Toch commune, said yesterday that authorities had warned villagers during a forum on Saturday that they would take any legal action necessary to seize a 65-hectare area that has been the centre of a dispute since 2004.

A 2009 Supreme Court verdict ruled that the land belonged to the Meng Keth Company, owned by Taiwanese businessman Kuo Sheng, but villagers who disagree with the outcome have continued to occupy and plant rice on the land.

Deputy provincial governor Satthya Vuth reportedly accused residents of an “illegal occupation”, and said that the villagers had “no rights” to the land as they had sold it to the company and lost their case at three different courts, Bun Sokhom said.

Satthya Vuth and Oudong district governor Poul Nov, who attended the forum sponsored by the United States-based National Democratic Institute with villagers, could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Yan Sokhom, a 40-year-old from Por village of Dom Nak Rieng commune, said yesterday that villagers were united in their determination to protect land they believed was rightfully theirs.


While Nut Romduol, a lawmaker for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party from Kampong Speu province, said yesterday that he had submitted a letter to National Assembly President Heng Samrin requesting further investigation into the dispute.

Last month, about 300 policemen attempted to carry out a Supreme Court-ordered eviction of villagers in the 65-hectare area, but encountered a force of roughly 250 armed residents from Damnak Raing and Phnom Touch communes.

A skirmish in Stock Slat village left at least 11 injured, including one villager who had been shot by police, and a police officer who was beaten unconscious by locals.

Another policeman was taken hostage by villagers who discussed whether to kill him.

Local authorities later filed a complaint against villagers for injuries to four policemen.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

This time the farmer will lose all because that is the problem the land for sell.

Anonymous said...

ពួកអាតុលាការក្រុងភ្នំពេញនេះ ការពារតែពួកចោរគ្នាវាតែប៉ុណ្ណោះ! ពលរដ្ឋខ្មែរក្រីក្រ
ស្លូតត្រង់ក្លាយទៅជាអ្នកចាញ់ក្តីនិងក្លាយជាជនរងគ្រោះ។ ដូច្នេះពលរដ្ឋខ្មែរត្រូវតែនាំគ្នាចេញមកការពារដីស្រែចម្ការរបស់យើង ព្រោះរដ្ឋាភិបាលបច្ចុប្បន្នគ្មានយុត្តិធម៌សម្រាប់ខ្មែរទេ។

Anonymous said...

Khmer beat up Khmer for a Taiwanes! Come on Khmer, stop this nonsense! Khmer must help Khmer!

Anonymous said...

ខ្មែរអើយនាំគ្នាក្រោកឡើង!ដៃកាន់ដំបងកាំភ្លើង កាពារទឹកដី! កាប់ពួកវាឱយអស់ កុំសំចៃដៃ!
ពួកអាក្រពើចង្រៃ តៃហោងពីដីខ្មែរ។ បើយើងមិនងើប នោះពិតជាស្លាប់ ពួកអន្តរកាប់
សម្លាប់ខ្មែរសូន្យ ឱយអស់ពីដី ដូនតាជីដូន
ខ្មែរអើយដឹងខ្លួន ឈប់សម្ងំសុខ។(កូនខ្មែរឈាមសុទ្ធ)

Anonymous said...

Ah Hun Sen doesn't care about khmer people misery. That's why, Ah Hun Sen! people "ah" Ah Kbot Cheat. Don't forget Ah Hun Sen! When you are at the microphone, people think that you are "trash". Ah choy Mray kbot cheat. Ah norork! Ah gnorb tay hoagn! Your mother can't help you. Preah Ang Sak sit nov Angkor wat nign romleay Egn! Ah Slab!

Anonymous said...

Mobilized and protected your ancestral land with all your mighty. Used any meant of weapons as you can think of, such as knifes, arrows, poles , and traps.Use large bell to alert intruders coming to a village. Your land and your property and no one can take it away from your without your consents.Give them a lot of flying arrow...Good luck and be brave!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Dear beloves Kg Speu sisters and sisters, untited you will protect your land. You can talk with those dogs. Dogs will understand once they get beat.

Huuuuun Xen regime won't protect your land. Only you can protect your land.

No one can stop People power and United you will have some land left for your children.

Be stronged and be United.

Anonymous said...

correct the above, i meant you can't talk with those dogs.

Anonymous said...

Koh Tral Island must not be forgotten

By Ms. Rattana Keo

Why do Koh Tral Island, known in Vietnam as Phu Quoc, a sea and land area covering proximately over 30,000 km2 [Note: the actual land size of Koh Tral itself is 574 square kilometres (222 sq miles)] have been lost to Vietnam by whose treaty? Why don’t Cambodia government be transparent and explain to Cambodia army at front line and the whole nation about this? Why don't they include this into education system? Why?

Cambodian armies are fighting at front line for 4.6 km2 on the Thai border and what's about over 30,000km2 of Cambodia to Vietnam. Nobody dare to talk about it! Why? Cambodian armies you are decide the fate of your nation, Cambodian army as well as Cambodian people must rethink about this again and again. Is it fair?

Koh Tral Island, the sea and land area of over 30,000 square kilometres have been lost to Vietnam by the 1979 to 1985 treaties. The Cambodian army at front line as well as all Cambodian people must rethink again about these issues. Are Cambodian army fighting to protect the Cambodia Nation or protecting a very small group that own big lands, big properties or only protecting a small group but disguising as protecting the Khmer nation?

The Cambodian army at front lines suffer under rain, wind, bullets, bombs, lack of foods, lack of nutrition and their families have no health care assistance, no securities after they died but a very small group eat well, sleep well, sleep in first class hotel with air conditioning system with message from young girls, have first class medical care from oversea medical treatments, they are billionaires, millionaires who sell out the country to be rich and make the Cambodian people suffer everyday.

Who signed the treaty 1979-1985 that resulted in the loss over 30,000 km2 of Cambodia??? Why they are not being transparent and brave enough to inform all Cambodians and Cambodian army at front line about these issues? Why don't they include Koh Tral (Koh Tral size is bigger than the whole Phom Phen and bigger than Singapore [Note: Singapore's present land size is 704 km2 (271.8 sq mi)]) with heap of great natural resources, in the Cambodian education system?

Look at Hun Sen's families, relatives and friends- they are billionaires, millionaires. Where did they get the money from when we all just got out of war with empty hands [in 1979]? Hun Sen always say in his speeches that Cambodia had just risen up from the ashes of war, just got up from Year Zero with empty hands and how come they are billionaires, millionaires but 90% of innocent Cambodian people are so poor and struggling with their livelihood every day?

Smart Khmer girl, President Ms. Rattana Keo,

Anonymous said...

នៅពេលដែលខ្មែរកាប់គ្នា តើអ្នកណាជាអ្នកទៈដៃសប្បាយ? គឺពួកអាស្រកីដូង!
តើអ្នកណាបែកក្បាលគឺខ្មែរទាំងសងខាងទាំងពលរដ្ឋ
ទាំងកងប្រដាប់អាវុធ ដូច្នេះទាំងពីរនាក់ក្លាយជាជនរងគ្រោះទាំងអស់គ្នា។

Anonymous said...

សតវត្សន៍ទី២១នេះគឺជាតំណាក់ការមួយដែលពលរដ្ឋក្នុងពិភពលោកត្រូវនាំគ្នាកំចាត់ពួកមេផ្តាច់ការរបស់ពួកគេ ដូច្នេះប្រទេសខ្មែរយើងក៏ដល់ពេលវេលាហើយដែរ។
ធ្វើនយោបាយឱយមើលស្ថានការពិភពលោក, បង្ហោះខ្លែងទាន់មានខ្យល់។

Anonymous said...

ខ្មែរឃើញរដ្ធាភិបាលប្លន់យកដីរាស្ត្រនៅស្រុកជីក្រែងខេត្តកំពង់ធំ ដីក្រហមនៅភ្នំពេញ បឹងកក់ភ្នំពេញ
ឧត្តុង្គ កំពង់ស្ពឺ ព្រៃឡាង ខេត្តវិហារ។ល។
បើខ្មែរខាងក្នុងមានអ្នកដឹកនាំទទួលខុសត្រូវ
ទាក់ទង ជួយគ្នាធ្វើបាតុកម្ម កម្លាំងរួមគ្នានោះ
គង់ទម្លាក់អាហ៊ុន សែន និង បក្សពួកវាបាន។
មកពីកង្វះនេះហើយ បានជារដ្ធាភិបាល និង
ពួកក្រុមហ៊ុន ចេះតែមានជោគជ័យក្នុងការប្លន់
យកដីរាស្ត្រ។
ចូរភ្ញាក់រឮកឡើង ក្រោកឈរឡើង ព្រមព្រឺស
ធ្វើបាតុកម្មប្រឆាំងដូចប្រទេសម៉ាឡេស៊ី។
បើខ្មែរបះបោរជាង ១ លាននាក់អាចទម្លាក់
ហ៊ុន សែនបាន។