Omlaing villagers protest against land clearing by the land-thief Phnom Penh Sugar Co. (Photo: Adhoc)
09 May 2010
By Tin Zakariya Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the article in Khmer
The chronic land dispute between Omlaing villagers and the Phnom Penh Sugar Co. belonging to CPP tycoon-senator-cum-land thief Ly Yong Phat has not ended yet. The villagers claimed that several of their families are now facing the loss of their rice fields.
On Sunday 09 May, O’Ponlov villagers in Omlaing commune, Thpong district, Kampong Speu province, indicated that, recently, several pieces of land clearing equipments belonging to Phnom Sugar Co. came to clear the village land and they even razed down a house belonging to one of the villagers.
Yim Sieng Hoy, a villager, said that the sugar company’s equipment started to clear the village land on 08 May. This land clearing operation affected more than 10 families in the village, and one of the houses in the village was also destroyed in spite of the fact that the villagers tried to stop them from clearing the land. The reason these equipments were so obstinate in their destruction was because they had about 100 soldiers to protect them.
Yim Sieng Hoy said: “Now, they have reached my aunt’s house, they have not razed it down yet, but they are 20-meter away from the house that they razed down. Yesterday they did not bring too many soldiers, but today, they brought in many soldiers.”
Mrs. Khieu Sophy indicated that in April, the villagers and Ly Yong Phat’s company agreed at the Omlaing commune office that the company will leave a swath of 200-meter behind the villagers from land clearing, but now the company is also clearing the villagers’ land.
She said: “When they cut the backyard, they said that they will leave 200-meter for us, now they came to clear that 200-meter swath also.”
Sieng Kim Sun, a representative of the land thief company, denied that her company cleared the village land, it was only clearing forest land that belongs to the company. Sieng Kim Sun claimed that all land disputes with the villagers have already been resolved by the land thief company with a swapping of land and a compensation payment of $250 per hectare.
Sieng Kim Sun claimed: “As for the villagers, they do not live there, this is all forest land, the owners transferred the title to me.”
Sieng Kim Sun added that the land-thief Phnom Penh Sugar company came to invest in Omlaing commune and provided jobs to the villagers, and that currently it employed 100 villagers and it will also need more than 20,000 laborers for work.
In spite of Sieng Kim Sun’s claim, Am Sam Ath, a top investigator for the Licadho human rights group, indicated that the Phnom Penh Sugar company is currently grabbing rice fields and lands belonging to the villagers because this land-thief company did not come to make any proper survey at all.
Am Sam Ath added: “The villagers do not have the ability to rent bulldozers to clear their lands like this company, therefore, they work on their land clearing in piecemeal fashion. In some places, the villagers did not touch it [for a while], then the forest trees grew back, then the company came and claimed that this is state land.”
The Phnom Penh Sugar company was awarded a 99-year land concession from the government in February 2010 for planting sugar canes on 9,052 hectares of land. However, in this concession, the government stipulated that the company must cooperate with the local government and the ministry of Agriculture to perform a detailed study, and it also should get away from any land that affects the interest of the local villagers.
Am Sam Ath said that the land-thief company did not perform any study and did not show any proper document about the potential affect on the villagers. Quite to the contrary, the company started by clearing lands and it affected rice fields and plantations belonging to a number of Omlaing villagers. This situation has lasted for many months already and there was no proper resolution given to the villagers yet as of now.
On Sunday 09 May, O’Ponlov villagers in Omlaing commune, Thpong district, Kampong Speu province, indicated that, recently, several pieces of land clearing equipments belonging to Phnom Sugar Co. came to clear the village land and they even razed down a house belonging to one of the villagers.
Yim Sieng Hoy, a villager, said that the sugar company’s equipment started to clear the village land on 08 May. This land clearing operation affected more than 10 families in the village, and one of the houses in the village was also destroyed in spite of the fact that the villagers tried to stop them from clearing the land. The reason these equipments were so obstinate in their destruction was because they had about 100 soldiers to protect them.
Yim Sieng Hoy said: “Now, they have reached my aunt’s house, they have not razed it down yet, but they are 20-meter away from the house that they razed down. Yesterday they did not bring too many soldiers, but today, they brought in many soldiers.”
Mrs. Khieu Sophy indicated that in April, the villagers and Ly Yong Phat’s company agreed at the Omlaing commune office that the company will leave a swath of 200-meter behind the villagers from land clearing, but now the company is also clearing the villagers’ land.
She said: “When they cut the backyard, they said that they will leave 200-meter for us, now they came to clear that 200-meter swath also.”
Sieng Kim Sun, a representative of the land thief company, denied that her company cleared the village land, it was only clearing forest land that belongs to the company. Sieng Kim Sun claimed that all land disputes with the villagers have already been resolved by the land thief company with a swapping of land and a compensation payment of $250 per hectare.
Sieng Kim Sun claimed: “As for the villagers, they do not live there, this is all forest land, the owners transferred the title to me.”
Sieng Kim Sun added that the land-thief Phnom Penh Sugar company came to invest in Omlaing commune and provided jobs to the villagers, and that currently it employed 100 villagers and it will also need more than 20,000 laborers for work.
In spite of Sieng Kim Sun’s claim, Am Sam Ath, a top investigator for the Licadho human rights group, indicated that the Phnom Penh Sugar company is currently grabbing rice fields and lands belonging to the villagers because this land-thief company did not come to make any proper survey at all.
Am Sam Ath added: “The villagers do not have the ability to rent bulldozers to clear their lands like this company, therefore, they work on their land clearing in piecemeal fashion. In some places, the villagers did not touch it [for a while], then the forest trees grew back, then the company came and claimed that this is state land.”
The Phnom Penh Sugar company was awarded a 99-year land concession from the government in February 2010 for planting sugar canes on 9,052 hectares of land. However, in this concession, the government stipulated that the company must cooperate with the local government and the ministry of Agriculture to perform a detailed study, and it also should get away from any land that affects the interest of the local villagers.
Am Sam Ath said that the land-thief company did not perform any study and did not show any proper document about the potential affect on the villagers. Quite to the contrary, the company started by clearing lands and it affected rice fields and plantations belonging to a number of Omlaing villagers. This situation has lasted for many months already and there was no proper resolution given to the villagers yet as of now.
18 comments:
I urge all NGOs and all Cambodian lawyers and lawmakers of the opposition parties to report this criminal Ly Yong Phat to Internationl Criminal Court to make arrest. we want to see what happen if international criminal court is issueing court order to arrest this criminal Ly Yong Phat, what CPP is going to do?
Now he is a senator and also a criminal who has terrorised Cambodian people by using army to enforce land from people.
Khmer in Sydney outside of CBD
Ly Yong Phat is the member of CPP. He is good man........
We have no power and rights to arrest him, our country is for sale now, he treated Cambodian people less evaluable than wildlife, I know that wildlife are preserve well event they in the forest. We will report to the buyer of his products in Thailand about his case that he evicted and destroyed Khmer villagers just for his greediness.
Ly Yong Phat is the criminal, soon he will deserve Kampea!
Ly Yong Phat will go or walk on the same path as Then Bunma!
Theng Bun Ma was accused of running drugs and of shooting Thais airway. Before the coup d'etat of 1997, the international communities have pressed Cambodian government to arrest Theng Bunma and Mong Rithy for running drugs but these two guys have pushed Hun Sen to turn their crimes into political matters. After the coup d'etat, all international communities have forgotten the crimes made by these two criminals.
I am sure someone out there can help Cambodian by filling these criminal Ly Yong Phat into International criminal court.
Sothea Tith
Land grabings!!! This is Cambodia under Hun Sen
Every part of the country is belonging to the tycoon now, soon we, the Khmer people will become the slavery on our own land, Tonle Sap Lake will no more fishes, Pailin no more stone, land no more mineral, mountain no more trees, and the country no more laws as Hochi Min long live planned.
AMLIN Khmers, you're paying the price of your fathers killing, they had killed all of Khmers who may help you if they still alive..
Just kill that ass hole, Ly Yong Phat. Burn his house down or kidnap his wife and daughters if he has one.
Revenge to Ah Kbot Chheat Hun Sen and his CPP members. Don't spare them.
They hurt Khmer people everyday.
The face of blood sucker. Does he has to sell his name for money? I urge Cambodian government to protect the Cambodian poor...
True khmer need to rises up and take out doezen of currupted head figure.
Think about this,
Are you Cambodian/Khmer?
Yes, I'm Cambodian/Khmer.
Do you like Cambodian/Khmer?
Yes, I do like Cambodian/Khmer.
So, what do you do for Cambodian/Khmer?
Yes, I sell Cambodian/Khmer land, forest, whoever protest me, I put them in Jail, and bail them out.
This is Real Khmer love Khmer.
Thanks
Red-Ant.
This is clearly the Invasion of the Capitalist and the abuse of power. What happens to all khmer leaders, khmers nationalists, and justice system?
It is not an invasion of capitalist. Cambodia needs to be managed by market economy. These dailight robberies are part of genocide of Cambodian race. It is a strategy mastermided by Vietnamese and their dog slaves such as Hun Sen, Chea Sim, Heng samrin need to implemente accordingly. These activities have proved that opposition members are too soft and lacked of political strategy to save Cambodia. They may have also received moneys from these thives Yeay Phu, Ly Yong Phat to allow them a free ride. They should refer these activities to UN or international criminal court very soon. Sooner or later, it will be too late for Cambodia to be rescued.
Khmer in Sydney outside of CBD
there ought to be law against super greedy people in cambodia, really! especially those who steal from nation to sell for their own pocket, etc! these individuals don't know the meaning of enough is enough, i guess! didn't they know that they cannot take their riches with them when they die, not to mention their reputation is trashed as well? wake up, please! it's time to give back to cambodia with all your riches, really! look around cambodia, if you are you blinded by your greed, ok!
Democratic Kampuchea Pol Pot Khmer Rouge Regime
Members:
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.
according to the issue, before you say something you must know the truth. there are good and bad for everything, you must calculate. you know what, why neighbour look down Khmer. because, Khmer people do not unite. Please, open your eyes, stop day dream, wake up!
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