27 November 2007
By Or Phearith
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
A group of Phnong ethnic minority people living in Bou Sra commune, Mondulkiri province, held a ceremony to curse all those who doled out on 26 November and those who received the concession lands that affect the Vil Chum farmlands which belong to the Phnong people.
Phnong people living in La-mess village, Bou Sra commune, Pechreada district, indicated that on 26 November, a group of Phnong people brought a pig to offer to the spirits of the forests and mountains, to help protect their lands so that nobody can take them away from the Phnong people.
An anonymous Phnong person said: “The (Phnong) villagers are very angry that this (Vietnamese) company kept on taking their lands, and the government kept on doling out concession lands to this (Vietnamese) company. The villagers are not pleased with these activities, they bought a pig to offer (to the spirits). The location of the offering is called “atab” in Phnong, there, they curse (those who doled out their lands and those who took their lands) with death.”
The cursing ceremony was done in extreme secrecy after about 50 Phnong families have learnt that the government decided to give away 5,108-hectare of concession lands in Pechreada district, and some of the concession lands include the Vil Chum farmlands belonging to the Phnong people. The concession lands were given away to the Vietnamese Dalat Company to plant rubber trees.
Some Phnong people have demanded $500 in compensation per hectare of non cultivated lands, and $1,000 per hectare of cultivated lands. They have rejected the policy of compensating 1 million riels (~$250) per hectare of their lands: “… per hectare, they gave us 1 million riels (~$250), but we do not agree, we want $500 per hectare of non-cultivated lands, and $1,000 per hectare of lands where we planted our cashew trees.”
Another group of Phnong people said that they may not be able to control their rage, if there is no resolution to their requests. “My name is Iev Sam En. Maybe, I will have to use some violence because when I talked to them, they wouldn’t listen to us, we have no other choice.”
The Phnong people claim that they are willing to swap their lands to go elsewhere where they can continue to grow their crops so that they can alleviate their poverty. But if there is no resolution for them, or no other lands for them to live, they may face famine because 1 million riels per hectare cannot buy lands elsewhere.
Koy Samey, the La-Mess village chief, promised to intervene with the Vietnamese company.
Lay Sokha, the Mondulkiri provincial governor, claimed the same thing: “I will meet this company and I will invite the National Authority for the Resolution of Land Dispute (NARLD) to come and resolve the land issues for them”
The Vietnamese Dalat Company does not have a phone number where it can be contacted.
In 2006, villagers living in Som village, Kampoan commune, Memot district, Kampong Cham province held a ceremony also to curse the powerful government officials as well as those wealthy people who persist on grabbing the villagers’ lands, so that these rich crooks of government crooks may become poorer than them who are nothing but poor villagers.
Phnong people living in La-mess village, Bou Sra commune, Pechreada district, indicated that on 26 November, a group of Phnong people brought a pig to offer to the spirits of the forests and mountains, to help protect their lands so that nobody can take them away from the Phnong people.
An anonymous Phnong person said: “The (Phnong) villagers are very angry that this (Vietnamese) company kept on taking their lands, and the government kept on doling out concession lands to this (Vietnamese) company. The villagers are not pleased with these activities, they bought a pig to offer (to the spirits). The location of the offering is called “atab” in Phnong, there, they curse (those who doled out their lands and those who took their lands) with death.”
The cursing ceremony was done in extreme secrecy after about 50 Phnong families have learnt that the government decided to give away 5,108-hectare of concession lands in Pechreada district, and some of the concession lands include the Vil Chum farmlands belonging to the Phnong people. The concession lands were given away to the Vietnamese Dalat Company to plant rubber trees.
Some Phnong people have demanded $500 in compensation per hectare of non cultivated lands, and $1,000 per hectare of cultivated lands. They have rejected the policy of compensating 1 million riels (~$250) per hectare of their lands: “… per hectare, they gave us 1 million riels (~$250), but we do not agree, we want $500 per hectare of non-cultivated lands, and $1,000 per hectare of lands where we planted our cashew trees.”
Another group of Phnong people said that they may not be able to control their rage, if there is no resolution to their requests. “My name is Iev Sam En. Maybe, I will have to use some violence because when I talked to them, they wouldn’t listen to us, we have no other choice.”
The Phnong people claim that they are willing to swap their lands to go elsewhere where they can continue to grow their crops so that they can alleviate their poverty. But if there is no resolution for them, or no other lands for them to live, they may face famine because 1 million riels per hectare cannot buy lands elsewhere.
Koy Samey, the La-Mess village chief, promised to intervene with the Vietnamese company.
Lay Sokha, the Mondulkiri provincial governor, claimed the same thing: “I will meet this company and I will invite the National Authority for the Resolution of Land Dispute (NARLD) to come and resolve the land issues for them”
The Vietnamese Dalat Company does not have a phone number where it can be contacted.
In 2006, villagers living in Som village, Kampoan commune, Memot district, Kampong Cham province held a ceremony also to curse the powerful government officials as well as those wealthy people who persist on grabbing the villagers’ lands, so that these rich crooks of government crooks may become poorer than them who are nothing but poor villagers.
