Hun Sen’s reaction to the Appeal Court decision that a school will lose its landTuesday, February 05, 2008
Koh Santepheap newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Prime minister Hun Sen issued strong reaction against the Appeal Court decision to hand over the land belonging to the Hun Sen Ang Snuol high school - which owns the property title to the land – to a private party.
Hun Sen’s reaction came in the morning of 04 February, during his inauguration of the Hun Sen Bat Doeung high school, located in Ksem Ksan commune, Uddong district, Kampong Speu province. Hun Sen said that this case is very shameful for our nation. Villagers from two villages gave up their lands to build the high school in the 80s, how can a person living in Tuol Kok (Phnom Penh city) who does not even live in the high school area, but who owns a receipt can win this case instead? The case was sent to the Supreme Court, the Supreme Court asked the Appeal Court to decide on the case one more time, and the Appeal Court decided for the high school loss in this case again.
Hun Sen asked what does the court base this case on? The land title of high school is registered under the name of the Ministry of Education, how could the court make such decision? Hun Sen ordered the minister of Justice to review this case again, and all the land administration officials, the district governor, and the provincial governor must travel to the spot to measure the lands and build a fence for the villagers, and that the court decision should be disregarded. All these officials work for the government, and the prime minister has the right to cancel a faulty decision made by a lower branch of the government.
Hun Sen also criticized the judge for not thinking about public interest, and he said that there are many other cases like this one. He said that if (the judge) is knowledgeable, he must be such that he earn respect from people, but if he is dumb, he should be such that people have pity of him, but instead, the judge is providing such decision instead.
Hun Sen told Mrs. Prak Sakhorn (the private party who claimed ownership of the land), that it would be better for her to pull out her complaint in this case. Hun Sen said that, at any cost, he has to take this action, and that he is not violating the court rights, but that the court is violating the administration. He said that there is no need for the teachers to bring their complaints to the court in this case, the authority will be the suing party this time.
Students and teachers of the Hun Sen Ang Snuol high school have gathered to march in protest against the court decision to hand over the land belonging to the high school to a private party (Mrs. Prak Sakhorn) to turn into a private property. The teachers and the students asked Hun Sen to provide justice for them on 24 January regarding this dispute. The demonstration took place in front of the Hun Sen Ang Snuol high school which is located along National Road No. 4, in Monorom village, Bek Chan commune, Ang Snuol district, Kandal province.
More than 2,200 students participated in the demonstration led by 135 teachers. The demonstration marchers held slogan banners, and they had a loudspeaker shouting their slogans during the demonstration. The marchers came out of the high school and went in to stand on the disputed lands, but they did not cause any traffic jam, nor did any violence occur.
A teacher said that the land-grabber took away a plot of land measuring 30-meter-by-22.4-meter, or 672-square-meter. The land title bears the name of Prak Sakhorn, a woman living in Village No. 3, Boeung Kak 1 commune, Tuol Kok district, Phnom Pengh city. She shamelessly grabbed the school land.
Hun Sen’s reaction came in the morning of 04 February, during his inauguration of the Hun Sen Bat Doeung high school, located in Ksem Ksan commune, Uddong district, Kampong Speu province. Hun Sen said that this case is very shameful for our nation. Villagers from two villages gave up their lands to build the high school in the 80s, how can a person living in Tuol Kok (Phnom Penh city) who does not even live in the high school area, but who owns a receipt can win this case instead? The case was sent to the Supreme Court, the Supreme Court asked the Appeal Court to decide on the case one more time, and the Appeal Court decided for the high school loss in this case again.
Hun Sen asked what does the court base this case on? The land title of high school is registered under the name of the Ministry of Education, how could the court make such decision? Hun Sen ordered the minister of Justice to review this case again, and all the land administration officials, the district governor, and the provincial governor must travel to the spot to measure the lands and build a fence for the villagers, and that the court decision should be disregarded. All these officials work for the government, and the prime minister has the right to cancel a faulty decision made by a lower branch of the government.
Hun Sen also criticized the judge for not thinking about public interest, and he said that there are many other cases like this one. He said that if (the judge) is knowledgeable, he must be such that he earn respect from people, but if he is dumb, he should be such that people have pity of him, but instead, the judge is providing such decision instead.
Hun Sen told Mrs. Prak Sakhorn (the private party who claimed ownership of the land), that it would be better for her to pull out her complaint in this case. Hun Sen said that, at any cost, he has to take this action, and that he is not violating the court rights, but that the court is violating the administration. He said that there is no need for the teachers to bring their complaints to the court in this case, the authority will be the suing party this time.
Students and teachers of the Hun Sen Ang Snuol high school have gathered to march in protest against the court decision to hand over the land belonging to the high school to a private party (Mrs. Prak Sakhorn) to turn into a private property. The teachers and the students asked Hun Sen to provide justice for them on 24 January regarding this dispute. The demonstration took place in front of the Hun Sen Ang Snuol high school which is located along National Road No. 4, in Monorom village, Bek Chan commune, Ang Snuol district, Kandal province.
More than 2,200 students participated in the demonstration led by 135 teachers. The demonstration marchers held slogan banners, and they had a loudspeaker shouting their slogans during the demonstration. The marchers came out of the high school and went in to stand on the disputed lands, but they did not cause any traffic jam, nor did any violence occur.
A teacher said that the land-grabber took away a plot of land measuring 30-meter-by-22.4-meter, or 672-square-meter. The land title bears the name of Prak Sakhorn, a woman living in Village No. 3, Boeung Kak 1 commune, Tuol Kok district, Phnom Pengh city. She shamelessly grabbed the school land.
