Marchers Get Promises of Help in Land Dispute

By Vong Dara, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
01 June 2008

After walking for three days from their village in Battambang province, marchers on the way to Phnom Penh on Tuesday were promised talks with the government over a land dispute.

The marchers, numbering nearly 200, had reached Krakor town, in Pursat Province.

Bovel village representative Sao Mony said the marchers would meet with officials from the Ministry of Interior Wednesday to find a solution “in accordance with our goals.”

“If not, we will continue on to Phnom Penh,” he said. “Tomorrow we will send four people to join in the solution.”

The marchers say they have lost at least 100 hectares of land in sales in 1999 and 2005.

Sieng Sothorng, Battambang’s deputy governor, who brokered the proposed resolution, said a solution was like “bargaining,” and if a resolution was not found at first, “we will try again.”

Adhoc rights worker Phuong Sothea expressed doubt, saying the proposed solution could be a means to preventing the marchers from reaching the capital.

Land protesters from Battambang are converging to Phnom Penh by foot

25 May 2008
By Mom Sophon
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by KI-Media

About 200 poor Cambodian villagers, including young and old, men and women, have traveled by foot for the past 3 days from Battambang province to Phnom Penh city, to demand that Hun Sen helps resolve the confiscation of their lands by crooked businessmen and the provincial authority.

These villagers came from various villages in Bavel and Thmor Kaul districts, Battambang province, they just arrived in Pursat province yesterday.

Mrs. Chhoeun Ny, a representative of villagers from Bavel and Thmor Kaul districts, said on Saturday that the villagers have traveled 6 to 7 kilometers only because the children, aged between 8 months and 10 years old, are too exhausted.

Chhoeun Ny indicated: “I want to let you know that the old folks are very exhausted by the march, and the children have blisters and they cannot walk anymore, they are very exhausted when they arrived at this third stop, they are getting weaker and some are coming down with fever. Children when they walk too far, they get blisters on their feet, the young children must be breastfed and carried on the mother’s hip, then they have to carry 4-5 cups of rice and a change of clothes, they are becoming more and more exhausted, so we are facing a serious problem. Those who are fighting for a resolution demand, the situation is becoming a heavier burden for them.”

Chhoeun Ny indicated also that, last night, the villagers stayed at the Snam Preah pagoda, located in Snam Preah commune, Bakan district, Pursat.

Mrs. Chim Sarom, a representative of the villagers from the region of O’Voar Preng, Thmor Kaul district, indicated that the problem they are currently facing is the health condition for the children and the older people, because they have traveled for a long distance under the scorching sun and rain. Nevertheless, regardless of the obstacles they face, they are determined to continue their trip to Phnom Penh, they will never back down.

Ieng Chhun Han, a coordinator for the Licadho human rights group in Pursat province, indicated that among the 200 villagers, Licadho was able to provide health care to 80 of them who sought doctor’s help.

Ieng Chhun Han indicated also that Licadho officials are following up on this march, as well as the lodging situation. The organization is also providing food to the villagers, such as rice, sardines, clean water, and packaged noodle.

The representatives of the 200 villagers are insistently demanding the government to provide a resolution and to return as soon as possible their farmlands grabbed by the businessmen and the powerful officials because the rice planting season is already here. If there is no resolution to their cases, they will face food shortage next year.