Land dispute between Cambodian villagers and the Vietnamese rubber plantation company
12 January 2008
By Mondol Keo
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Dara Sak, a member of the Association of disabled veterans for agricultural development, who is frantically seeking help from human rights organizations and NGOs, said in the afternoon of Friday 11 January that the joint police force claimed that they received order from officials at the Kampong Thom provincial office, to close all road access to prevent the villagers from going in and out, and the villagers who went to the market to buy food, were not allowed back into their homes.
Dara Sak said: “The military police officers, regular police officers yelled that they have an order from the provincial governor. The closing (of all access) is done to prevent people from going in and out. Some went to buy food at the market and they were not allowed to return back to their homes. Only those who have an authorization from the commune are allowed to go in and out.”
The villagers said that the closing of road access started since Thursday, and on Friday, it is still in effect. The closing was done because more 1,300 families of villagers have a dispute on 8,000-hectare of lands with the Vietnamese Tan Bien rubber company. However, Mat Moly, the police commissioner of Santuk district, rejected this claim, saying that his police force did not prevent anyone, or arrest any of the villagers. All that the police wanted to see is for the villagers to leave this area and move to live elsewhere, he claimed that the villagers are occupying lands belonging to the Vietnamese company.
Mat Moly said: “There is no (road access) closing, and no prevention of movement by the villagers. This is only to put a stop on the encroachment of the forest belonging to the Tan Bien Company. These disable veterans keep on violating the (Vietnamese Tan Bien) Company.”
On Friday, Nam Tum, the Kampong Thom provincial governor, could not be reached over the phone.
Kong Uy Nich, a coordinator for the Licadho human rights organization for Kampong Thom province, said that this problem takes place because the villagers have a conflict with the Vietnamese rubber company, and the road closing is an issue of great concern because the villagers could run out of food.
Kong Uy Nich said: “Based on the (villagers) report which was provided to me, the (Vietnamese) company brought in police force, soldiers, and military police force to close the road access, preventing them from going in or out of the Banteay Kroyar region, they are not allowed to go out to buy food, therefore they could face food shortage. In the past, the Association of disabled veterans for agricultural development had a land dispute with the Vietnamese Tan Bien Company.”
The villagers indicated that the Tan Bien Rubber Company came to occupy this region since the end of 2006, and they encroached on several hectares of lands belonging to the villagers.
12 January 2008
By Mondol Keo
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
KI-Media Note: Those who believe that KI-Media made up this story, can read the original story in Khmer on RFA's website by clicking here.A large contingent of military police and regular police officers were spread along a road in Kroyar commune, Santuk district, Kampong Thom province, for the 2 days already, in order to prevent the villagers from reaching out to each others, because these villagers are having a dispute with a Vietnamese rubber company.
Dara Sak, a member of the Association of disabled veterans for agricultural development, who is frantically seeking help from human rights organizations and NGOs, said in the afternoon of Friday 11 January that the joint police force claimed that they received order from officials at the Kampong Thom provincial office, to close all road access to prevent the villagers from going in and out, and the villagers who went to the market to buy food, were not allowed back into their homes.
Dara Sak said: “The military police officers, regular police officers yelled that they have an order from the provincial governor. The closing (of all access) is done to prevent people from going in and out. Some went to buy food at the market and they were not allowed to return back to their homes. Only those who have an authorization from the commune are allowed to go in and out.”
The villagers said that the closing of road access started since Thursday, and on Friday, it is still in effect. The closing was done because more 1,300 families of villagers have a dispute on 8,000-hectare of lands with the Vietnamese Tan Bien rubber company. However, Mat Moly, the police commissioner of Santuk district, rejected this claim, saying that his police force did not prevent anyone, or arrest any of the villagers. All that the police wanted to see is for the villagers to leave this area and move to live elsewhere, he claimed that the villagers are occupying lands belonging to the Vietnamese company.
Mat Moly said: “There is no (road access) closing, and no prevention of movement by the villagers. This is only to put a stop on the encroachment of the forest belonging to the Tan Bien Company. These disable veterans keep on violating the (Vietnamese Tan Bien) Company.”
On Friday, Nam Tum, the Kampong Thom provincial governor, could not be reached over the phone.
Kong Uy Nich, a coordinator for the Licadho human rights organization for Kampong Thom province, said that this problem takes place because the villagers have a conflict with the Vietnamese rubber company, and the road closing is an issue of great concern because the villagers could run out of food.
Kong Uy Nich said: “Based on the (villagers) report which was provided to me, the (Vietnamese) company brought in police force, soldiers, and military police force to close the road access, preventing them from going in or out of the Banteay Kroyar region, they are not allowed to go out to buy food, therefore they could face food shortage. In the past, the Association of disabled veterans for agricultural development had a land dispute with the Vietnamese Tan Bien Company.”
The villagers indicated that the Tan Bien Rubber Company came to occupy this region since the end of 2006, and they encroached on several hectares of lands belonging to the villagers.
