The European Union will speak to Cambodia’s government on behalf of two communities in Battambang involved in land disputes, according to the rights group Adhoc.

EU representatives met on Friday with members from Boeung Bram community, where 300 people are fighting for their land, as well as residents from Khnach Romeas, the site of another dispute.

According to Adhoc’s Battambang provincial coordinator Yin Mengly, who attended the meeting, EU staff told residents to let them know when their complaints went unanswered, so they could follow up on them.

Both communities, in Bavel district, have been in long-running disputes with businesses who claim ownership of the land.

The meeting also discussed problems in Ek Phnom, where jungle is being cleared for farmland. Mengly urged the EU to help resolve the conflicts as quickly as possible. The EU could not be reached yesterday.