Villagers from Kratie province’s Snuol district were met by a large security presence yesterday when they descended on Prime Minister Hun Sen’s house to ask him, for the third time, to intervene in a years-long land dispute.

At about 6:30am, an estimated 100 villagers, representing 380 families, marched from the Samaki Rainsy pagoda in the capital’s Meanchey district to the premier’s house to deliver a petition calling for a solution to their ongoing dispute with Horizon Agriculture.

“We have the receipts, data and legal documents, so we do not come to protest . . . We come to demand land certificates,” villager Suon Vicheka said.

One woman was injured and another fainted as hundreds of police, armed with shields and batons, pushed them back.

At about 10am, cabinet official Pal Chandara accepted the petition.

“We cannot solve this problem here, so you should stop gathering in order to maintain public order . . . We need time to find a solution,” he said.