Some 34 families in Kampong Chhnang’s Lorpeang village yesterday filed a new petition at the provincial hall urging authorities to intervene in a nine-year land dispute with KDC International, which villagers say has reached a bottleneck and is affecting their daily lives.

Disputants also claim they are facing water shortages, but no one is coming to help.

“There’s no water to use – we have wells, but no water,” said community representative Om Sophy.

“Perhaps they think that since we have a land dispute, they will not pay attention to us, because previously we were discriminated against everywhere we went.”

Provincial Governor Chhour Chandoeun said the land dispute is complicated, but he would check with both sides to try to resolve the issue.

KDC maintains the disputed land was sold by villagers in 1997 and subsequently sold to the company in 2007. The co-owner of the company, Chea Kheng, is married to the mines and energy minister.

Regarding the water shortage, Chandoeun said he will ask the Kampong Tralach district governor to examine the issue and truck in water or dig new wells if need be.