Representatives of almost 50 families from Preah Vihear’s Chheb district yesterday submitted a petition to the National Assembly and Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Cabinet calling for them to intervene in a new land dispute with Chinese company Rui Feng.

The community accuses the firm, which is embroiled in another land dispute nearby, of grabbing 110 hectares of their land in Sangke II commune to plant sugarcane.

Speaking outside parliament after submitting the document, representative Chum Sophoeurth, 31, said villagers had repeatedly tried to stop the company clearing the land they had farmed since 1976, but work had continued at night.

Sophoeurth also claimed that a Rui Feng employee threatened to handcuff villagers who protested.

Companies Rui Feng and Lan Feng, which share management, have also been accused of grabbing land from hundreds of ethnic Kuy families in Brame commune in nearby Tbeng Meanchey district.

Preah Vihear Deputy Governor Sou Sary said that he was not aware of the new dispute with the company but would examine the case.