More than 170 representatives of 147 Koh Kong families calling for the government’s intervention in their land disputes with two sugar concessions have threatened to march to the prime minister’s cabinet office on Wednesday if a solution is not forthcoming.

The representatives arrived in Phnom Penh last week to deliver petitions regarding their disputes with ruling party Senator Ly Yong Phat and agri-business tycoon Heng Huy to various ministries and have since been staying at Samaki Rainsy Pagoda.

Phav Nhueng, one of the 171 representatives, yesterday said that having last week received a lukewarm reception from the Environment Ministry and National Assembly, they have lost faith in ‘low-level officials’.

"If there is still no solution, we will go to the prime minister’s cabinet in two days as we have no choice," Nhueng said. However, Eh Bunthoeun, a member of a Land Management Ministry dispute resolution team, yesterday asked the petitioners to be patient.

"They urge us to solve the dispute quickly, but we have to follow procedures by inspecting and researching," Bunthoeun said. "We don’t only work on their dispute so it cannot be quick."