A prviate company filling Preah Sihanouk province’s Praek Treng beach with soil is reluctant to dredge it despite a direct order from Prime Minister Hun Sen.

On September 18, the prime minister ordered Minister of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction Chea Sophara to personally inspect claims of landfilling at Praek Treng beach.

Following public complaints, Hun Sen also ordered the company to dredge the soil and restore the beach to its previous condition.

A Stung Hav district administration letter issued on Friday and received by The Post on Monday said landfilling was banned in Tomnub Roloak commune’s Village 4.

The letter said the landfilling prohibition was enforced by Stung Hav district deputy governor Sun Pisey, and the Tomnub Roloak commune chief and Village 4 chief via the Stung Hav district governor’s orders.

“After having been to the site, the team obviously saw that the beach was filled with soil to extend the land,” Pisey said when inspecting the site. He instructed the site’s landowners to temporarily cease filling.

Cambodia Coalition of Farmer Community deputy director You Veasna said that for a short time, the company began to dredge the soil out of the sea following the prime minister’s orders. But then it stopped doing that and proceeded to build a fence around the filled beach.

“In the past, this company dredged some soil out, but later on, their trucks started to fill up the beach again. Then, we saw the deputy district governor ban [landfilling]. Now, the gate is locked and no one is permitted to enter,” said Veasna.

Preah Sihanouk provincial hall spokesman Or Saroeun previously told The Post that the provincial hall had outlined procedures for the company to follow, but it had not completely cleaned up the site.