Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Koh Kong villagers bitter over longstanding land dispute

Koh Kong villagers bitter over longstanding land dispute

Villagers wait outside the Land Management Ministry, where they submitted a petition relating to a long-standing land dispute in Koh Kong province.
Villagers wait outside the Land Management Ministry, where they submitted a petition relating to a long-standing land dispute in Koh Kong province.

Koh Kong villagers bitter over longstanding land dispute

Around 400 villagers from Koh Kong province allegedly affected by ruling party Senator Ly Yong Phat’s sugar plantations petitioned the Land Management Ministry on Wednesday, demanding compensation packages like those given to a separate group of villagers in March.

In March, 375 families were given compensation packages, including cash and land allocations, after longstanding land disputes against Yong Phat’s Koh Kong Sugar and Koh Kong Plantation.

One hundred and seventy five of those families, led by villager representative Phav Nheung, received $2,500 and 3 hectares of land, with the remainder agreeing to take 1.5 hectares of land.

The 400 villagers who went to the ministry on Wednesday were affected by the same two firms, as well as Heng Huy Agriculture Company, and were monitored by around two dozen Chamkarmon district security guards. They represent around 300 families from Sre Ambel and Botum Sakor districts in the province.

Village representative Chim Srey Thourn said her group wanted similar compensation packages to those received by Phav Nheung’s group.

“The Land Management Ministry allowed 10 of us to meet and discuss the issue, but we did not reach a solution,” she said. “They said they need time to discuss, and I asked when can we can get an answer, and they said, ‘after the elections’.”

Heang Sokhom, one of the villagers, said that initially, more than 600 families protested the land dispute together, but there was a split in 2016, after local authorities told Srey Thourn’s group to stop protesting if they wanted compensation.

“Please help us to solve our dispute, because in the past we did not protest and we listened to the authorities,” he said.

MOST VIEWED

  • 12th Cambodia int’l film festival to see return of Hollywood star

    Phnom Penh is set to come alive with the magic of cinema as the highly anticipated 12th Cambodia International Film Festival (CIFF) takes centre stage. Boasting an impressive line-up of 188 films from 23 countries, including captivating shorts, feature films, documentaries and animation, the festival promises an

  • Bareknuckle champion wants Kun Khmer fighter

    Dave Leduc, who is the current openweight Lethwei boxing champion in Myanmar, has announced that he will travel to Cambodia this year to challenge SEA Games gold medallist Prum Samnang any time that is convenient, after their planned match later this month in Slovakia was

  • Struggling Battambang artist dreams of staging full-scale gallery exhibition

    Leav Kimchhoth, a 55-year-old artist from Battambang province, is a familiar face to locals and tourists alike on the streets of the riverside in Phnom Penh. The one-armed painter and illustrator often hawks his work near the night market on weekends and public holidays. He

  • Fresh Covid warnings as Thai hospital fills

    A senior health official reminds the public to remain vigilant, as neighbouring countries experience an increase in Covid-19 cases, with the latest surge appearing to be a result of the Omicron XBB.1.5 sub-variant. Or Vandine, secretary of state and spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health,

  • 1.4 billion dollar Phnom Penh-Bavet expressway due in four years

    The Government, through the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, has officially signed a public-private partnership agreement with a private company for the construction of a Phnom Penh-Bavet Expressway project that will connect the capital to Svay Rieng province. The budget for the project is

  • New Law on Taxation comes into effect

    Cambodia has enacted the eagerly-awaited new Law on Taxation, which aims to improve the national tax regime’s compliance with present and future international standards and economic conditions; encourage accountability, effectiveness and transparency in the collection process; and promote investment in the Kingdom. King Norodom