Twenty Cham villagers from Kratie province’s Snuol district yesterday visited the Ministry of Land Management and Urban Planning to demand authorities resolve their community’s seven-year-old land dispute with two rubber companies.

Representing 136 families, the group said they were following up on a complaint lodged a month ago with the ministry, in which the villagers demanded action to regain 525 hectares they say was grabbed and cleared by two firms, Ratanak Sdown and Therak Investment Company, in 2009 – 12 years after the community says it moved to the area.

“We came to find out whether the minister has taken action with the province or not, because people keep waiting for a solution from the ministry and the province does not solve the problem,” said community representative Chan Yong.

Ministry official Heng Saran, who met with the villagers, reassured the group that the ministry was working on their case, which would be solved “soon”, he said.

Reached yesterday, Provincial Governor Sar Chamrong said he had received a letter from national authorities asking him to resolve the case and was drafting a report in response.