P Vihear Villagers Protest at National Assembly

More than 350 villagers from Preah Vihear province protested in front of the National Assembly on Friday, asking for support from lawmakers in their dispute with military veterans. The villagers, representing some 370 families in Kulen district’s Srayong commune, said that the land on which they lived since 2001 has now been designated a social land concession for military veterans and their families. … Major General Srey Dek, commander in chief of Preah Vihear’s Division 3, said only 20 families would be affected by the program to provide land to veterans. … “The residents who came all the way to Phnom Penh are just troublemakers. They just want to own the land, but they don’t care who actually owns the land. The government owns the land,” he added.