Fear accompanies summons over land disputes

Less than a week after Prime Minister Hun Sen called for land to be returned to villagers embroiled in land disputes, a Pursat province villager has been summonsed by the court in a scenario many see as all too common in these disputes. Kuch Veng, a representative of villagers in Krokor district was charged with incitement in late May for leading other villagers in a bid to stop Pheap Imex company from clearing their farm land, but only found out that he had been charged on Monday. … “[Hun Sen] promised that if he could not fight against illegal logging, he would behead himself, so I am interested in the prime minister’s words,” Kuch Veng added, saying that villagers embroiled in land disputes were too afraid to report abuse to low-level officials, because those officials were too corrupt. Some 12,000 families are currently involved in land disputes on a Pheap Imex economic land concession that spans two provinces and more than 315,000 hectares. In Pursat province, 8,200 families from 13 communes and 59 villages are disputing 13,116 hectares in the Krakor, Kravanh and Pursat city districts. In Kampong Chhnang, 3,800 families in two districts – Boribo and Toek Pos – are battling over approximately 7,500 hectares. …

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