Koh Kong Land Dispute Case Delayed Again

The Koh Kong Provincial Court yesterday postponed the hearing of a controversial case against a Thai-owned sugar company that more than 200 families alleged had taken their land for the company’s sugar plantations, lawyers and village representatives said yesterday. Ny Sorphornneary, the lawyer for the families, said the court’s presiding judge had decided to postpone the trial because 15 people had recently withdrawn their complaints and the lawyers for the company were not present. She added that they should have been informed about the Koh Kong Sugar’s lawyers’ absence. “I think the postponement of the trial really affects the communities and their living conditions. … When they come to Koh Kong, they need to collect money to hire a car, so they’ve spent a lot of money and they have gotten no result again,” said Ms. Sorphornneary. …