New Cambodian Land Disputes Despite Moratorium on Key Concessions
At least 41 new land disputes were reported in Cambodia last year despite a government moratorium on the widespread grant of so-called economic land concessions, a rights group said Thursday.
The new cases in 17 locations—including the capital Phnom Penh—added to the 223 land conflicts previously documented around the country since 2007, the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) said in a report. …CCHR said most of the land conflicts it had documented so far had been linked to land grabs, ownership problems and evictions. …
While it did not document any ELCs—which are granted to domestic and foreign companies for development—last year, in line with a government suspension on the practice, CCHR found that the government granted 420 SLCs totaling 502,500 hectares (1.24 million acres) and four RLCs totaling 16 hectares (40 acres).
The number of SLCs granted in 2013 was more than five times greater than that granted in 2012, it said. In May 2012, Prime Minister Hun Sen temporarily suspended the granting of ELCs to domestic and foreign companies in a move to curb forced evictions in the face of growing protests by villagers, adding that the government would confiscate any concessions that involved land grabs. …In response to CCHR’s report, Council of Ministers Spokesman Phay Siphan said that the government’s ability to resolve land disputes is limited.
The government can only intervene in disputes between companies and residents, while it is up to the courts to resolve land disputes between private individuals, he said. … Joshua Lipes
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/disputes-01302014194318.html
