Social land concessions climb
More than 40 fresh land rows have emerged across the country – and many more could be going unreported, the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) said yesterday. A study CCHR conducted into land conflicts between 2011 and 2013 has resulted in the rights group publishing an updated online map, showing 41 new disputes in 17 locations, including the capital. Previously, CCHR had listed 223 land conflicts across the country in the four years from 2007. The organisation’s research also shows that while the granting of economic land concessions has halted – as per a 2012 moratorium ordered by Prime Minister Hun Sen – fives times the number of social land concessions (SLCs) were granted in 2013 than 2012. Many of the new land disputes came to CCHR’s attention after July’s national election, land reform coordinator Vann Sophath told the Post. …
Shane Worrell
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/social-land-concessions-climb
