Supernatural Forces Enlisted in Land Dispute

Villagers in Kompong Chnang province have resorted to black magic as a means to even the odds with a long-running land dispute with a powerful company, KDC Development, holding a spell-casing ceremony on Saturday to curse the firm and the provincial court for allegedly colluding to grab their land. The ceremony began with a blessing by five Buddhist monks, but the tone shifted radically as a villager stood up in front of 40 residents and, holding up burning incense sticks, asked the crowd to repeat the curse in unison, said Reach Seima, a village representative. … According to Mr. Seima, Sunday’s cursing ceremony was the fourth time that families in Ta Ches commune’s Lorpeang village held such an event. He also claimed the previous curses had been successful in visiting lethal supernatural forces upon those who had conspired to take their land. … Last week, 70-year-old Chab Batt, who had followed that advice to seek resolution through the courts, lost her lawsuit against KDC, which is owned by Chea Kheng, wife of Minister of Industry Suy Sem. Ms. Batta was also ordered by Kompong Chnang provincial court to pay the minister’s wife $2500 in compensation – a penalty Ms. Batt has called ‘hugely unjust’. … A total of 51 families in Tralach district’s Ta Ches commune have been locked in a land dispute with KDC over a combined 145 hectares since 2007. Early last year, the court rejected a joint complaint from the families and ordered them to lodge individual complaints.