Boeung Kak lake

A villager living at Boeung Kak lake claimed yesterday that staff from Shukaku Inc, owned by ruling party senator Lao Meng Khin, threatened to demolish her home if she rejected an alleged US$80,000 offer to purchase the property.

Heng Mom, 54, of Srah Chak commune’s village 22 in Daun Penh district claimed yesterday that she had refused the offer.

“[They said] they will use their security guards and district police to demolish my home if I reject their offer,” she said. Lao Vann, deputy director-general of Shukaku Inc, yesterday denied the allegations.

Residents of villages 6, 22 and 24 have been denied land titles within a 12.44-hectare relocation site set aside by Prime Minister Hun Sen last month for 756 families forced to make way for a 133-hectare real estate project. The dispute has raged since Shukaku was granted a 99-year lease for the land.

Rights groups met with residents yesterday who said that nearly 100 families had been refused land titles by Daun Penh district authorities. “They gave 21 land titles to Shukaku,” villager Tep Vanny claimed. Sia Phearum, secretariat-director of Housing Rights Task Force, said that a group of NGOs would issue a statement today asking the government to intervene.

District deputy governor Sok Penhvuth declined to comment.