Market vendors claimed yesterday that officials have closed the capital’s privately owned Prek Pnov market, which has been locked in a dispute with a neighbouring state market since last year.

Vendors told the Post that the district deputy governor and about 10 district police and military police blocked more than 100 vendors from entering the Sen Sok district market, and vendors were forced to sell along the road, inside houses and in the state market, which is also called Prek Pnov.

A vendor who gave her name as Chanvy said that officials had closed the private market, claiming the owner disobeyed the law.

“I cannot sell at the same place in the private market, but I moved to sell near the road,” she said.

District military police chief Kith Sophal said that officials had gone to the market to “protect security”, before referring questions to other officials.

District and commune officials declined to comment, while contact details for the market owner were not available.

In March last year, vendors from the state Prek Pnov market protested after the Appeal Court overturned a municipal court decision that permitted a demarcation wall to separate the two markets.