Land dispute

RESIDENTS of Kampong Chhnang province’s Baribo district said police stopped them from travelling to the provincial hall to protest against a developer they have accused of destroying their land.

Yin Pech, a representative of the protesters, said police stopped vans transporting roughly 400 residents of Pech Changvar commune from entering Kampong Chhnang town.“We aren’t allowed to ride in vans, so we walked to the district hall to protest,” she said. “We submitted a petition to district authorities to ask for help against the Pheapimex company, who have dug a channel affecting our rice fields.”

The land was granted to Pheapimex in 2000 as part of an economic land concession spanning 315,028 hectares in Kampong Chhnang and Pursat provinces. Deputy district governor Khoun Sarom said he would bring the petition to authorities and the company.