Land dispute

An additional two villagers will be summoned to Kampong Thom provincial court for questioning next week in connection with an ongoing land dispute, provincial court investigating judge Soem Samy said yesterday. The announcement follows the arrest of village representative Khean Soeun on Friday.

Soem Samy said that Khean Soeun was accused of threatening and insulting staff of the Doung Heng Sengsuna company and destroying private property on May 28.

More than 100 residents from Brasat, Sleng Khpors, Chey and Krasainng Khor villages marched around 30 kilometres from Kampong Svay district’s Sankor commune to the provincial governor’s office on Monday to request the release of Khean Soeun, where they continued to protest for two more days.  

Choem Sunly, a member of Sankor commune council, yesterday vowed to continue their protest until the authorities offered them a settlement.

About 225 families had been affected after the company attempted to seize around 1,000 hectares of land this year, he said on Monday.