Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Land dispute ‘task force’ to be established in Ratanakkiri

Land dispute ‘task force’ to be established in Ratanakkiri

The senior minister in charge of special missions, Ly Thuch (centre), greets ethnic villagers on Tuesday in Ratanakkiri province during a public forum that addressed land disputes. Photo supplied
The senior minister in charge of special missions, Ly Thuch (centre), greets ethnic villagers on Tuesday in Ratanakkiri province during a public forum that addressed land disputes. Photo supplied

Land dispute ‘task force’ to be established in Ratanakkiri

Senior Minister in charge of Special Missions Ly Thuch announced yesterday that a land dispute resolution task force will be created for Ratanakkiri province, although observers said the move was coming too late.

In line with Prime Minister Hun Sen’s instructions to resolve land disputes related to economic land concessions (ELCs), Thuch said “citizens need land to do farming, so [we are] asking the ELC owners to share the land with villagers in favour of the villagers”.

“We ask the [provincial] authorities to create a task force group to finalise the land disputes, taking care of the citizens’ interests the most,” he said in speeches to crowds of mostly ethnic minority citizens in Taveng and Andong Meas districts on Monday and Tuesday.

Authorities must respond to the needs of the people, however they must be locals, he continued – migrants from other areas will be viewed as land grabbers. “[Hun Sen] offers ownership to specifically local people,” he said.

To ensure this, Thuch recommended that authorities clearly demarcate village, commune and district boundaries. Villagers, he continued, are encouraged to make phone calls to their local authorities, asking for intervention in any disputes.

Phat Sambath, Andong Meas deputy district governor, who attended Thuch’s speech, said that the creation of the task force would reflect the will of the people.

“Villagers want ownership of the forest like before. They want a lot of ancient land and forest,” Sambath said. “The villagers do not want the government to give land to companies.”

Pan Kirivuth a security employee of the Swift Rubber Company in O’Chum district, however, maintained that villagers tend to grab land granted to companies by contract, especially land that remains untouched.

“When the people grab [land], how can the company grow to meet the contract with the government?” he said.

However, companies’ use of government contracts made with disregard for villagers is the main obstacle to dispute resolution, according to Chhay Thy, the provincial coordinator for rights groups Adhoc.

“So far we’ve got 65 cases of land disputes from the people in Ratanakkiri province, but we saw only seven cases have been properly solved. This because of the company relies on the investment contract,” Thy said.

As for the task force’s promised directive to side with the people, Thy said it seemed to come too late given that for many their land has already been cleared by companies.

MOST VIEWED

  • 12th Cambodia int’l film festival to see return of Hollywood star

    Phnom Penh is set to come alive with the magic of cinema as the highly anticipated 12th Cambodia International Film Festival (CIFF) takes centre stage. Boasting an impressive line-up of 188 films from 23 countries, including captivating shorts, feature films, documentaries and animation, the festival promises an

  • Bareknuckle champion wants Kun Khmer fighter

    Dave Leduc, who is the current openweight Lethwei boxing champion in Myanmar, has announced that he will travel to Cambodia this year to challenge SEA Games gold medallist Prum Samnang any time that is convenient, after their planned match later this month in Slovakia was

  • Fresh Covid warnings as Thai hospital fills

    A senior health official reminds the public to remain vigilant, as neighbouring countries experience an increase in Covid-19 cases, with the latest surge appearing to be a result of the Omicron XBB.1.5 sub-variant. Or Vandine, secretary of state and spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health,

  • 1.4 billion dollar Phnom Penh-Bavet expressway due in four years

    The Government, through the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, has officially signed a public-private partnership agreement with a private company for the construction of a Phnom Penh-Bavet Expressway project that will connect the capital to Svay Rieng province. The budget for the project is

  • New Law on Taxation comes into effect

    Cambodia has enacted the eagerly-awaited new Law on Taxation, which aims to improve the national tax regime’s compliance with present and future international standards and economic conditions; encourage accountability, effectiveness and transparency in the collection process; and promote investment in the Kingdom. King Norodom

  • Struggling Battambang artist dreams of staging full-scale gallery exhibition

    Leav Kimchhoth, a 55-year-old artist from Battambang province, is a familiar face to locals and tourists alike on the streets of the riverside in Phnom Penh. The one-armed painter and illustrator often hawks his work near the night market on weekends and public holidays. He