Preah Sihanouk provincial governor Kouch Chamroeun intends to crack down on anyone who encroaches on public beach sites for their own business.

The declaration was made at a recent meeting to discuss the achievements of the provincial administration in the past five years.

“The provincial authorities are committed to protecting free access to the Kingdom’s public beaches and will not allow anyone to impact on the natural beauty of the coastline. Those who conduct business near the beach must do so in an orderly manner,” he said.

He added that some people lay out mats or place chairs in a disorderly manner, and that provincial officials were meeting with them to discuss the right way of conducting business.

“It’s not that we don’t want people to do business here, we just want to make sure that they are doing it in the right way. If they are renting chairs or mats to tourists, it gives the impression that they own the land they are renting. This is not right,” he continued.

He warned that legal action would be taken against anyone who tried to misrepresent themselves as the owner of any state property.

Yong Kim Eng, director of the People’s Centre for Development and Peace, said people should not claim state land for their own commercial purposes, just as access to public beaches should not be impeded by private structures.

“The authorities should establish set areas for traders and vendors to conduct their business, as their services are in demand by holidaymakers,” he added.

“Coastal land belongs to all Cambodians, so they should have unfettered access. This is true for the people who rent beach furniture, and goes double for people who build walls that block off public land,” he continued.