RESIDENTS of Pursat province’s Krakor district have postponed a protest in which they planned to block National Road 5 after meeting with a government official who promised to discuss their concerns with the provincial governor and Prime Minister Hun Sen, villagers said yesterday.

Sok Chamroeun, a representative of roughly 260 families who claim their land is being grabbed by local conglomerate Pheapimex Group, said the villagers had met with Keo Rattanak, the director of the  cabinet at the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy.

“He said that if he is a Buddhist, he will find a resolution for us immediately,” Sok Chamroeun said. “I hope he will respect this promise, because otherwise we will go through with our plan to protest.”

The villagers had threatened to stage a two-week sit-in on National Road 5, blocking the busy highway with cows, beds and buffalo carts. They say they are under threat from a 315,028-hectare land concession granted to Pheapimex.