Rubber fails

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Thursday temporarily suspended the operations of Vietnamese rubber concessionaire Day Dong Yoeung, which has clashed with Jarai ethnic minorities in Ratanakkiri province’s O’Yadav district since late last year, after its previous manager was jailed on fraud charges, district governor Dok Sar said yesterday.

“Court officials came to ann-ounce the temporary de-activ-ation until a new manager is selected. The company properties have not been confiscated, but we will maintain them instead,” Sar said.

Chhay Thy, provincial co-ordinator for the rights group Adhoc, said the company’s president had filed a lawsuit against manager Dai Vantean, 43, who was charged last month with breach of trust and falsifying documents, allegedly resulting in $5 million in losses.

In the past, the company has been accused of encroaching on Jarai land and illegally felling valuable wood.