Land Dispute Cases in Battambang Province

The Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC), a coalition of 23 NGO members, is very concerned about the long-lasting and complicated land dispute which has been taking place in Battambang province which has caused 548 families of people to lose their daily living and one has been detained, six others have fled their areas while other three got injury, and their housing and personal properties have been destroyed.

These cases occurred in Presphos and Daunba communes of Korskralar district; in Orumchek village of Prekchik commune of Mong Russey district; and Ovoi Preng village of Khnach Romeas commune of Bavel district, Battambang province. The cases have happened due to Provincial Cadastral Commission does not have enough capability to take any appropriate action, particularly in preventing the violence resulting from the land dispute.

In this case, CHRAC has observed that provincial court has interfered in the work of the Cadastral Commission in resolving the land dispute which is contradictory to the Inter-Ministerial Statement. The provincial court often referred to the Articles 258 and 243 of the 2001 Land Law interpreting them in an inaccurate manner. Due to this reason, the local authorities had threatened the people to face of possible arrests and lose their as well as can not access to other social services. In addition, many victims who suffered from these acts continuously complained about the authorities for making lose of their case files and about no-responses from the authorities to resolve their complaints which had been submitted for resolution with regards to the land dispute cases.

CHRAC urges the Battambang provincial authority to take legal actions and resolve all land disputes and make it easy for the people to return to their lands depending on the actual land possession and their obvious living.

For further information please contact:

-Mrs. Peung Yok hiep, Executive Director of Legal Aid of Cambodia (LAC), Tel: 012 823 745

-Mr. Chan Soveth, Monitor of ADHOC, Tel: 016 937 591

-Mr. Yin Mengly, Coordinator of ADHOC’s Battambang Provincial Office, Tel: 012 970 823

-Mr. Seng Senkaruna, Investigator of KKKHRO, Tel: 012 532 796