• Society

Preah Vihear Authorities Deny Villagers Hiding in Fear 

• By Lay Sopheavotey
• April 4, 2024 4:30 PM

PHNOM PENH – Preah Vihear provincial administration has denied reports that nearly 100 villagers have fled into the forest fearing arrest and violence by authorities in a long-running land dispute. The reports say seven children have become sick.

The dispute over a land concession granted to the Seladamex company in Kulen district goes back to 2011.

Four people were arrested on March 11. Preah Vihear Provincial Court accused another 28 of land encroachment and held them in jail while others were released. 

The Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC) NGO said authorities used violence such as smoke guns during the arrests. Rights organization LICADHO said real bullets were also fired.

CHRAC executive director Rus Sotha said, “My network has reported that nearly 100 families escaped into the forest, and if there is no solution but only to arrest them like that, what should they do? 

“That’s why they are not coming back to the village. If the authorities want to see the citizens, they must guarantee that there will be no more arrests. Then, the citizens will come out.”

Sotha said CHRAC is documenting evidence on the loss of people’s houses and land to send to the ministries of Justice and of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction for them to step in, particularly about Preah Vihear authorities who authorised the crackdown on protestors. 

The villagers had no choice but to stay in hiding, Sotha said. 

On March 13, CHRAC sent a letter to the Ministry of Interior to examine Preah Vihear authority’s action against 131 families in the district since March 6. 

“We are doubtful if the Preah Vihear authority’s action was legal and whether the economic land concession given the company would affect the villagers,” CHRAC said. 

“Do those citizens have the rights to, or should they receive a subsection for them to live on the divided land? These questions should be answered, and we are asking the Ministry of Interior to help resolve this dispute.” 

However, the provincial administration said on April 2 that no one had been found to have fled into the forest. 

It said some information had been spread recently with old pictures and interviews with people involved in the land dispute. 

“Kulen district authority inspected the hiding location, and did not find anyone there,” the administration said.

The authority urged anyone still hiding to return to the village. It promised to help anyone in need and urged them to avoid the group of people who incited them. 

Ministry spokesperson Touch Sokhak said the ministry always instructed local authorities to be as patient as possible when a protest breaks out, especially with citizens, to ensure their safety and order and to avoid using violence. 

“The reason authority fired the smoke guns might be due to chaotic situation, because some people sometimes take advantage of the situation to incite citizens,” Sokhak said.

This was not considered as using violence because it was to end  the chaos. Firing real bullets, however, would be considered to be violence. Arresting protesters was a means to ease the protest to prevent greater chaos and the court would be the final judge. 

The spokesperson urged people not to be incited by individuals to take over forest or vacant land. 

Calling for a non-violent solution, Sokhak encouraged people to inform or file a complaint to the local authority or to the provincial administration who would help them seek justice in land disputes. 

“If you think you, the legal landowners, are the victims, you should resolve the disputes legally by seeking intervention from the local authority, police, court, relevant ministries, or provincial administration,” Sokhak said. 

“This aims to avoid gathering for any chaotic action that makes the police do their duties on them, while some people have bad intentions and incite the crowd further.”