Sok Kong
Land dispute between Sokimex and Prek Pra villagers
12 Sept 2010
By Sok Serey Radio Free Asia Translated from Khmer by Socheata Click here to read the article in Khmer
Sok Kong’ oil company, Sokimex, plans to confiscate mote that 21 hectares of land belonging to villagers in Prek Pra commune, Mean Chey district, Phnom Penh city, soon. Among those who will lose their lands will be a number of high-ranking government officials as well.
The Council of Ministers recently issued an information letter on the confiscation of more than 21-hectare of land from 13 villagers living in Prek Pra commune, Phnom Penh city, and turn the lands over to Sok Kong, the owner of Sokimex, for development.
One of the villagers indicated that among the 13 families who are victimized, they are not all farmers, but there is also a number of high-ranking government officials as well, such as Kry Touch, a high-ranking police officer at the ministry of Interior and older brother of Bun Rany Hun Xen; and Hun Bun Thoeun, Hun Xen’s younger sister and wife of Ang Vong Vattana, the minister of justice.
Nevertheless, the villagers said that they did not receive any letter telling them the date for their eviction yet.
One villager from the 13 families above who lives on O’Andong village, Prek Pra commune, Mean Chey district, Phnom Penh province and who declined to give out his name said: “Only the land produces food. If this land is not here, we will not have anything. We will not have a place to live anymore.”
Another villager told RFA that she asked the government to re-think about this issue again: “Oknha Sok Kong trespassed to take away our land. This means that we don’t have anything to feed ourselves anymore. I don’t know what will happen to me in the future. Therefore, I want the government to resolve this issue and review the documents provided to Sok Kong one more time.”
The villagers confirmed that a number of them own various documents recognizing their ownership and their living in the area since 2000, after they bought the lands from Em Hoeun, the actual owner of the land, in 1986. Sokimex claimed that it bought the land from Keo Leng in 2004.
The dispute on the 21-hectare of land between Sok Kong’s Sokimex and the 13 families started since 2006.
A photocopy of a document that RFA received on 06 August and issued by Seng Lumnov, the secretary of the Council of Ministers, in lieu of Xok An, indicated that 7-hectare of land in Niroth commune and the 21-hectare of disputed land in Prek Pra commune must be given to Sokimex for occupation and ownership according to the law. It also stated that all previous documents issued after 1992 regarding the ownership of the land are considered void.
RFA could not reach Sok Kong to ask for explanation on this accusation and the dispute above, as well as the plan to develop this area.
The document issued by the Council of Ministers only indicated that the more than 21-hectare of land is part of Sokimex development in Boeung Chhouk.
The Council of Ministers recently issued an information letter on the confiscation of more than 21-hectare of land from 13 villagers living in Prek Pra commune, Phnom Penh city, and turn the lands over to Sok Kong, the owner of Sokimex, for development.
One of the villagers indicated that among the 13 families who are victimized, they are not all farmers, but there is also a number of high-ranking government officials as well, such as Kry Touch, a high-ranking police officer at the ministry of Interior and older brother of Bun Rany Hun Xen; and Hun Bun Thoeun, Hun Xen’s younger sister and wife of Ang Vong Vattana, the minister of justice.
Nevertheless, the villagers said that they did not receive any letter telling them the date for their eviction yet.
One villager from the 13 families above who lives on O’Andong village, Prek Pra commune, Mean Chey district, Phnom Penh province and who declined to give out his name said: “Only the land produces food. If this land is not here, we will not have anything. We will not have a place to live anymore.”
Another villager told RFA that she asked the government to re-think about this issue again: “Oknha Sok Kong trespassed to take away our land. This means that we don’t have anything to feed ourselves anymore. I don’t know what will happen to me in the future. Therefore, I want the government to resolve this issue and review the documents provided to Sok Kong one more time.”
The villagers confirmed that a number of them own various documents recognizing their ownership and their living in the area since 2000, after they bought the lands from Em Hoeun, the actual owner of the land, in 1986. Sokimex claimed that it bought the land from Keo Leng in 2004.
The dispute on the 21-hectare of land between Sok Kong’s Sokimex and the 13 families started since 2006.
A photocopy of a document that RFA received on 06 August and issued by Seng Lumnov, the secretary of the Council of Ministers, in lieu of Xok An, indicated that 7-hectare of land in Niroth commune and the 21-hectare of disputed land in Prek Pra commune must be given to Sokimex for occupation and ownership according to the law. It also stated that all previous documents issued after 1992 regarding the ownership of the land are considered void.
RFA could not reach Sok Kong to ask for explanation on this accusation and the dispute above, as well as the plan to develop this area.
The document issued by the Council of Ministers only indicated that the more than 21-hectare of land is part of Sokimex development in Boeung Chhouk.
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