8. Update Land dispute

UPDATE -Land dispute resolved - Press release from the SRP Members of Parliament, July 27, 2002We have just received information according to which a satisfactory solution has been found to the land dispute opposing some 200 families and the Koh Kong provincial authorities over a 300-hectare area in Pak Klong commune, Mondol Seima district, near the Thai border (see SRP statement dated July 23, 2002 posted on SRP website www.samrainsyparty.com).Following Sam Rainsy’s visit to the area on July 22, Thai businessman Ly Yong Phat confirms that he is prepared to buy all the villagers’ land at a price of Bath 100 per square meter and that he has already given Bath 300,000,000 to the Koh Kong provincial authorities to buy all the 300 hectares for him (1 hectare = 10,000 square meters). The provincial authorities took the money but forced villagers to sell their land at a price of only Bath 10 per square meter.Now, the problem is settled with all the villagers accepting to sell their land at a price of Bath 100 (US$ 2.5 or Riel 10,000 per square meter). Sam Rainsy has not decided yet whether he would re-sell the parcel of land he symbolically bought from a villager on July 22 to Ly Yong Phat.Sam Rainsy buys land to defend farmers - Press release from the SRP Members of Parliament, July 23, 2002Opposition leader Sam Rainsy spent the last three days visiting poor villagers in Kompong Speu, Kompong Som and Koh Kong provinces.Yesterday morning, he led a demonstration of villagers in Neang Kok village, Pak Klong commune, Mondol Seima district, Koh Kong province, to protest against a government project to seize more than 300 hectares of land near the border with Thailand from some 200 families under the pretext of establishing a “development zone”, according to a sub-decree signed by Prime Minister Hun Sen earlier this year. In fact, Hun Sen gave power to the Koh Kong provincial authorities to illegally chase farmers who have been living in that area for many years (sometimes up to 20 years) in order to take their land and sell it to Thai businessmen who intend to build a golf course next to existing casinos and to indulge in land speculation.Many Thai businessmen who are extending their interests in Cambodia are Mafiosi who have bought Cambodian passports, such as ringleader Ly Yong Phat. They are involved in drug and human trafficking, illegal logging and fishing, gambling and money laundering, and land grabbing. They are tools for Thailand to infringe on Cambodia’s territory as evidenced by continuous border encroachments. They provide large amounts of corruption money to the Hun Sen government, which turns a blind eye to the plunder of Cambodia’s natural resources and the sufferings of the Cambodian people. Koh Kong is not far from being already a Thai colony where more and more Cambodians are becoming landless and destitute people.Ly Yong Phat and other Thai businessmen have asked the Koh Kong provincial authorities led by Thai-born Governor Yuth Phouthang to chase Cambodian farmers and fishermen from a large area between the Thai border and a Thai-built bridge linking, on Cambodian territory, the commune of Pak Klong and the commune of Dang Tung. Besides, the Thai army is building a road from the Thai border to the city of Sre Ambel, about 200 kilometres eastward.In order to smoothen the eviction of Cambodian farmers and fishermen from the above-mentioned Neang Kok area, Thai businessmen have proposed a compensation of Bath 100 (or $2.5) per square meter for the present land owners. They have asked the Koh Kong provincial authorities to negotiate a deal with the present land owners and to make all the necessary administrative arrangements (transfer of property deeds). But the Koh Kong provincial authorities are forcing the present owners to sell their lands for a price of only Bath 10 (or $0.25) per square meter. They threaten the present owners that if they don’t accept the deal, their lands will be taken for nothing. They have sent police and military police forces to dismantle or demolish many villagers’ houses. Villagers are afraid and they know that the court is corrupt and will never render justice to them. “Small people can never win over big people”.Before such a situation Sam Rainsy yesterday afternoon bought a parcel of land from a farmer named Seng Kim Meng, in Neang Kok village. The parcel has a size of 630 square meters and the price paid by Sam Rainsy was Bath 63,000 (or $1,575) corresponding to a price per square meter of Bath 100 (or $2.5), meaning ten times higher than the price proposed by the provincial authorities.As a Member of Parliament not afraid to confront the provincial authorities or even the central government, Sam Rainsy will refuse to re-sell his newly acquired parcel of land at a price lower than Bath 100 (or $2.5 or Riel 10,000) per square meter and he appeals to other land owners to resist eviction under the unfair terms and conditions arbitrarily set by the Koh Kong provincial authorities.In order to stall similar illegal and unfair eviction plans, other Members of Parliament from the Sam Rainsy Party will also start to buy small parcels of land in areas all over the country where poor villagers are threatened to be chased from their lands.