Ly Srea Kheng, 68, holds evidence of his wife and family's forced eviction from their Tuol Kork district home. PHA LINA
A land dispute in the capital’s Tuol Kork district escalated further on Friday when a group of “gangsters” allegedly threatened the life of a human rights worker taking video footage for a documentary on the conflict.
“Six men pushed me off the site. One screamed: ‘I will not allow you to be free,’ and another swung an axe near my head. They were carrying axes, hammers and knives, and said they worked for the landowner,” said Vann Sophat, a project coordinator for the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR).
មន្ត្រីមជ្ឈមណ្ឌលសិទ្ធិមនុស្សកម្ពុជា ដែលរងការគំរាមសម្លាប់ លោក វណ្ណ សូផាត Mr. Vann Sophath។
CCHR Phot
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Three families continue to refuse to vacate the small piece of land despite allegedly enduring a daily routine of threats and intimidation from a group of hired thugs. The families claim the men have been ordered to make their lives unliveable by tycoon Khun Sear, a politically connected businessman.
“Khun Sear is so powerful that he can get away with just about anything without lower authorities getting involved,” Nan Ony, a legal officer with the Housing Rights Task Force, said.
The tactics used against the three families have allegedly included assaults and a bag of cobras being thrown into one house. And while the families have been living on the land for more than 30 years, the Council of Ministers issued a letter in October 2010 effectively signing the land over to Sear.
According to CCHR, residents have repeatedly tried registering their land but to no avail.
Representatives of Sear’s company, registered as Khun Sea Import Export, could not be reached yesterday.
Despite living in what many would describe as untenable circumstances, 60-year-old Ly Srea Khenh says his family isn’t going anywhere.
“I won’t bow to this company or take their compensation money because all we want is to live on our land. The company is acting like a thief.”
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY CHHAY CHANNYDA
2 comments:
Kill a snake you must cut the head off,knowing who is behind all these greeds would make a different, if they hurt your families,you will revenge,you have the right to live there by law,the cost million dollars that is why they wanted so bad,don't back down please, fight back eye for eye!..
The land cost million dollars that is why they ( khun shear) wanted it so bad!....Typo mistake ~;)
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