Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker and former party secretary-general Eng Chhay Eang will be a deputy president of the new National Land Dispute Authority, while 10 prominent NGOs have formally declined to participate in the body.
These decisions came out of a meeting between several NGOs, opposition officials and Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday morning to discuss land issues. Cambodian Center for Human Rights President Kem Sokha said that Hun Sen agreed during the meeting to release all villagers jailed over land disputes and to reduce all concessions larger than 10,000 hectares. Kem Sokha added that Hun Sen objected to a suggestion that the National Assembly vote on the granting of all economic land concessions.
Eng Chhay Eang said Deputy Prime Minister Sok An will head the authority, while he, Land Management Minister Im Chhum Lim, Minister of National Assembly and Senate Relations and Inspection Mem Sam An, government adviser Heng Vong Bunchhat and Hun Sen’s adviser Om Yentieng, will be deputy presidents. Eng Chhay Eang, who resigned as opposition party secretary-general in December because of a gambling problem, said he has kicked the habit and is fit to handle his new responsibilities.
“I can control myself,” he said. “We believe we can solve and reduce most of the land disputes.”
The NGOs said they will not participate in the authority because they want to remain independent, Kem Sokha said. “We will form a working group instead,” said Sok Sam Oeun, executive director of the Cambodian Defenders Project. “The group will go along on investigations, recommend cases for investigation and advise the authority,” he said.
(Additional reporting by Erik Wasson)
