Approximately 70 people representing 175 families from Kompong Speu province arrived in Phnom Penh Monday to protest the burning of their homes by a group of about two dozen armed men, according to Mean Khom, a representative of the protesters.
Standing in the park across from the National Assembly building, Mean Khom said about 30 houses were burned to the ground Jan 1 on land near Route 4 in Phnom Sruoch district. He said villagers quickly rebuilt their homes, but those were also destroyed in the past few days by fires lit by the same armed group, allegedly led by a man named Poun Sokhay. He said the people are now homeless.
Phork Sam En, second deputy governor of Kompong Speu province, also said Tuesday that about 30 homes were burned in the last two days by a group led by Poun Sokhay and armed with rifles and B-40 rocket launchers.
The villagers moved to the land about four months ago, according to another representative of the villagers, who asked to remain anonymous.
The villagers had previously lived along Route 4, but the government ordered them to leave about four months ago, said the representative. Villagers then settled on undeveloped land about 4 km from the previous site.
Phork Sam En said the land recently occupied by the villagers is owned by Industrial Farming Development Company, which he said received a concession license to the property from the government in 1995.
Although villagers could not say who Poun Sokhay and his armed men represent, Phork Sam En said Tuesday that they were working for the company.
“Provincial authorities were not involved in burning down houses,” Phork Sam En said. “We are not happy with this action.”
He said a company representative has filed a complaint with the provincial government against the villagers. He added villagers also complained to the provincial authority.
“But we cannot solve this problem since the land belongs to the company,” Phork Sam En said.
(Additional reporting by Lor Chandara)
