Military police and Forestry Administration officials in Preah Vihear province have destroyed nearly 130 wooden houses, most of them unoccupied, built by villagers in protected forest, officials said Sunday.
Officials dismantled the homes in Kulen district’s Srayong commune Friday then set them on fire, said Meas Sovoeun, deputy provincial governor.
Twenty-five of the homes were occupied, while the others were being used to stake out the land, he said.
After hearing that the government was planning to lay tarmac on a dirt road in the commune that would link Preah Vihear province to Siem Reap province, “opportunists grabbed the land while local officials were busy with the [commune] election campaign,” Meas Sovoeun said.
Two of the suspected land-grabbers were arrested and detained for six hours Friday, he said, though they were released the same day after they signed documents promising not to claim protected forest in the future.
Long Sovann, also a deputy provincial governor, said people had been clearing forest to build cottages because land prices have risen sharply in the wake of a government decision to tarmac the road.
Chan Soveth, an investigator with local rights group Adhoc, said villagers built the houses last month after paying between $37.50 to $50 to local officials to settle in the protected forest.
He said people should not be able to claim the land, but he also accused officials of threatening settlers and burning their property and belongings.
“The authorities should not be so aggressive,” Chan Soveth said, adding that some of the families lost household belongings and documents enabling them to vote.
