Authorities in Phnom Penh on Thursday blocked villagers from marching to the Interior Ministry and Prime Minister Hun Sen’s house in a bid for intervention in their long-running land dispute in Preah Vihear province.
About 100 residents of Choam Ksan district’s Kantuot commune gathered at Samakki Raingsey pagoda on Wednesday ahead of on Thursday’s planned march.
As they left the pagoda in Meanchey district—famed for hosting protesters and land disputants—they were met by about a dozen police and district security guards who blocked their way, saying the march would be too disruptive.
Deputy district governor Mea Sopheap told the villagers that he could not let them pass because a march would cause traffic jams, but promised to deliver their petition.
“On behalf of the local authorities, I wish to take the petition letter from all of you and I promise to pass the document to the upper level, as all of you want,” he said. “I dare not guarantee that you will get a result within a week, but I will seek to push this case and get a solution.”
Mr. Sopheap told the marchers, however, that their prospects were weak.
“I think that the provincial governor [Oum Mara] did not use violence and confiscate land like as you have accused, but the governor is very busy, so that’s why he was not able to look into the small problem,” he said.
The dispute has been ongoing since 2010, when CPP lawmaker Suos Yara allegedly demanded 500 square meters from the villagers. Representatives claim that when the villagers refused, they were evicted from their land on the pretense that they were squatting on the Unesco World Heritage site surrounding Preah Vihear temple.
Phan Thoeun, a representative of the 253 families that have lost their land in Svay Chrum village, said the protesters on Thursday demand a solution within a week.
“We have offered one week for the authorities to give an answer for all of us, and we will come back to hold a protest to march from the Samakki Raingsey pagoda to Samdech Hun Sen’s house if we do not see a solution,” he said.
