Upon receipt of complaints or information, ADHOC’s monitors investigate, collect evidence and land certificates, study land tenure permits, and approach Cadastral Commissions on all levels for action. In some cases, we appointed lawyers to defend victims at the court. We also provide food, shelter and transport cost to victims, traveling from provinces to Phnom Penh to claim for the return of their land.
When victims of land disputes retain land, receive fair compensation or are able to continue to use disputed land, their livelihoods are maintained and in many cases improved.
In 2008, ADHOC received 306 complaints regarding land rights abuses committed by powerful and affluent people, which involved 58,431 ha of land, and 26,420 families. We followed up 101 previously filed land cases, which were remaining unsolved from 2006 and 2007. Victims got their land back or fair compensation in 23 cases.
Case Study
On March 15, 2008, a district cadastral commission officer of Angkor Chey led 10 workers carried in 9 trucks to clear a community forest land of around 600ha, belonging to 300 families, including residents of Phnom Thnot area, Tuol village, Lbeuk commune, Chhouk district, Kampot province. The men cleared the disputed land in preparation for selling it to a foreign company. Victims lodged a complaint to ADHOC office in Kampot province. On March 5, 2008, ADHOC investigated the land case and intervened towards provincial authorities for taking action. On March 24, 2008, the provincial authorities returned the 600ha of that disputed land to the community.
