On 25 March 2011, hundreds of armed forces were deployed to remove 73 family homes at Kirirom Market. This action was carried out subject to a the judgment by Kampong Speu Provincial Court .
The chronic land dispute between 73 families with Sokimex company at Kirirom market in village 3, Treng Traying commune, Phnom Sruoch district, Kampong Speu province has been ongoing since 2000. In 2001 the Kampong Speu court issued a default judgment to allow Sokimex company to win in a civil action. The people filed a complaint against the judgment immediately afterwards but no satisfactory resolution was reached. In 2002 an intervention letter from the King, National Assembly, and Ministry of Justice was issued, ordering Kampong Speu court to provide justice to affected people. The case has been quiet since then. However, on the morning of 25 March 2011, prosecutor Khut Sopheang requested armed forces and employees from the provincial governor’s office to destroy people’s houses. Some houses were dismantled by owner’s who had been backed into a corner while other houses were bulldozed by company workers.
