In July 8th, 2011, 300 villagers were on demonstration to block the national road 6A at a place next to the Sankor market located at Sankor village and commune, Kg. Svay district, Kg. Thom province in protesting to the decision 73 dated May 12, 2011 of Kg. Thom provincial office which kept only 78,80 hectars for villagers but gave away 1119,20 hectars to the company to develop.
The villagers found it hard to accept this decision through their complaints to ADHOC, the villagers claimed for 821,60 hectars which were occupied by 225 families since 1985. In 1993, the local authority has divided the farm land into Chhouk Vann for villagers to cultivate crops every year. In 2005, the provincial authority gave 1917,87 hectars as land economic concession to the Doung Hengsengsuna company to dig irrigation systems and make embankment dry season farming for 25 years. However, the villagers of the 4 villages disagreed because the concession affected people’s farm consisted of 821,60 hectars in the Chhouk Vann area. The villagers decided to file complaint to the National Assembly in April 4th, 2006 to intervene but the National Assembly transferred the case to Kg. Thom provincial authority. In March 1st, 2007 the provincial authority invited the representatives from the 4 villagers and the company to provincial office to settle the conflict. In the process of negotiations in May 2010, there was a letter from provincial court asking 4 villagers to go to court.
In July 19th, 2010 the 4 villagers were charged of using violence against the innocent property owners and faced 1 year prison term and charged 1 million Riels in fine.
Regarding this land conflict, Prime Minister’s Cabinet made an order 303 dated March 9th, 2011 for the provincial authority to solve conflict. Suddenly, in June 3rd, 2011 at 8 am two Kg. Svay district and three Sankor commune police arrested Mr. Khhean Soeu without any arrest warrant. The villagers kept pressing to get their land back but no justice given to them. That’s why they decided to block the national road as a ransom to release their representatives in order to give the farm land back to the villagers for cultivation.
The provincial and local authority such as the chief of Sankor commune, the district governor, and the provincial deputy governor spent 6 hours to talk to the villagers.
Finally, they agreed to make a deal that in July 13th, 2011 when the authority started to measure the land for the villagers and proposed the company to hold back on the complaint with the help from ADHOC and various other NGOs. After agreement was reached, the people clear the road on 8 July 2011 at 2.45 pm.
