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Hundreds of people who invested in the Borey Leng Navatra land project protested and blocked National Road 6A on the morning of January 25 before meeting the authorities who informed them that the Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction Ministry would meet them on January 28.
The demonstrators, who said they were scammed by Borey Leng Navatra, demanded that the company show clear commitment and concrete steps to resolve their case despite earlier claims that construction would resume in January 2026.
They said their protest aimed to pressure the borey developer to fulfill its responsibilities because buyers have been paying loan installments for four to five years without any materialization of land or houses.
They held banners during the protest. One of them read, “Build a house for us. We want land. We want a house. Leng Navatra has failed to honor contracts for five to six years, deceiving the people.”
Following the protest, Chroy Chongva district authorities intervened and informed them that the ministry had scheduled a meeting with them for January 28.
Lay Hengtong, 50, a resident of Chroy Changva district, said he borrowed money from relatives and banks to buy a house in the project. Five years later, he still has no home and is forced to live with his mother-in-law and continues to repay bank loans.
He said Leng Navatra’s failure to honor contracts has caused severe financial strain and family hardship.
“We blocked National Road 6A because we have lost trust in Leng Navatra’s promises. Only the government can solve this problem,” Hengtong said.
He added that previous promises to fill the land and begin construction were never carried out. Buyers who visited the site saw that there was no activity, leading them to believe the company continued to mislead buyers.
Another customer, Soeung Tuleay, 47, from Prey Veng province, said he spent nearly $30,000 for a flat in 2021, hoping that the construction would be completed within 18 months. Years later, the house remains unfinished, leaving him under heavy financial and psychological pressure.
“I pay between $300 and $400 for the bank interest every month. The house is only about 40 percent built,” Tuleay said, adding that their protest aimed to expose the customers’ suffering while the company continued to evade responsibility.
Tuleay shared that he still lives in a rented house with his wife and two children, and appealed to senior leaders to intervene.
“We only want a decent house to live in. Please help us and make sure that Leng Navatra can complete the houses quickly,” Tuleay said.
Assistant to Som Monorom, director at the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction, said they have arranged meetings and selected representatives to resolve the land and housing disputes. He added that the ministry is collecting and selling Leng Navatra’s assets to raise funds to complete the construction.
Owner and developer Navatra, a local businessman known for his government donations and large real estate developments or “boreys”, did not publicly address the protestors or their grievances. In November 2025, Leng Navatra told customers during a meeting with the ministry that construction would resume in January 2026.
The company outlined several project updates, including partial completion of infrastructure, land filling, and plans to relocate some customers to other blocks.
However, Vann Sophat, business and coordination officer at the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR), said the company has “clearly violated its contracts”.
“Ministerial intervention can only facilitate negotiations. It cannot force compliance,” Sophat said, adding that customers should consider filing complaints through the courts and seek legal representation. He noted that if proven, the case could constitute a criminal offense.
“It ultimately depends on the will of the authorities and the court, and citizens must also protect their rights through legal action,” he said.
Navatra did not respond to phone calls by CamboJA News when contacted.
