More than 100 people who say they paid for units in an unfinished housing complex linked to tycoon Leng Navatra, but never received them, demonstrated on Thursday in front of the Ministry of Land Management, calling on authorities to help secure new homes and compensation.
Many of the protesters said they had become indebted after waiting more than five years for their units. They marched near the ministry, chanting, “We used our hard-earned money and bank loans, but he [Navatra] broke the contract and left us suffering.”
They also appealed to Prime Minister Hun Manet and Senate President Hun Sen to intervene, saying the tycoon has failed to honor contracts and authorities have so far been unable to resolve the case.
Navatra, a local businessman known for his government donations and large real estate developments, or “boreys,” has not publicly addressed the protesters or their grievances. On Thursday, he posted on Facebook that after a November meeting with the Ministry of Land Management and coordination this month, “the Borey working group has prepared to continue construction in accordance with the spirit of the meeting.”
Responding to residents’ concerns, Som Monorom, director of the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction and head of the Borey Leng Navatra Project Coordination Team, said the ministry is working to reach a compromise to complete construction and fill the remaining plots.
“About 1,500 houses remain unfinished. The ministry’s intervention is to ensure residents get their homes and plots safely,” he said, adding that authorities could seize Navatra’s assets, sell them, and use the proceeds to complete the units.
Monorom said the ministry and the company will hold meetings every three months to monitor progress at the incomplete units.
Soeung Tuleay, 47, from Prey Veng province, said he bought a house at a borey advertised by the Navatra Galaxy Group for nearly $30,000 in 2021, expecting it to be completed within 18 months. Five years later, the project has not progressed, leaving him with nearly $400 in monthly bank interest.
Despite repeated complaints and three meetings with the ministry, he said authorities have only asked him to wait, while the company continues to give vague promises without a clear timeline.
Similarly, Lay Hengtong from Phnom Penh said he had gone into debt with relatives and banks without receiving a house in one of Navatra’s complexes. He said Navatra previously blamed an economic crisis and lack of funds for the delays, which he dismissed as an excuse, noting the tycoon’s past donations of millions of dollars to the government.
In 2024, former Prime Minister Hun Sen acknowledged the delays in the projects, saying the company tied up large amounts of capital in land but was “not bankrupt.”
During the demonstration, Russey Keo district governor Chen Bunthoeun urged protesters to clear the road and wait for an official resolution.
Yi Soksan, a senior investigator at local rights group Adhoc, said buyers blocked the road because they had “no other choice,” as legal procedures to resolve the dispute had taken too long while those responsible appeared to be delaying action.
“People bought the houses because they believed the company was legal. But when they protest, the response from the ministry is only promises,” he said.
