About 100 residents representing 168 families from the Koh Meas community in Kandal province submitted a petition to Senate President and Cambodian People’s Party President Hun Sen, calling for his intervention in a long-running land dispute.
According to the residents, the government leased their land to a private company for 50 years without prior notice, environmental and social impact assessment or fair compensation.
After failing to get any results from various state institutions, including the Interior and Land Management Ministries, National Assembly and provincial and municipal authorities, residents brought their appeal directly to Hun Sen’s residence on June 29.
Chhim Ry, 78, one of the affected residents, said they decided to seek Hun Sen’s intervention because they believe he can help resolve the dispute after previous appeals to state institutions produced no results.
He said officials at Hun Sen’s office accepted the petition and told residents they would respond “as soon as possible”, but residents demanded a response within one month.
“This land is my livelihood. If I accept the compensation they’re offering, I won’t be able to survive. I need land to farm and earn a living,” Ry said.
Despite years of unsuccessful appeals, Ry is hopeful that Hun Sen’s office will review the case and provide a solution.
Their petition states that the dispute between 168 families and Khun Sear Company has been ongoing for several years now. It follows a sub-decree issued by the government granting about 350 hectares of state land in the Koh Meas area to Khun Sear Import Export under a 50-year lease for investment and development.
Residents have repeatedly rejected the government’s compensation offer of $5 to $8 per square meter, saying it is too low to purchase another piece of land. They are demanding compensation based on market rates.
Another resident, Chheng Seang, echoed similar concerns, noting that the petition to Hun Sen was necessary as previous appeals have failed. “We hope that there will be a response because we’ve already submitted petitions to all high-level state institutions,” Seang said.
He said many residents felt neglected by the authorities and believe they have been treated unfairly as the officials did not address their dispute with the private company.
“We received the same response regardless where we sought help. I hope Samdech Hun Sen will provide justice to our community. We are not illegal settlers. Without this land, we cannot survive,” he said.
Khun Ti, son of tycoon Khun Sear and the third executive director of Khun Sear Import Export, previously said that the company obtained its development rights legally, and did not seize the land from residents.
Ti mentioned that more than half of the residents have accepted compensation, leaving only a “small number” who have not reached an agreement with the company.
Khun Sear was appointed senior adviser to Cambodia Chamber of Commerce its fifth mandate in early 2026.
In the past, his company obtained a 50-year concession in Kandal, covering over 70 hectares, following a directive issued by the Council of Ministers in April 2019, and was later reported to have allegedly filled part of the Mekong River.
A company linked to Khun Sear, TP Moral Group, also received a 1,247-hectare coastal land concession in Kep province to develop a new satellite city and a “special tourism zone” under a sub-decree signed by Hun Sen during his tenure as prime minister in March 2023.
On March 17, 2026, residents affected by the Koh Meas land dispute in Kien Svay district received an intervention letter from the Senate which requested Kandal provincial authorities to examine and resolve the dispute based on relevant legal documents and report back the outcome.
No resolution has been reached, according to the residents, despite the letter being signed on March 10, 2026 by Senate Vice President Ouch Borith.
Chea Thyrith, spokesperson for the Senate president, confirmed that Hun Sen’s office has received the residents’ petition but it would first conduct a detailed review of the case before determining which institution has jurisdiction to resolve the dispute.
“The working group will first examine the facts of the case before reporting to Samdech,” he said.
Yi Soksan, a senior human rights investigator at rights group Adhoc, said that when citizens stop asking for help from state institutions and instead appeal to influential state leaders, it reflects declining public confidence.
He said ministries should improve transparency and ensure justice, so the public can regain trust.
“Cambodia has good laws, but implementation is often ineffective. Legal procedures take a long time, so when people face problems, they seek help from powerful individuals instead. The question is: who can actually help them?” he said.
Soksan said the authorities should apply the Land Law to provide fair compensation before any relocation is made, and refrain from evicting or intimidating residents.
He argued that the Koh Meas development primarily serves private interests rather than the public, therefore the private developer should compensate residents at market value.
“We call for fair compensation. This development is not for public benefit but private interests. So, the private company should purchase the land at market rate,” he said.
