Twenty eight Srayong Tboung villagers in Preah Vihear province were released on bail on April 12, 2024 after investigations found that they were cheated by brokers, said Preah Vihear court deputy prosecutor Sreng Vuthea.
But they feel no relief.
Villager Heng Mouy, 53, said she has lost her house, land and livelihood after she and her son came out of detention. As a result, she had no choice but to put up with one of the residents in another village which is far away from her old place.
“I have nothing to do now and have lost hope after they released us from prison. I only have two pieces of clothing on me, having lost all my stuff. Some were damaged by the authorities who claimed that we [the residents] are living on state land. I have lived there for almost 12 years.”
Both Mouy and her son, 28, were arrested on March 20, 2024 after she returned from Siem Reap province where she visited a relative. “I was released just before Khmer New Year.”
Recall that over 30 people were arrested when authorities, including riot police cracked down on Srayong Tboung villagers in Kulen district on March 6, 2024 using guns and teargas, and tractors to demolish the houses and farms. As guns were fired and houses torched, scores of villagers ran into the forest and left the village out of fear.
The authorities claimed that the villagers allegedly encroached on state land, which was given to Seladamex Co Ltd.
At the time, 25 people were charged with “clearing and occupying forest land” under Article 97 of Forestry Law, which carries a jail term of five to 10 years. They were put in pre-trial detention in Preah Vihear provincial prison as investigations were carried out.
Meanwhile, Mouy said she is experiencing some health issues since her release. “I can’t sleep well. I’ve lost interest in food, I cannot focus and think a lot. I keep having nightmares every night about what happened to my family and to other residents. I used to be strong and healthy but not anymore.”
Another resident, Hom Chreb, whose husband was arrested during the violent land dispute, said they have lived and cultivated the land for 13 years. She has eight acres of land in the village, which the local authorities were well aware of.
“The land has been cultivated from the time my children were young. Even the local authorities knew about it.”
Speaking to CamboJA, Chreb said she noticed that since her husband’s release, his health has not been good.
“He has lost weight and is not looking well. He used to be strong and healthy. I am really worried about his health right now. He might also be overthinking about our land, house and income. Our family depended on farming.”
She related that the village land dispute has happened three times already. The first was in 2017, then in 2022 and finally in March this year.
“It is not the first time this has happened but the third time was very serious because of the violent clash between the residents and the authorities, and houses set on fire as well as damage to the farm properties.”
Chreb hoped the new government and relevant authorities would solve the land issue in their village.
“I urge the new government and stakeholders to help us and not let the problem affect us some more. I hope they will find a solution for us,” she said, adding that she plans to migrate if it takes longer to resolve their problem.
“I don’t want to feel like I am forced to migrate and leave my kids and 79-year-old mother but if there is still no solution, I will go because I have no choice. This could help me and my family, especially my kids who can have a good education. I don’t want them to have a difficult life like I did.”
According to previous reports by CamboJA, the land conflict dates back to 2011 when rubber plantation company Seladamex was granted a 9,000-hectare economic land concession in Srayong and Phnom Tbeng II communes.
Representatives of 131 families reported in 2022 that they feared further evictions after authorities destroyed crops and houses on the disputed piece of land. In December 2023, the Kulen district administration ordered 131 families in Srayong commune to leave the disputed area no later than January 10, 2024.
Preah Vihear spokesperson Nop Vuthy could not be reached for comment.
Deputy prosecutor Sreng Vuthea said investigations found that the residents were cheated by a broker, so they were released on bail.
“The investigation found that the residents were cheated by the broker who incited them to encroach on the economic land concession.”
When asked how far the inquiry on the land dispute had progressed, he replied that the judge was still investigating to locate the brokers.
“The judge is working on the case to find the brokers behind the residents.”
Am Sam Ath, operations director at rights group Licadho, said the authorities should provide a solution to the residents as soon as possible to reduce the impact on their livelihood.
“It’s good news that they were released on bail, however I think the authorities should provide a solution to avoid impacting their livelihood [further],” he added.
Sam Ath hoped not to see residents migrating to neighboring countries because they had run out of choices to make a living in Cambodia.
“We don’t want to see Cambodians migrate because they had no more options to stay in their own country and were forced to make a decision to leave. That’s why the authorities should provide an appropriate solution for them, particularly drop the charges so that the residents are free, including Koet Saray’s case.”
