People of Kompong Luong Commune Plan to Stage Large Demonstration at Council of Ministers against Land Grab by Phanimex Company
“Hundreds of families in Kompong Luong Commune, Ponhea Leu, Kandal, warned on 1 January 2007 that they will stage large demonstration at the Council of Ministers in order to go against the land grab by Phanimex Company.
“A crowd of angry people gathered opposite the Chroy Russey Village Office, Kompong Luong Commune, Ponhea Leu, Kandal, demanding that the Phanimex Company of the dishonest chief trader Suy Sophan stop grabbing and leveling their farmland.
“They reacted strongly after the Phanimex Company had used tractors to take people’s farmland, and armed forces came to beat people who dared to protest against the grab.
“At the end of December 2006, at least two people – a man and his son – were wounded with bullets in an attempt to kill them, and then their hands were tied with hammock ropes, they were beaten and seriously wounded by the armed forces, paid by the Phanimex Company, while they tried to prevent the garbbing of their farmland.
“The Phanimex Company’s acts reflect very clearly that people’s ownership is simply taken away by power, seriously violating their human rights.
“Mr. Yim Sovann, a Sam Rainsy Party parliamentarian and the chair of the Fourth Commission of the National Assembly, the Commission on Interior, National Defense, Investment and Anti-Corruption, once commented that the reason that Phanimex Company can continue its activities of grabbing people’s land and property – like a wild horse without bridle – is that there must be special protection by big powerful people in the government.
“According to information from an important official of the Kandal provincial administration, all officials in the province know that the Phanimex Company acts badly toward the people in contradiction to the law. However, none among the officials dares to prevent it because it may affect their own positions and benefits.
“The chief of the Kompong Luong Commune, where severe land disputes between the Phanimex Company and the people continue, once said publicly that the Phanimex Company arrived here not as a result of decisions by the authorities. Moreover, the Phanimex Company has closed the entrance of the commune office [by playing a big role]. It is a serious act of looking down on and disregarding the local authorities.
“Concerning the Phanimex Company, a Cambodian People’s Party [CPP] official who is a former member of the Indochina Communist Party led by the Yuon [Vietnamese] Pham Van Dong, said that the CPP owns some companies.
“It uses the companies to play a role in the ongoing operations to grab people’s as well as state land, while the government, which is led by the CPP, is the coordinator of all this, because if the Khmer people were not miserable and not poor, the simple gifts of the monosodium glutamate and sarongs, which they always carry to distribute to people in need, are to motivate people to vote for them, would not be useful.
“Mr. Sam Rainsy used to say also that the CPP does not want the people to be rich, but it wants the Khmer people to be still beggars forever.
“That is why the CPP is not willing to fight corruption, and instead gives opportunities to private companies, theirs agents to grab people’s land, causing Khmer people’s livelihood to seriously get worse and worse.
“The Phanimex Company is known to target to grab mainly people’s and state land in Phnom Penh and in Kandal.
“In Kandal the most severe land disputes are in Kien Svay and Ponhea Leu. At least in three communes – i.e. Prek Ta Teaen Commune, Phsar Daek Commune, and Kompong Luong Commune in Ponhea Leu, where there is strong reaction against the land grab by Phanimex.
“People said that Phanimex bought some land in certain places here and there in the area. For some pieces of land only the contracts for buying had been made, and small deposits had been given, and then the company started already to level and to take the land.
“Concerning this issue, so far there have also been complaints to the court in order to help find justice, such as in the case of the land disputes with the Sovann Komar Organization and with the people in Kien Svay. However, the court did not dare to take any action against Phanimex. Thus this case gives big opportunities to this wicked company, to grab people’s land as they whish.
“Therefore people should consider and clearly decide whether the people [as voters] should give power to the party that protects dishonest businesspeople, harming the people again.” Moneaksekar Khmer, Vol.14, #3051, 2.1.2007
Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:
Tuesday 2 January 2007
Chakraval, Vol.15, #2635, 2.1.2007
∙ Executing Saddam Hussein by Hanging in Iraq Recalls Cambodians Execution by Shooting Death of Mr. Preap In [during Sangkum Reastr Niyum]
Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.6, #1232, 2.1.2007
∙ Five Cambodian Journalists Go to Visit and Exchange Experience in Journalism in Southern Vietnam
∙ Thai Husband and Wife Send to Court on Accusation of Drug Trafficking [Pailin]
∙ Nine Bombings Occurred in Bangkok during Preparation for Universal New Year
∙ Bombings Kill 68 People after Saddam Hussein Has Been Killed [Baghdad]
∙ 400 People Missing in Sinking Ferry in Indonesia
Koh Santepheap, Vol.40, #5929, 2.1.2007
∙ 71-Year-Old Man Rapes 5-Year-Old Daughter; His Wife Complains to Police and He Is Arrested [Sampov Lun, Battambang]
∙ Number of US Soldiers Who Died in Iraq Increases to 3,000
Moneaksekar Khmer, Vol.14, #3051, 2.1.2007
∙ CPP Uses Commune Elections as Poll
∙ Customs Officers and Those Who Are Involved in Import of Smuggled Right-Hand-Drive Cars in Battambang Try for Their Positions to Be Retained
∙ People of Kompong Luong Commune Stage Large Demonstration to Council of Ministers against Land Grab by Phanimex Company [Kandal]
Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.15, #4174, 2.1.2007
∙ Samdech Krom Preah Asks Court to Hold Princess Marie’s Complaint Pending
Samleng Polkar, Vol.3, #30, 1.1.2007
· [Domestic] Violence and Rape Increase [according to You Ay, secretary of state of Ministry of Women’s Affairs]
Samleng Yuvachun Khmer, Vol.14, #2932, 1.1.2007
∙ If Criminal Heng Pov [former Phnom Penh Police Commissioner who is accused of crimes] Commits Suicide in Prison, Cambodian Government Will Be Strongly Criticized
∙ Samdech Krom Preah Will Appears in Court Tomorrow so Nhek Bun Chhay [Funcinpec Secretary-General] Sends Him to Prison [ironic]
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