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| A policeman monitors villagers protesting outside Kampong Speu provincial court in March. The protest followed the arrest of two people detained in connection with a dispute with a sugar company in Thpong district. (Photo by: Will Baxter) |
May Titthara
The Phnom Penh Post
A total of 306 villagers have been charged this year in connection with land disputes in 18 provinces, according to figures released by rights group Adhoc on Thursday.
Ouch Leng, Adhoc’s land programme officer, said that of those charged, 128 were released on bail after periods in detention, while 51 remained in prison. He said the remaining 127 had fled their homes to escape the charges.
He claimed that in many of the disputes – which have pitted thousands of villagers against “companies and powerful people” who are the beneficiaries of government-granted economic land concessions – the judiciary often sided with the more dominant party.
“The courts did not provide justice for villagers, but arrested them when they received a complaint from a company,” he said.
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Ouch Leng, Adhoc’s land programme officer, said that of those charged, 128 were released on bail after periods in detention, while 51 remained in prison. He said the remaining 127 had fled their homes to escape the charges.
He claimed that in many of the disputes – which have pitted thousands of villagers against “companies and powerful people” who are the beneficiaries of government-granted economic land concessions – the judiciary often sided with the more dominant party.
“The courts did not provide justice for villagers, but arrested them when they received a complaint from a company,” he said.
Please click here to read more...
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