Villagers vow to ‘sacrifice lives’

SOME 100 ethnic Banong v illagers from Sre Hoy commune’s Chhul and Chhong Pang v illages in Mondulkiri prov ince’s Koh Nhek district protested on Tuesday after Srepok Wildlife Sanctuar y of ficia ls a llegedly uprooted wooden posts used to demarcate t heir ancestra l buria l sites.

Ten Bunsam, 36, from Chhul village, told ThePost on Tuesday that authorities had removed dozens of posts without reason. He said villagers started planting the posts only recently after some trad- ers offered to buy their land at the sites.

“We don’t know why local and env ironment of ficia ls pulled out t he posts. We’re worried because recent ly there were many strangers entering t he sites ask ing to buy land from our communit y, but we declined,” Bunsam said.

Sroeun Kahe, 26, from Chhong Pang village, said the ancestral gravesites are located in the only remaining forest that the Banong ethnic community reserves for multi-purpose use.

“Besides forestry benefits, Banong ethnic villagers live, cultivate and raise animals on the land. The ancestral grave land is our last hope, so we will not let anyone encroach on it anymore. We will sacrifice our lives to protect and preserve it for our next generations,” Kahe said.

The villagers said they were not aware of the ancestral land’s exact size and boundary, but it was less than 100ha, a figure commune chief Soy Chreb dismissed.

Ancestral graveland

Chreb said on Tuesday that their land, which was granted by the government as a social land concession for the community in 2003, is only 25ha.

He said the forest land on which the villagers planted the posts is located on the other side of the road.

“We support the protection and preser vation of ancestra l graveland, but what they are doing is encroaching on the Srepok Wildlife Sanctuar y and state reser ve land,” he said.

Prum Sovanna, who manages the Srepok wildlife sanctuary, said previously, some villagers sneaked in and built camps in the protected forest with the intention of illegally clearing the land. But they were stopped by rangers.

He said recently, some opportunists persuaded villagers to clear the forest and state reserve state land in Koh An Yeul. They promised to buy the land but the plan was intercepted by relevant authorities, with some arrested and sent to court.

“We support Chhul and Chhong Pang v illagers’ protection and preser vation of t heir ancestra l grave land, but their actions are sometimes unlaw f ul.

“They encroach on t he wildlife sanctuar y by planting posts marking their ancestra l grave land t here,” Sovanna said.

He said Srepok wildlife sanctuary officials are working with local authorities to mediate in the issue.