NCCAM: Beach development is legal

THE National Committee on Coastal Area Management and Development (NCCAM) issued a press release on Sunday saying the new construction at Puy Kamphen beach in Preah Sihanouk province is legal and serves people’s interests. It denied allegations of illegal landfilling activities.

It says t he construction of infrastructure – such as roads and sewage system – and the rock y beach transformation i nto sa ndy beach prov ides benefits for t he public and is in line with the development of tourism a nd t he nat iona l economy.

“It is t he opposite of t he claim that says there has been illegal landfilling at Puy Kamphen beach,” t he NCC A M said.

Legal frameworks

K h mer R ise Pa r t y ( K R P) president and member of the recently established Supreme Consu ltat ive Counci l Sok sova nn Vata na Sabung sa id the NCCMD must publish a legal framework on the development instead of issuing just press releases a nd development proposals.

Sabung asked in a Facebook post yesterday if the development took place within the preserved area and demanded that the NCCAM reveal the company that had obtained the right to develop the area.

His post also questioned the legal frameworks for the beach transformation.

He called on the NCCAM to reveal if the Puy Kamphen beach still belonged to the state or has been sold to a private entity, insisting the public has the right to know.

Beaches throughout the Kingdom, he said, are classified as public property.

“If the committee does not revea l [t he ownership status of t he beach], accord i ng to the royal decree issued by the Supreme Consultative Council, t he Khmer Rise Part y will use t he r ig ht to i nvest igate d o c u ment a t i o n c o v e r i n g legal frameworks from all relevant institutions pertaining to t he issue of coast land reclamation,” he said.