P Sihanouk hunt ‘mastermind’
THE Preah Sihanouk provincial authorities are working to identify the “mastermind” behind a violent confrontation between villagers and the armed forces over a land dispute in Prey Nop district’s Bit Traing commune last month.
The clash between nearly 300 villagers and some 200 members of the joint armed forces broke out in Bit Traing commune’s Koki village on January 24.
One person was shot and four were arrested during the altercation, which followed the deployment of authorities to implement a Supreme Court ruling. The villagers were allegedly blocking the road and burning tyres in an attempt to prevent authorities from entering the area.
Who instigated the protest?
During a press conference in Sihanoukville on Wednesday, deputy provincial governor Phay Bun Vannak did not say who instigated the protest but placed the blame on an unidentified commune chief from the former opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP).
“In Bit Traing, the commune chief was from the Sam Rainsy party. He wanted to gain political advantages over the ruling [Cambodian People’s] party, so he signed off documents certifying land ownership [for the villagers] to gain popularity even though he knew the land already belonged to individuals and private companies.
“We are searching for those who incited the people to stage the violent protests there. Land grabbing and selling and the act of selling the land from one person to another are illegal. Therefore, we are finding the perpetrators who caused the problem, and we will punish them in accordance with the law,” he said.
‘I was not involved’
Lak Kien, who in 2007 was the Bit Traing commune chief from the SRP, flatly rejected the allegation. He said he was not aware of the case as commune chiefs are transferred in every mandate. Kien claimed to have moved out of the province since his resignation.
“If they accused me like that, I have no power to confront them. But I was not involved. I was just a low-level official. While I was a commune chief, there were always land transactions but I didn’t even know where exactly the land was. The buyers and sellers had certification to prove their ownership,” he said.
According to villagers in the area, some people had been living there for many years, with some spending up to $5,000 for their plots.
National Military Police commander Sao Sokha has formed a committee to investigate the incident following the leaking of video clips on social media that sparked public criticism and demands to bring those responsible for the violence to justice.
National Military Police spokesman Eng Hy declined to comment on Thursday.
Provincial court prosecutor Huot Vichet told The Post on Wednesday that the court is awaiting a detailed report from the provincial authority before proceeding with the case.
“I haven’t received a report yet, so I cannot answer this,” he said.