Kampot governor mulls revocation of land titles
K AMPOT prov incial governor Cheav Tay is considering whether to revoke t he tit les for an area of more than 45ha of land in Troeuy Koh commune’s Boeung Ta Pream v illage in Kampot town currently submerged by the sea.
Owning such land is prohibited under Cambodian law.
Follow ing an investigation, aut horities found t hat t it les ex isted for t he land up to posts that had been planted i n the sea marking its boundaries.
Tay said he is considering repossessing t he land for t he state, but will give aut horities time to further research t he matter.
“I am contemplating measures to remedy t he issue, please give me a litt le more time,” he told The Post on Tuesday.
On Monday he said that in 2008, 12 families of shrimp and crab farmers had requested Prime Minister Hun Sen for titles covering 45.614ha of land, which is east of Phnom Doung island. Officials issued them the titles.
Boeung Ta Pream v illage chief Mom Seab told The Post on Tuesday t hat t he government gave t he land to t he 12 families af ter t hey requested it be turned into a tourist nature area to help support t heir livelihoods.
“They have lived on t he land for a long time – since t he generation of t he late Father King Sihanouk. But being unable to earn a l iving anymore, they requested the land be converted into a tourist nature area because the nearby mountains, sea and forests would be able to generate i ncome for them,” Seab said.
“They used to build gates in t he streams [for farming shrimp and crabs], but now the current brea ks them.
“[Hun Sen] considered the v illagers’ request to convert t he land into a tourist nature area and specia lists arrived t here to inspect whether or not it would be a llowed. [Hun Sen] agreed to it and t hey issued t he t it les.”
He said the 12 families then sold t he land to brokers.
“They sold t he land because they could not [profit from t he natura l tourist area]. The land has been transferred from owner to owner to the present day.”
The directive on coasta l development, signed by Hun Sen i n 2012, states t hat t he coast is considered t he high tide line. Occupation or construction on land beyond t his is prohibited as it is designated a public area.
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