Road blocked in Pheapimex protest

Choeung Sopheap (right) is the owner of Pheapimex. She is also a crony of Hun Xen and Bun Rany Hun Xen (Photo: Koh Santepheap)

Villagers block National Road 5 in Pursat province’s Krakor district yesterday as part of a protest against the alleged clearing of their land by local firm Pheapimex.

Wednesday, 22 September 2010
Khouth Sophakchakrya
The Phnom Penh Post

David Pred, executive director of Bridges Across Borders Cambodia, described the Pheapimex concession as “the poster child for all that is wrong with the Royal Government’s policy of granting large-scale land concessions to private firms”.

MORE than 300 villagers gathered yesterday in front of Krakor district hall in Pursat province and blocked National Road 5 to protest the alleged clearing of their farmland by the local company Pheapimex.

“Our livelihoods rely on farming and collecting forest products, but now the company has bulldozed and confiscated about 3-4 hectares of rice fields from each family,” said Phorn Chea, a 50-year-old villager from Kbaltrach commune.

Ngeth Theavy, a coordinator for the local rights group Adhoc, said district authorities refused to meet with the villagers yesterday to discuss their complaint. Police also prevented the villagers from entering the district hall, which prompted them to block traffic on National Road 5 for about 30 minutes.