HE Orders Crackdown on Land Grabs in Flooded Forests Around Lake Tonle Sap (UPDATES)

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HE Orders Crackdown on Land Grabs in Flooded Forests Around Lake Tonle Sap (UPDATES)

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HE Orders Crackdown in Tonle Sap Area
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Cambodia News, (Kampong Chhnang): After receiving an order from Samdech Techo HE, Prime Minister of Cambodia, this morning, November 29, 2021, Deputy Prime Minister Chea Sophara, Minister of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction, led the authorities to investigate suspected cases of illegal logging around the Tonle Sap Lake, especially in Kampong Chhnang province.

This morning, Deputy Prime Minister Chea Sophara arrived in Kampong Chhnang province and held a meeting with the leaders of the provincial aid team, the provincial governor and relevant officials, and then proceeded to inspect the flooded forest area to set out measures for the authorities and forces to crack down on this crime.
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Samdech Techo HE's order came after the Royal Academy of Cambodia, led by Dr. Sok Touch, conducted a study on the Tonle Sap Lake, which found serious problems with logging and encroachment on flooded forest land, especially in Kampong Chhnang province, which need to be addressed urgently.
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Deputy Prime Minister Chea Sophara also issued a decision to establish a working group to examine and research the encroachment of flooded forest land in the Tonle Sap lake area, icluding Kampong Chhnang, Pursat, Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, Siem Reap and Kampong Thom provinces.
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According to local sources, thousands of hectares of flooded forest land in Areas 2 and 3 in Kampong Chhnang province have been destroyed by corrupt people, including government officials, the armed forces and the people who steal, clear, rape, and take ownership of land illegally every year.
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Re: HE Orders Crackdown on Land Grabs of Flooded Forests Around Lake Tonle Sap

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Cambodia News (Kampong Thom) On 30 November 2021, the Ministry of Information disclosed that a meeting was held at Kampong Thom Provincial Hall by HE Chea Sophara, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction on the instruction of the Prime Minister HE's demands.
The meeting was organised by the inter-ministerial working group to meet with the Governor of Kampong Thom and the relevant departments around the province. Concerning the case in Kampong Thom, HE Deputy Prime Minister Chea Sophara requested that the Prosecutor and the Kampong Thom Provincial Court expedite the proceedings and conclude trials as soon as possible.

There were 40 cases of encroachment and clearing of flooded forest land, illegal possession of land on 3,566,561 hectares from 2019 to 2021 in four districts: Stung Sen (3 cases), Baray district (2 cases), Stong district (6 cases), and Kampong Svay district (19 cases).
In 2019 14 cases involving 943,165 hectares in Stong and Kampong Svay districts were filed to court. In 2020, 12 cases involving 190.5 hectares in Kampong Svay and Baray districts were filed to court. In 2021, there were 14 cases involving 1,213,336 hectares in Kampong Svay district, Stong district and Stung Sen city filed to court.
All of these cases have been referred to the Kampong Thom Provincial Court by the Judicial Police Officer of the Kampong Thom Provincial Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and being handled by the investigating judge.

Out of 40 cases above, only one has been tried but no verdict has been issued yet. The accused is the Deputy Prosecutor of Kampong Thom Province.
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Re: HE Orders Crackdown on Land Grabs in Flooded Forests Around Lake Tonle Sap

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December 2, 2021
More than 5,400 swamp forests in Banteay Meanchey encroached by criminals
Khmer Times

Banteay Meanchey’s authorities reported that 5,470 hectares of flooded forest land in two of the zones of the province’s borders were encroached and deforested by crooks.

This was reported after inspections by the working group assigned to crackdown on deforestation and land grabbing crimes in the Tonle Sap flooded forest. On their patrol on November 29, the team did not find of any new crimes taking place.

The Director of Fisheries of the Banteay Meanchey Provincial Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Lonh Vuthy, told local news that the operations were executed after the Prime Minister HE ordered provincial authorities of six provinces to crackdown on land grabbing and deforestation in the flooded forests.
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Re: HE Orders Crackdown on Land Grabs in Flooded Forests Around Lake Tonle Sap

Post by SternAAlbifrons »

My guess is that HE is serious about this one.
He has made hard, unpopular decisions that have upset powerful local interests around the lake before.

We'll see...
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Re: HE Orders Crackdown on Land Grabs in Flooded Forests Around Lake Tonle Sap

Post by nemo »

Koh Kong certainly has a lot of beautiful fresh land for hot sale.
Plenty China Man like too mutt.
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Re: HE Orders Crackdown on Land Grabs in Flooded Forests Around Lake Tonle Sap

Post by SternAAlbifrons »

Very perceptive but i don't see any relevance in your point, Nemo.

Are you suggesting that this land on the TLS is slated for Chinese buyers?
If so, personally i doubt it. That would bring too much attention and heat to these constant but small scale, half-hidden encroachments into the flooded forest. Also not suitable for large scale intensive ag like the Chine companies do.
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Re: HE Orders Crackdown on Land Grabs in Flooded Forests Around Lake Tonle Sap

Post by nemo »

Just observing that TLS is not the only place land grabs are happening.
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Re: HE Orders Crackdown on Land Grabs in Flooded Forests Around Lake Tonle Sap

Post by SternAAlbifrons »

In the 90's approx 85% of families owned land - typically enough for 6-12 months rice**. One of the highest land ownership rates in the world.
I wonder what the rate is now.


(** i remember reading in a World Bank doc)
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Re: HE Orders Crackdown on Land Grabs in Flooded Forests Around Lake Tonle Sap

Post by CEOCambodiaNews »

This is quite a big event. May it it be the first of many more.

13 Landgrabbers to Return State-Owned Flooded Forest Land in Kampong Chhnang
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Cambodia Breaking News, Kampong Chhnang Province: 13 officials and business people have confessed to clearing and encroaching on state-owned land along the Tonle Sap lake in Kampong Chhnang province. They conspired with local authorities at all levels, in order to privatise 2058 hectares of the state's flooded forest land on the banks of the Tonle Sap Lake.
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At the request of Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo HE, Prime Minister of Kingdom of Cambodia, the 13 "owners" of 2058 hectares of land came forward to voluntarily return the stolen flooded forest land to the state.
Please note the list of names of the authorities, merchants, rich, powerful and high-ranking officials who have conspired to encroach on the flooded forest land:
1 / - Brigadier General Sum Socheat, Deputy Police Commissioner of Kampong Chhnang Province, has a land size of 675 hectares.
2 / - Lieutenant Colonel: Keo Narun, rank: Chief - Office with a land size of 32 hectares.
3 / - Srey Sitha is a retired official with a land size of 25 hectares.
4 / - Yim Sarath, Deputy Military Chief - Kampong Leng district, 60 hectares of land.
5 / - Kong Sim, a resident, a big businessman with a land size of 200 hectares.
6 / - Sorn Borin, retired officer, has a land size of 25 hectares.
7 / - Nou Det, a citizen, a trader with a land size of 89 hectares.
8 / - Long Sokheng is a big businessman with a land size of 400 hectares.
9 / - Sin Polin is a big businessman with a land size of 260 hectares.
10 / - Sao Suy, former clerk of Chnok commune, 30 hectares of land.
11 / - Sep Sivuthy, a big businessman with a land size of 175 hectares.
12 / - Srey Nguon Kim Yuon, a citizen, a trader with a land size of 57 hectares.
13/ - Srey Po Chamrong, a trader, owns 30 hectares of land.
Please be informed that the above 13 authorities have cooperated with professional officers to systematically conspire, together with the green light given by local authorities at all levels for many years, as well as recently.
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In accordance with the appeal and strict orders of Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo HE, Prime Minister of Kingdom of Cambodia, the 13 people mentioned above will agree to the following conditions.

First: to support the voluntary return of the land that they encroached on by the order of Samdech Techo.
Second: even if the land is returned to the state, they will have to face the courts as an example to eliminate impunity for crimes, but with a reduced sentence as they plead guilty.
Third: find people involved in conspiracy or accepting bribes.
Fourth: if they are civil servants, they should be suspended or removed from the framework.
Fifth: if the people build a case to the court, it will be according to the procedure while our country is ruled by law.
Sixth: if it is a civil servant as well as a trader, it must be handed over to the Anti-Corruption Unit and the court to process.
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Text source and photos MCPN

This "voluntary land return" seems to have been kick-started from local protests in the province about the conduct of local authorities to government ministers, who then conferred with the PM, who has decided to act swiftly to recuperate the stolen protected areas :
Villagers Accuse Officials Filling Protected Flooded Forest
newsworthy/villagers-accuse-officials-f ... 44840.html
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Re: HE Orders Crackdown on Land Grabs in Flooded Forests Around Lake Tonle Sap (UPDATES)

Post by SternAAlbifrons »

Yeah, it looks like when HE closed down the multi million dollar commercial fishing industry on the lake. It was using primitive looking - but actually highly developed, super 'efficient', unsustainable methods.

You could hear the squealing of fattened pigs all around the lake for months. A lot of pressure and kick-back, even refusal to obey by some the privileged and connected fishing overlords (who had the AFF fishing admirals feeding straight out out of their bums).
But as we know HE is iron willed when he is really serious about an issue and he didn't flinch one inch.

I reckon he is dead set about this one too.
He knows the centrality of the lake for Cambodia's protein needs - and is fully aware of the perilous position the whole system is now in because of the Mekong dams.
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