"Provincial Authorities Use Weapons In Preah Vihear Land Dispute, Nearly 30 Residents Detained", 12 March 2024

According to Preah Vihear court deputy prosecutor, Sreng Vuthea confirmed that 25 people out of 36 people who were arrested by authorities over a land dispute in Kulen district, have been charged with “clearing and occupying forest land”.

The suspects are in pre-trial detention in Preah Vihear provincial prison, pending further investigation by the relevant authorities. They are charged under Article 97 of Forestry Law, which carries a jail term of five to 10 years.

The detention stems from a March 6 incident when provincial authorities including gendarmes, police and forestry administration officials mounted a mass crackdown, arresting residents in Srayong Tboung village. It occurred during a clash over a long-disputed land. The authorities said it belonged to a company called Seladamex, having received an economic land concession (ELC) from the state.

Lut Sela, whose two relatives were arrested during the clash, told … that people who ran away from armed police are hiding in the forest to escape arrest. Sela has lived on the land since 2013 after the company appeared to have shut down its operation…

A letter by the provincial administration lists provincial court prosecutor Ty Sovinthal and deputy prosecutor Thol Keom Heom as the commissioners in charge of law procedure against those detained. But, neither Sovinthal nor Keom Heom commented on the outcome of the detainees, only stating “not responsible and cannot give details for this case”, when asked…

Seladamex received an ELC of 9,000 hectares from the government in 2011 in Srayong and Phnom Tbeng II communes for the development of rubber plantations.