Villagers from the Preah Vihear province, in Rovieng district, accused Try Pheap Engineering & Construction Co Ltd of clearing the remaining 10ha of community land in Romny commune’s O’por village. This land was reserved for building a school, a hospital and a pagoda. The local authorities said it has no power to intervene. The Boeung Tonle Mrech community land was rich in natural resources and the forest supports the livelihoods of the Kuoy ethnic community. The area was acknowledged as community land by the Ministry of Environment in 2010, but it had been encroached upon by locals and people who moved in recently from other communities, especially by the Try Pheap group, operating rubber plantations and growing cashew nuts in the area since 2011. When Try Pheap encroached on the community land, the ethnic indigenous community protested and complained to local authorities for intervention. Then, Try Pheap filed a complaint against the people for interrupting the company’s work. The company sued several people, and some were charged by the court and will appear to answer questions on July 25. Romny commune chief Khut Ry told said he had no authority to do anything and encouraged the villagers to talk to the company directly. Try Pheap administrative manager, who identified himself as Sarom, allegedly said to the media that events had not transpired as the villagers claimed and then hung up the phone and said he was busy in a meeting. Preah Vihear Environment Department director Ear Sokha said Try Pheap received more than 9,000ha of forest land from the government in an economic land concession in the Beng Per Wildlife Sanctuary. He could not confirm the villagers’ allegations but said that since 2013, many people encroached on the community land and the authorities had taken legal action against them. The government issued a letter taking the land back from the community and classified it as a protected area, Sokha said. Lor Chan, the provincial coordinator for rights group Adhoc, said people had reacted so strongly because Try Pheap was using the reserved land only for its benefit and had not fulfilled its promises.