Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Villagers protest Boeung Tumpun lake project

Villagers protest Boeung Tumpun lake project

Villagers from southern Phnom Penh hold maps of Meanchey district yesterday during a protest at the capital’s City Hall, where they voiced their concerns about the filling of Boeung Tumpun.
Villagers from southern Phnom Penh hold maps of Meanchey district yesterday during a protest at the capital’s City Hall, where they voiced their concerns about the filling of Boeung Tumpun. Heng Chivoan

Villagers protest Boeung Tumpun lake project

Thirty people representing 540 families affected by the development of a new satellite city at Boeung Tumpun lake in Phnom Penh gathered in front of City Hall yesterday to demand a solution to their concerns.

The families from Prek Takong I and Khva communities living in Meanchey and Dangkor districts filed a petition on June 7 asking the Ministry of Land Management to intervene in ING Holdings project, after the cases was transferred to City Hall on June 22.

Om Nary, a community representative from Meanchey district, said the villagers were worried they would be evicted from their land and had yet to be informed of the exact plans for the site. “They have been waiting for an answer from City Hall for a week to 10 days and there is no answer yet,” he said.

He said the villagers wanted their land to be excluded from the satellite city, with authorities yesterday telling them a team would be sent to inspect the site. The villagers, some of whom do not have land titles, have been worried about a potential eviction ever since the company started filling the lake with sand in 2012.

Ses Sokkosal, deputy director for legal affairs and human rights at City Hall, said the lake was state property and villagers may have to part with their land to facilitate the development. “Normally, development projects affect people, but we will have to take a look at the documents held by people to decide whether it is legal or not, since it is the state lake,” he said.

Housing Rights Task Force director Sia Phearum added that, according to the law, if people had lived peacefully on the land for five years, then they had a right to the land. “So before the state seizes it for development, the state has to relocate them,” Phearum added.

MOST VIEWED

  • Wing Bank opens new branch in front of Orkide The Royal along Street 2004

    Wing Bank celebrates first anniversary as commercial bank with launch of brand-new branch. One year since officially launching with a commercial banking licence, Wing Bank on March 14 launched a new branch in front of Orkide The Royal along Street 2004. The launch was presided over by

  • Girl from Stung Meanchey dump now college grad living in Australia

    After finishing her foundational studies at Trinity College and earning a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Melbourne in 2022, Ron Sophy, a girl who once lived at the Stung Meanchey garbage dump and scavenged for things to sell, is now working at a private

  • Ministry orders all schools, public and private, to close for SEA Games

    From April 20 to May 18, all public and private educational institutions will be closed to maintain order and support Cambodia's hosting of the 32nd SEA Games and 12th ASEAN Para Games, said a directive from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport. Cambodia will host the

  • Wat Phnom hornbills attract tourists, locals

    Thanks to the arrival of a friendly flock of great hornbills, Hour Rithy, a former aviculturist – or raiser of birds – in Kratie province turned Phnom Penh tuk tuk driver, has seen a partial return to his former profession. He has become something of a guide

  • Almost 9K tourists see equinox sunrise at Angkor Wat

    Nearly 9,000 visitors – including 2,226 international tourists – gathered at Angkor Wat on March 21 to view the spring equinox sunrise, according to a senior official of the Siem Reap provinical tourism department. Ngov Seng Kak, director of the department, said a total of 8,726 people visited Angkor Wat to

  • Angkor Beer strengthens national pride with golden new look and fresher taste

    Angkor Beer – the "Gold of Angkor" – has a new look, one that is more stylish and carries a premium appeal, as well as a fresher taste and smoother flavour, making it the perfect choice for any gathering. Angkor Beer recently launched its new design, one