On July 3, 2020, at the plenary session of the Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen instructed three ministries – the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Land Management to carve out land for the people living in and reaping benefits from the state’s wildlife conservation areas and protected areas. Samdech Techo stressed:
1) For those who are actually living in the aforementioned state land, further clearance and claim of land is not permitted. So far, Samdech Techo observed that only the powerful and the rich use the small ones to exploit the land for them. Those dishonests, who, while encroaching the state land could for a night build 10 to 20 huts, Samdech Techo already knew of their identities. If found really guilty, they will be arrested.
2) For the allocation of land to people, the relevant ministries and authorities must justly carry out their tasks, and are strictly prohibited from exploitation of the land for own benefits, while (anyone) found to have done so, they would be subject to compulsory punishment.
3) Besides carving out land according to their actual holdings for the residents, the state will add a reservation of 10% of the land for the community’s common benefits and use as firewood collection and/or for cattle grazing.
Samdech Techo reaffirmed to the powerful and wealthy officials that they already have had enough and should be sufficient and stop causing trouble for the people./.
