Phnom Penh - At least eight Cambodian villagers were beaten and a number of them were hospitalized after a violent stand-off with soldiers and armed police over a disputed land concession, a local human rights group said Tuesday. The villagers have long contested an 8,000-hectare land concession awarded to a Vietnamese rubber-plantation company.
The incident, which took place in Kampong Thom province in central Cambodia on Monday, is the latest in a series of land-related clashes this year in which the authorities have been accused of using violence against civilians.
Naly Pilorge, director of human rights group Licadho, said police and soldiers had tried to prevent 500 villagers from obstructing land-clearing machinery belonging to the company. Licadho condemned the violence and the presence of soldiers.
"Current laws clearly state that soldiers have no jurisdiction over civilians, and yet private companies routinely use soldiers to evict or threaten villagers on land-related cases," she said. "[It] has once again led to violence and injuries to villagers who were only trying to protect their land."
The provincial governor of Kampong Thom province, Chhun Chhon, confirmed that the clash had taken place and that soldiers were present, but had no information about casualties.
Chhun Chhon said soldiers were used because police numbers were insufficient. He said authorities had shot into the air, and accused locals of burning machinery belonging to Vietnam's Tin Bean company.
"As far as shooting into the air - we did that just to frighten the villagers," he said. "We are preparing a document to submit to the government about this incident, because the villagers didn't obey the authorities."
The villagers reportedly told Licadho representatives that they had burned the machinery after violence was used against them.
Land disputes are a highly contentious issue in Cambodia, with impoverished urban and rural people regularly losing their land to the powerful.
In September, the World Bank said a fair and transparent method of resolving land disputes is among the country's greatest challenges.
