{"id":5147,"date":"2023-09-18T17:14:12","date_gmt":"2023-09-18T10:14:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kamnotra.io\/en\/?p=5147"},"modified":"2023-09-27T09:57:00","modified_gmt":"2023-09-27T02:57:00","slug":"nearly-1-million-hectares-of-state-land-privatized-in-half-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kamnotra.io\/en\/2023\/09\/nearly-1-million-hectares-of-state-land-privatized-in-half-year\/","title":{"rendered":"Nearly 1 Million Hectares of State Land Privatized in Half Year"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1084\" height=\"677\" src=\"https:\/\/kamnotra.io\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/2022-land-grants-out.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5148\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kamnotra.io\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/2022-land-grants-out.jpg 1084w, https:\/\/kamnotra.io\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/2022-land-grants-out-300x187.jpg 300w, https:\/\/kamnotra.io\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/2022-land-grants-out-1024x640.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/kamnotra.io\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/2022-land-grants-out-768x480.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1084px) 100vw, 1084px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Kamnotra)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Around 951,213 hectares of state land was reclassified in six months of Royal Gazette documents last year, with the bulk going to unexplained \u201ccommunity zones\u201d and the remainder parceled out mostly to politically connected businesses and individuals as well as state institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The second half of 2022\u2019s gazette \u2014 books 49 through 96 \u2014 showed 43 locations turned from state public to state private land in 14 provinces via sub-decrees signed by former Prime Minister Hun Sen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group knRight has-white-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-content-justification-right is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-8f1e090b wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-e021f648 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\" style=\"border-top-color:var(--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-orange);border-top-width:1px;border-bottom-color:var(--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-orange);border-bottom-width:1px;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-5bbf97a4 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\" style=\"padding-right:0;padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-playfair-display-font-family\" style=\"padding-top:0;padding-right:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;font-style:normal;font-weight:700\">Provinces with land reclassification<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-roboto-font-family has-small-font-size wp-block-list\">\n<li>Battambang<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Kampong Chhnang<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Kampong Speu<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Kampot<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Kandal<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Kep<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Monodulkiri<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Phnom Penh<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Preah Sihanouk<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ratanakiri<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Siem Reap<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Svay Rieng<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Takeo<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tbong Khmum<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The largest reclassification was 933,577 hectares allocated for community zones, though the sub-decree gave little detail on what those are. Some previous large land privatizations for communities, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/vodenglish.news\/koh-kongs-mass-land-privatization-elicits-doubt-laughter\/\">127,000 hectares in Koh Kong in 2021<\/a>, were ostensibly earmarked for local families, but residents were skeptical after having experienced years of conflict with developers and plantations. The allocations likely follow former Prime Minister Hun Sen\u2019s call for families to receive land in protected areas <a href=\"https:\/\/www.phnompenhpost.com\/national\/protected-land-given-people\">in 2019<\/a> amid long-standing struggles <a href=\"https:\/\/kamnotra.io\/en\/2023\/06\/the-gaps-and-conflicts-in-cambodias-soft-and-hard-land-titles\/\">around land titles<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, businesses and developers received around 12,460 hectares in seven locations, the next largest category of land privatizations during the period. Most of that went to <a href=\"https:\/\/kamnotra.io\/en\/2023\/05\/four-sok-kong-family-members-receive-oknha-title\/\">tycoon Sok Kong<\/a>\u2019s Sokha Hotel company, with 11,177 hectares of land transferred to him on Kampot\u2019s Bokor mountain. Sok Kong has been developing Bokor mountain <a href=\"https:\/\/english.cambodiadaily.com\/news\/sok-kong-dedicated-to-dream-of-hilltop-city-in-kampot-57055\/\">for decades<\/a>, and appears to have previously received access to tens of thousands of hectares via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.phnompenhpost.com\/national\/expansion-approved-bokor-national-park\">leases<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.phnompenhpost.com\/business\/bokor-town-plans-unveiled\">land grants<\/a>. He has been <a href=\"https:\/\/cambojanews.com\/scams-human-trafficking-thrived-at-bokor-mountain-behind-tycoons-luxury-hotel\/\">accused of housing<\/a> human-trafficking scam operations on the mountain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group knRight has-white-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-content-justification-left is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-7563a20e wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-e021f648 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\" style=\"border-top-color:var(--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-orange);border-top-width:1px;border-bottom-color:var(--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-orange);border-bottom-width:1px;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-5bbf97a4 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\" style=\"padding-right:0;padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-playfair-display-font-family\" style=\"padding-top:0;padding-right:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;font-style:normal;font-weight:700\"><strong>The \u2018One\u2019 Group<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-roboto-font-family has-small-font-size\" style=\"padding-top:0;padding-right:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;font-style:normal;font-weight:300\">Sells Bottled Water, Instant Noodles and Real Estate<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-roboto-font-family has-small-font-size wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Den-Dey Eco-Tour<\/strong><br>Choeung Theanseng (chair), Choeung Theankeat (director)<br>Received 85.7 hectares in Kirirom National Park<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>One Fraternity<\/strong><strong><br><\/strong>Choeung Sokuntheavy (chair), Im Paulika (director)<br>Received 649 hectares in Phnom Oral Wildlife Sanctuary<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>One More<\/strong><br>Choeung Sokuntheavy (chair), Lau Jia Hao (director), Lau Jia Zhen (director)<br>Received 29 hectares in Kep<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>One Prosperity<\/strong><br>Choeung Sokuntheavy (chair), Choeung Theankeat (director), Choeung Theanseng (director), Im Paulika (director), Lau Sok Huy (director)<br>Received 220 hectares in Mondulkiri\u2019s Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary and a biodiversity corridor<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Other plots handed to businesses are in Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary, Kirirom National Park, Phnom Oral Wildlife Sanctuary, a Mondulkiri biodiversity corridor and in Kep. Kep saw many changes including resizing the seashore area and parceling out land around the national park. Five plots were privatized in Kep, though with few details about any of their plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The companies that received the land have close ties to government officials. One group of companies \u2014 One Fraternity, One More and One Prosperity, as well as Den-Dey Eco-Tour \u2014 received 984 hectares in Keo Seima, Kirirom, Phnom Oral, Kep and the Mondulkiri biodiversity corridor. The companies are directed by Im Paulika, who is the wife of Deputy Prime Minister Aun Pornmoniroth, as well as six family members of Senator Lau Meng Khin and his wife Choeung Sopheap, a notorious tycoon also known as Yeay Phu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The family members, spread across the four companies, are Lau Jia Zhen, Lau Jia Hao, Lau Sok Huy, Choeung Thean Keat, Choeung Thean Seng and Choeung Sokuntheavy. Lau Jia Zhen is also married to Aun Pornmoniroth\u2019s son.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Three of the five plots transferred to the group of companies \u2014 one in Kirirom, another in Keo Seima and the third in a Mondulkiri biodiversity corridor \u2014 did not have coordinates included in the sub-decrees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some 266 hectares in Svay Rieng were also privatized for the Svay Rieng Giga Resource SEZ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Individuals Versus Families<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Individuals \u2014 such as Prime Minister Hun Manet\u2019s mother-in-law Mok Poponrith, Tourism Minister Sok Soken\u2019s mother Theng Ay Annie, and others \u2014 received 16 plots around the country, including nine at Phnom Penh\u2019s controversial Boeng Tamok lake. These were relatively large, averaging more than 10 hectares each, and stood in contrast to less than 0.01 hectares given to each of 35 local families in a concession in Svay Rieng.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The nine locations at Boeng Tamok totaled 111.25 hectares between August and November 2022, and come as part of the filling in of one of Phnom Penh\u2019s last lakes for development by politically connected businesspeople. Local residents have been protesting their evictions on the dwindling lake shore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also among the land privatizations are two locations in Siem Reap given to Apsara Authority for housing <a href=\"https:\/\/vodenglish.news\/families-relocated-from-angkor-to-major-new-development\/\">evictees<\/a> from the Angkor Archaeological Park. The two locations, Peak Snaeng and Run Ta Ek, are about 20 km away from the Unesco heritage site, and total 1,492 hectares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, in Ratanakiri, 590 hectares of land was given to a Jarai indigenous community in a <a href=\"https:\/\/kamnotra.io\/Docs\/Viewer.html#2022-63-50\">document dated October 26, 2022<\/a>, taken from forest cover and a former economic land concession to the <a href=\"https:\/\/kamnotra.io\/en\/in-dispute\/land-conflicts\/7-makara-heng-development-in-nhang-commune\/\">7 Makara Phary company<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table aligncenter\"><table><tbody><tr><td><em>Category<\/em><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><\/td><td><em>Plots<\/em><\/td><td><em>Hectares<\/em><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Angkor relocation<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Peak Snaeng<\/td><td>2<\/td><td>1,410.7<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Run Ta Ek<\/td><td>1<\/td><td>81.5<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><\/td><td><strong>3<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>1,492.2<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Business<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Biodiversity Corridor<\/td><td>1<\/td><td>150<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Keo Seima Wildlife<\/td><td>1<\/td><td>70<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Kep<\/td><td>3<\/td><td>61.7<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Kirirom Nationak Park<\/td><td>1<\/td><td>85.72<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Monivong National Park(Bokor)<\/td><td>1<\/td><td>11,177<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Phnom Oral Wildlife<\/td><td>1<\/td><td>649<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Svay Rieng Giga Resource SEZ<\/td><td>1<\/td><td>266<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><\/td><td><strong>9<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>12,459.4<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Community zones<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Countrywide<\/td><td>1<\/td><td>933,577<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><\/td><td><strong>1<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>933,577<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Families<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Kep<\/td><td>1<\/td><td>29.18<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Svay Rieng (35 families)<\/td><td>1<\/td><td>0.351<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><\/td><td><strong>2<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>29.5<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Government<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Battambang forest<\/td><td>1<\/td><td>1.83<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Kandal forest<\/td><td>1<\/td><td>288.65<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Kampong Speu<\/td><td>1<\/td><td>44.58<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Phnom Penh<\/td><td>3<\/td><td>32.7<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Ream National Park<\/td><td>2<\/td><td>490.7<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><\/td><td><strong>8<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>858.5<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Indigenous land<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Ratanakiri forest cover &amp; ELC<\/td><td>1<\/td><td>590<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><\/td><td><strong>1<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>590<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Individuals<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Battambang<\/td><td>1<\/td><td>0.012<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Boeng Tamok<\/td><td>9<\/td><td>111.25<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Kep<\/td><td>1<\/td><td>7.27<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Mondulkiri<\/td><td>2<\/td><td>32.65<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Preah Sihanouk forest<\/td><td>2<\/td><td>16.14<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Tbong Khumum<\/td><td>1<\/td><td>15<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><\/td><td><strong>16<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>182.3<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Park<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Phnom Tamao<\/td><td>1<\/td><td>2,025<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><\/td><td><strong>1<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>2,025<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Total<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><\/td><td><strong>41<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>951,213.9<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<knGaze years=\"2022\" books=\"49-96\" categories=\"Land Classification\"><\/knGaze>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Around 951,213 hectares of state land was reclassified in six months of Royal Gazette documents last year, with the bulk going to unexplained \u201ccommunity zones\u201d and the remainder parceled out mostly to politically connected businesses and individuals as well as state institutions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5148,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"wp-custom-template-post-without-featured-image","format":"standard","meta":{"pgc_sgb_lightbox_settings":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_caption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_nocaption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_hide":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[77,35],"class_list":["post-5147","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-analysis","tag-land-reclassification","tag-gazette"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kamnotra.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5147","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kamnotra.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kamnotra.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kamnotra.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kamnotra.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5147"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/kamnotra.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5147\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5382,"href":"https:\/\/kamnotra.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5147\/revisions\/5382"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kamnotra.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5148"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kamnotra.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5147"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kamnotra.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5147"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kamnotra.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5147"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}