By Meas Sokchea and Bridget Di Certo
Wednesday, 09 May 2012
Phnom Penh Post
Logs are
stockpiled in March by the CRCK rubber company, which was granted an
economic land concession, in Kampong Thom province’s Sandan district in
Prey Lang forest. Photograph: May Titthara/Phnom Penh Post
Ministry officials were silent yesterday on how exactly they planned to
implement Prime Minister Hun Sen’s suspension of any new economic land
concession grants and review of existing ELCs.
Both the Minister
of Agriculture Chan Sarun and Minister of Environment Mok Mareth could
not be reached for comment yesterday and other ministry officials
contacted, including Chay Sakun, director in charge of land concessions
at the Ministry of Agriculture, declined to comment.
Provincial
authorities involved in granting the now-suspended land concessions
yesterday said they were ready to implement orders, but had received
none.
Ratanakkiri provincial governor Pao Hamphan said he would enforce the regulation “immediately”.
“But now, we are still waiting for the decision of the relevant ministries such as the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Environment
to [tell us how] to enforce this regulation firmly,” Pan Hamphan said,
adding that 18 companies held about 80,000 hectares of ELC land in
Ratanakkiri.
Kampong Thom’s provincial governor Chhun Chhorn said
he was willing and able to cooperate with any instructions he received
from the relevant ministries to enforce the premier’s regulation.
“When
that regulation is set, we will enforce at that time,” Chhun Chorn
said, adding there were 26 companies developing 50,000 hectares of land
in Kampong Thom.
However, civil society organisations and opposition parties are concerned the regulation is nothing more than an election ploy.
Rights
group Adhoc yesterday highlighted the regulation’s “convenient” timing,
which could prove a “waiting period”, noting it would not overrule a
law or sub-decree and is easily reversible.
To contac the reporters on this story: Meas Sokchea at sokchea.meas@phnompenhpost.com
Bridget Di Certo at bridget.dicerto@phnompenhpost.com
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