Families involved in a Sihanoukville land dispute that led to the arrests of at least three men have officially filed a complaint with Prime Minister Hun Sen.
The 129 families allege that the armed forces and Ministry of Agriculture’s forestry administration illegally detained the three men May 6, following a land dispute in Mittapheab district.
In the complaint to Hun Sen, the families claim that 20 armed officials from the military, military police and forestry administration used tractors to destroy their crops and homes without warning.
Sihanoukville Governor Say Hak defended the officials, saying residents destroyed the forests and land belonging to the state.
“The officials were just protecting the forests and land and carried out their actions in accordance with the law,” he said.
