Police block Preah Vihear villagers’ planned sugar protest, National, Phnom Penh Post

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  • Police block Preah Vihear villagers’ planned sugar protest, National, Phnom Penh Post
    http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/police-block-preah-vihear-villagers-planned-sugar-protest

    More than 200 angry ethnic Kuoy villagers who claim their land has been stolen by a Chinese-owned sugar company were blocked from protesting as Prime Minister Hun Sen inaugurated the firm’s mill in Preah Vihear province yesterday.

    The $360 million facility is the biggest sugar plant in Cambodia and one of the largest in Asia, according to its owner, Rui Feng (Cambodia) International. The prime minister hailed the plant – which can produce over 2,000 tonnes of sugar per day – as a sign of Cambodia’s political and economic strength.

    “This huge investment clearly shows that investors have firm confidence in the Cambodian People’s Party-led government,” Hun Sen told the 20,000 assembled officials and residents. “This also reflects excellent relations and mutual trust between China and Cambodia.”

    The mill will process sugarcane grown on 40,000 hectares of land granted as economic land concessions to Rui Feng and four sister companies.

    However, groups of villagers claim the land is theirs and have been involved in a protracted dispute with Rui Feng since 2012.

    #terres #canne_à_sucre #Cambodge #Chine #protestations