Trapeang Chour community members gather to protect their forest from being cleared in Kampong Speu province in late 2021.

Brigade 70 soldiers and workers hired to clear forested land used violence, beat villagers and fired weapons into the ground yesterday morning in Aoral district, Kampong Speu province, as part of an ongoing land conflict around a forest granted to a military unit. Three villagers were left injured, including a 23-year-old man, a 41-year-old man and a 59-year-old woman.

Villagers had gathered in Trapeang Chour commune in an effort to defend their community's forested land from being cleared. Today, six community members also appeared for questioning at the Kampong Speu provincial court after being summonsed by a prosecutor.

The land conflict began after the government granted 262 hectares of protected land within the Aoral Wildlife Sanctuary to the armoured vehicle military unit “ACO” through a sub decree dated 20 August 2021. The conflict involves more than 253 families, many of whom have mobilized for months to protect their forested land. In April 2003, the Ministry of Environment declared part of the land a community protected area. Since the recent giveaway, soldiers have been seen using heavy machinery in an attempt to clear the forest.