Land conflicts plunge poor children into illiteracy
Nearly 200 school-age children in two remote villages of Phom Preuk district in Battambang province are facing a dire future of illiteracy due to poverty, land conflicts and school shortages, according to local education officials, RFA reported Apr 10.
A representative of 115 families residing in Terk Chenh Thom and O Sra Lav villages in the province said 186 children aged from 12 to 19 had not received education as no schools have been built near their homes, which are located as far as 10 kilometers from the district’s center.
The representative claimed that to prevent the children from illiteracy, the impoverished 115 households had raised their own money to construct a two-room school, but the construction was suspended by commune anddistrict authorities due to the land conflict with Pan Veth, a soldier at Unit 52 whom villagers accused of making a fraudulent land title to own the immobile property.
“Ban Veth is the one who made a fake land title on the land owned by people since 2000,” the representative stated. However, Veth denied the accusation, claiming that he had possessed a land title for the disputed land.
Tith Vorn, Phnom Preuk District land management official, acknowledged that he had issued a land title for the soldier with recognition from the commune and district authorities because he was not informed that the land was planned for a school.
Phnom Preuk District Governor Buth Bunthouen said that Phnom Pruek District Land Conflict Resolution Committee is addressing the issue, and Battambang Provincial Education Department Director Mao Merl said that he would ask experts to conduct study on the construction of the two-room facility.
(Source: Corruption Monitor, Issue 6, May 2008)
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