Chinese Sugar Company Leases Parts of Cambodian Land Concession to Farmers
A Chinese sugar company with a large long-term land concession in Cambodia came under fire from NGOs Tuesday for leasing parts of the concession to local villagers, collecting rent instead of engaging in the activities stipulated in its contract with the Cambodian government.
The Hengfu Group Sugar Industry, the mother company of five local subsidiaries in Cambodia, was awarded a 70-year concession in 2011 spanning 400,000 hectares (1,544 square miles) in Preah Vihear province in return for promising to invest U.S. $1 billion.
The Cambodian government held an opening ceremony for a factory on the concession in 2016, where Prime Minister Hun Sen noted that the companies invested $360 million for stage one of the development scheme.
RFA’s Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Eugene Whong
