Prime Minister Hun Manet urged landless residents to apply for state land distribution through official local channels rather than illegally encroaching on public property.

Speaking to farmers in Battambang province today, Mr Hun Manet warned the public against paying brokers or following ringleaders who incite illegal land clearing, emphasising that legitimate government land allocation schemes incur no fees.

“Do not believe those ringleaders who are inciting people! Some people go and clear the land and end up spending money paying brokers as well. If you apply through the government’s programmes, there is no charge! We will help anyone who genuinely has no land. We help people who are struggling. This is what the Royal Government will continue to do.”

The government provides legal land to disadvantaged households through social land concession initiatives, including the Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development (LASED) project alongside dedicated distribution programmes for veterans and former civil servants.

Hun Manet noted that the LASED initiative has assisted more than 400 families in Battambang province, while a land distribution project in Stung Treng province prepares to assist between 500 and 700 landless families in its initial phase.

The Prime Minister also highlighted accelerated housing construction for displaced families in border conflict areas, emphasising that state land allocation and housing assistance remain ongoing government priorities.

• Tags: land concession, land encroachment