Cambodia Accelerates Land Titling: PM Hun Manet Emphasizes Foundation for Livelihoods

Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet, emphasized that legal land ownership is the foundation of life, serving not only as property but also as the basis for shelter, business, investment, and as an inheritance for future generations. The Prime Minister made these remarks during a ceremony to distribute 23,067 land ownership certificates to citizens in the communes of Chrey Thum, Roka Chhlung, and Pok Ruessei, held at Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen General Education and Technical High School in Kandal Province's Khsach Kandal district on the morning of July 29, 2026. Prime Minister Hun Manet stated that the systematic land surveying in Kandal Province began over 20 years ago in 2002 and has been actively implemented, culminating in the finalization of land surveying and the distribution of immovable property ownership certificates on this occasion. In this regard, the Prime Minister highly commended the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction, the Kandal Provincial Administration, especially the working group of the Provincial Department of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction, technical officers, field teams, and volunteer officials for their concerted efforts in pushing forward the land surveying and registration in Kandal Province to completion. He stressed that the completion of systematic land surveying and the distribution of immovable property ownership certificates in Kandal Province marks the end of uncertainty and the risk of land disputes. It also opens a new chapter for socio-economic development at the local level through increased land value, access to formal credit, family business operations, investment attraction, and the promotion of social peace by guaranteeing legal ownership rights, harmonious living, and the continuation of inheritance. Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet recalled that under the genocidal Pol Pot regime, all forms of private property were completely abolished, and citizens were forcibly displaced from their homes and subjected to brutal massacres. After the liberation on January 7, 1979, Cambodia embarked on rebuilding the nation from scratch amidst ashes, bones, and tears. With one hand holding weapons to prevent the return of the Khmer Rouge regime and protect the lives of the people, and the other hand striving to build state institutions and restore the national economy, relying on the extremely scarce human resources left from the mass killings. In the land sector, the administration focused on providing equitable land use rights to the people through the establishment of solidarity groups for cultivation, which allowed citizens to use land according to the practical circumstances of Cambodian society, experiencing both peace and war, to provide opportunities for people to cultivate, restore their family livelihoods, and move towards building the national economy and developing society. Until 1989, Samdech Techo Hun Sen, former Prime Minister and current President of the Senate of the Kingdom of Cambodia, initiated a profound and risky reform of the national economic system, re-establishing private land ownership for citizens nationwide. This firm decision is akin to a parent distributing an inheritance to their children, demonstrating the deepest concern aimed at liberating the people from poverty and serving as a robust foundation for the overall economic and social recovery of Cambodia. The Royal Government, led by the Cambodian People's Party, continues to uphold its noble will and conscience for the benefit of the nation and its people. This is partly reflected in the continuous efforts to reform the land sector to provide citizens with legal security and peace of mind regarding their property ownership, with the aim of jointly building the country into a civilized, modern, and peaceful homeland. The Royal Government has always considered land surveying and registration for the people as a crucial task. Relevant ministries, institutions, and local authorities at all levels must pay close attention to the people, in line with the vision of "Completing land registration, satisfactory services, and a dispute-free environment in Cambodia." This vision has broad implications and reflects reality, but a vision that exists only on paper will not function. What is important is that the Royal Government must make it a reality, and this has been underway for over 20 years.