Battambang: The Governor of Battambang’s Kamrieng District, Sok Kim Khon, has told EAC News that excavations underway at the foot of Kbal Kon Domrey Mountain are part of a project by the Kamrieng commune authorities to repair the road around the base of the mountain. He says he has sent a district team to inspect the area and put more road signs out advising locals as to the purpose of the work.

He was responding to complaints from residents of Kamrieng’s Ochrey Village who claim traders are taking advantage of the excavation work, which is being carried out near the Kbal Kon Domrey pagoda. They believe the mountain is part of their ancestral heritage and should be respected. According to the residents, for the past three years, eight to ten trucks a day are selling excavated ground for 60,000 riel per vehicle. They claim the digging is increasing the risk of landslides and that the dust can cause respiratory illnesses, especially in young children.

Governor Sok Kim Khon says the residents’ complaints will be investigated as part of his team’s inspection.