A queue of relocated families collecting the only available drinkable water from daily truck. (Photo: www.licadho.org)Friday, June 16, 2006
By Kuch Naren and Jason McBride
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
Residents evicted from Tonle Bassac commune's Village 14 criticized the government's handling of land distribution at a public forum near their crammed Dangkao district relocation site on Thursday, saying it has been inundated with new arrivals from elsewhere.
More than 400 people, most of whom were removed on June 6, gathered at the event organized by the Cambodian Center for Human Rights.
Hang Sopheak, who claimed to have been a longtime resident of Village 14, said many of those evicted were being denied land at the relocation site in Andoung village.
"A lot of real renters from [Village 14] do not have their names on the list to get land," Hang Sopheak said.
"It is realty an injustice because a lot of opportunists and new arrivals … will receive land because they are listed among the 364 names of those who get a plot of land," he said.
Villagers and local officials have said there are at least 1,000 families living at the three-hectare relocation site.
Villager Pheng Sun Oeun said wealthy speculators paid homeless people to set up camp at the site a few weeks before the eviction to cause confusion and claim the land by proxy.
"[They] were promised they would receive $100 or $200 if they agreed to live in the shelter in Andoung village until they get the land," she said, claiming that 70 percent of those who have been officially allocated plots at the site had never lived at Village 14.
Villager Mao Sitha accused Tonle Bassac commune officials of taking bribes and allocating land plots to relatives who had never lived at Village 14.
Tonle Bassac commune chief Mea Sopheap called on villagers to turn in anyone involved in such schemes.
The municipality released a statement Sunday saying the number of families at the relocation site had ballooned from 364 to 1,160, because families from Village 14 divided into smaller units to claim additional plots of land at Andoung village.
More than 400 people, most of whom were removed on June 6, gathered at the event organized by the Cambodian Center for Human Rights.
Hang Sopheak, who claimed to have been a longtime resident of Village 14, said many of those evicted were being denied land at the relocation site in Andoung village.
"A lot of real renters from [Village 14] do not have their names on the list to get land," Hang Sopheak said.
"It is realty an injustice because a lot of opportunists and new arrivals … will receive land because they are listed among the 364 names of those who get a plot of land," he said.
Villagers and local officials have said there are at least 1,000 families living at the three-hectare relocation site.
Villager Pheng Sun Oeun said wealthy speculators paid homeless people to set up camp at the site a few weeks before the eviction to cause confusion and claim the land by proxy.
"[They] were promised they would receive $100 or $200 if they agreed to live in the shelter in Andoung village until they get the land," she said, claiming that 70 percent of those who have been officially allocated plots at the site had never lived at Village 14.
Villager Mao Sitha accused Tonle Bassac commune officials of taking bribes and allocating land plots to relatives who had never lived at Village 14.
Tonle Bassac commune chief Mea Sopheap called on villagers to turn in anyone involved in such schemes.
The municipality released a statement Sunday saying the number of families at the relocation site had ballooned from 364 to 1,160, because families from Village 14 divided into smaller units to claim additional plots of land at Andoung village.
2 comments:
This picture reminded me of those helpless Cambodian refugee living in United Nation refugee Camp in Thailand!
I would never thought for a moment that Cambodian people had become a refugee in their own country!
Death to AH HUN SEN!
Death to AH HUN SEN!
Death to AH HUN SEN!
me too, where is the stupid king?..
busy lick his own dick or what?..he made me mad now!..idiot..
why all these traitors have to be all king anyways?...where is the real khmer king,,,where is dara depou?..the onw who love only khmer and hated his father to let go to china that he hated the most..i heard that he came back and stay somewhere in cambodia,,and become a peasant,,,when is he gonna come out, gone to hell already or what?..why khmers have to be this way?..what is the purposes of being khmers?..maybe b/c of good moral, and buddhism or the harmless people on earth or what?
look at other countries, beside khmers..they bomb, they go on strike, they fight for their freedom,, some country have been fight for almost one hundred years now they still fight for their freedom..why khmer don't do the same?..i think if all khmer think
that worth to have the country change and don't just wait for the others to help ..maybe it can change for sure...and this is a good time for khmers to start group to change the country..first let start with the lands, if the governments can't do any about it..then go for the big one..let gather for a millions march for the regime change or recall like the state of California three years ago, that mean you have to make a pitition to vote to change the governments..i think if we do this there will be some reaction from the government of sure..why not let the people do the action..one people can't not..but if a million khmers..will do..
just my opinions,,,good luck my khmers...i just care about you all!!
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