Monday, July 31, 2006

Sam Rainsy met with evicted families and threatened to demonstrate against the eviction of poor people

Sam Rainsy, opposition leader (Photo: RFA)

Sam Rainsy threatens to demonstrate against the eviction of poor people

30 July 2006
By Sok Serey
Radio Free Asia

Translated from Khmer by KI-Media

In the morning of 30 July, the opposition leader met with several thousands of Cambodian families in Ang Snuol district, Kandal province, and in Dankao district, in the suburb of Phnom Penh, and he promised to lead a mass demonstration at the beginning of August to oppose the expulsion and eviction of poor families who are dumped outside of the city where there is no water, electricity, school, or health center.

Sam Rainsy met with 168 families that the authorities removed from their homes near Monivong Hospital in Phnom Penh. They are currently living in Sre Ampil village, Ang Snuol district, Kandal province, and he also met with more than one thousand families who were evicted from Sambok Chab village in Phnom Penh, and are currently living in Andaung village, Dangkao district. Sam Rainsy also met with several thousands other families who live nearby.

Sam Rainsy accused the government authority of evicting only poor families, and of giving hardship to the poor, whereas the same authority are providing benefits only to a small group of rich people.

Sam Rainsy has threatened to hold a demonstration in the near future: “to demand for justice, to demand for land, to demand for homes in order to sustain a living condition similar to what the evicted people had before.”

He promised that he will search for funding from generous donors from overseas to help build schools for children, to provide clean water and medicines for children and mothers of newborn who lack care and milk for their infants.

Vorn Sokha, a woman whose was displaced from the Monivong Hospital, talked and complained about the difficulties at her new place in Sre Ampil village while crying: “It’s extremely difficult, my children are still at school age, and they are still small. What can I depend on now? What can I do? Where do I go? After coming here, there is no job.”

Nong Bun, a new resident in Andaung village displaced from Sambok Chap, declared that he will participate in the protest demonstration organized (by Sam Rainsy): “Everybody suffered from the land resolution which goes nowhere, furthermore, there is a lot of difficulties to provide for food.”

Mrs. Ieng Nhor said: “There, they told me to move out everyday, tomorrow they said they would evict me for real, if I did not move, they would burn my house…”

Sam Rainsy said that he did not fix the date of the mass demonstration yet, he is waiting for an answer from prime minister Hun Sen to his letter requesting Hun Sen to stop the eviction of poor people from the city and the expropriation of land belonging to poor people.

The municipality of Phnom Penh cannot be contacted to provide an explanation if the authority is planning to evict more people or not, the officials were busy with a meeting held on Sunday 30 July. General Khieu Sopheak, sposkeman of the ministry of Interior, warned that demonstration cannot be held unless there is an authorization first.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is time for Keo Chautama to go.His duty is to assure residents of the city peace and safety.But so far,others haaave taken role to displace his city residents but the Governor is so quiet.Other thing,kids are living off trashes and garbages. Where is his humanity and decency?
Time to evacuate the governor mansion now!

Anonymous said...

DO NOT MAKE THREAT,BUT DELIVER PROMISE and HOPE.

Hopelessness and selfishness are resting within government system.

Take hopeless and selfless movement to fight both hopelessness and selflessness to be free.

Anonymous said...

i always wonder what will happen if the King and his royal family members and relatives come out and joint the people shoulder to shoulder to fight for justice, freedom, and our territorial integrity, CAMBODIA?

Will I see that happen in my life time?

Excellent job, SRP! Keep fighting (non-violent democratic principles) - becareful with some media - they may balloon up about something you say [unintentioanlly]. May be this is the only right way to win the heart of the people - inside and abroad and as well as the international community.

Anonymous said...

SamRaisy, SamRaisy? Why are you have to wait for your boss's, Samdech Hun SenVarman, promission, which you conscientiously have knew his prompted answer,"No!".
Do what he has intentionally to do, if you were still a candlelight-holder, to prove the Khmer nation that you are not like Narariddh... I am not a Khmer-PoliSickain, but I am lost faith in you, after you were an asskisser!