Destruction of beach vendor wooden structures to make place for Sok Kong, the tycoon-friend of prime minister Hun Sen, to build a multi-million dollar resort. Chev Kim Heng, the municipal vice governor of Sihanoukville, said that future visitors to Ochateal beach may need to pay fees to use it. This is the same scheme used by Sok Kong in collecting fees to visitors of Angkor Wat. No information is provided on the fee collected by the government for the lease of the land to Sok Kong. (Photo: Ta Soam, Koh Santepheap Newspaper)Monday, July 3, 2006
S'ville Vendors Who Lost Their Homes Seek To Rebuild Nearby
By Kay Kimsong and Jason McBride THE CAMBODIA DAILY
Ochateal beach vendors, whose wooden structures were bulldozed during an eviction on June 27, have written to Sihanoukville municipal authorities asking them to be allowed to rebuild their businesses and homes at nearby Otres beach, vendors said Thursday.
"We slept under the sky," said Thai Leng on Friday, a mother of four and one of 32 vendors who lost their businesses in the demolition.
Sihanoukville Municipal Vice Governor Chev Kim Heng said that he had not yet seen the letter from the vendors and did not know how the municipality would respond.
The municipality has leased Ochateal beach to businessman Sok Kong, Sokimex petroleum company president, for the construction of a 500-room, multimillion-dollar resort hotel, he said.
Sok Kong, whose company owns the luxury Sokha Hotel on nearby Sokha beach, has been granted a 99-year lease from the government to build a new hotel on the 43 hectares of land around Ochateal beach.
"We can't keep the beach in today's condition," Sok Kong said on Friday. "It must meet international standards."
Vendors may be allowed to return and rent plots from the company once construction of the resort is complete, Sok Kong said. The development is estimated to cost around $80 million, but details have not been worked out yet, he added.
Chev Kim Heng said that future visitors to Ochateal beach may need to pay fees to use it. "Like Sokha beach, the public could go there... but they may need to pay fees," he said.
Srey Vuthy, chief of Sihanoukville tourism police, said on Sunday that most of the evicted vendors were not seriously affected by the destruction of their beachside businesses, as most had houses in the port city.
Thai Leng disputed that assertion. "Some of the vendors are not residents of Sihanoukville. They are from Kompong Cham and other provinces," she said.
Sok Buy, 55, who lost a restaurant in the eviction, said that the municipality had caused economic hardship to the evicted families. "We have no homes to live in now," she said. "We face difficulty living."
"We slept under the sky," said Thai Leng on Friday, a mother of four and one of 32 vendors who lost their businesses in the demolition.
Sihanoukville Municipal Vice Governor Chev Kim Heng said that he had not yet seen the letter from the vendors and did not know how the municipality would respond.
The municipality has leased Ochateal beach to businessman Sok Kong, Sokimex petroleum company president, for the construction of a 500-room, multimillion-dollar resort hotel, he said.
Sok Kong, whose company owns the luxury Sokha Hotel on nearby Sokha beach, has been granted a 99-year lease from the government to build a new hotel on the 43 hectares of land around Ochateal beach.
"We can't keep the beach in today's condition," Sok Kong said on Friday. "It must meet international standards."
Vendors may be allowed to return and rent plots from the company once construction of the resort is complete, Sok Kong said. The development is estimated to cost around $80 million, but details have not been worked out yet, he added.
Chev Kim Heng said that future visitors to Ochateal beach may need to pay fees to use it. "Like Sokha beach, the public could go there... but they may need to pay fees," he said.
Srey Vuthy, chief of Sihanoukville tourism police, said on Sunday that most of the evicted vendors were not seriously affected by the destruction of their beachside businesses, as most had houses in the port city.
Thai Leng disputed that assertion. "Some of the vendors are not residents of Sihanoukville. They are from Kompong Cham and other provinces," she said.
Sok Buy, 55, who lost a restaurant in the eviction, said that the municipality had caused economic hardship to the evicted families. "We have no homes to live in now," she said. "We face difficulty living."
5 comments:
Does Royal Cambodian government have any real estate laws on the book?
AH Sok Kong owned the Ochateal beach? If the AH Sok Kong can own the beach, then he can own the moon, the star, the river, the lake...I seems that Cambodian people is losing the right to enjoy nature such as the beach, the river, and the lake...
Uh? This is not such a bad ideas! AH Sok Kong is making way for foreigners to enjoy what Cambodia have to offer! Is Cambodia is becoming like another Hawaii Island? If the Cambodian people constantly are being displaced and where should they go and live! If Cambodian people ran out a place to live then it is logical to live on AH Sok Kong's head!ahahha
This is the first time that AH Sok Kong is talking about International Standard! If Cambodia is truely ran according to international standard in regarding to corruption, business, and the human right, Cambodia people wouldn't need to go through all these eviction in the first place! This bastard has the gut to talk about international standard but yet he has no standard of his own!
6:54AM,
I am frustrated as you are. According to the international standard, I believe that no one should claim a beach front or water as a Private property. The public has the right to access to this public land.
Cambodia has no standards by any mean. The powerful people will always step on the neck of the poors.
Firstly, when you go to Sokha beach you dont have to pay to get in there! Secondly, if one would love to make stories and blames it is the governors because they are the ones who give neak Oknha Sok Kong the rights in leasing the beach! If you said that the cambodians cant enjoy nature like the beach...if the beach is full with shit why dont you go there and enjoy and see all the shit floating on your head! Such idiots... You are such a bastards that you have only the gut to talk but have done nothing for your country but talking SHITS! Ya IDIOTS?
""AH Sok Kong owned the Ochateal beach? If the AH Sok Kong can own the beach, then he can own the moon, the star, the river, the lake...""
hey, do you think when people read your comments, they will think you jealous to neak Oknha Sok Kong by that? Well, if they dont, i do..
You such a stupid guy when say that...
He is the greatest business man i've ever seen..
What is yr problem?
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