Villagers in Kratie province protest and demand for the departure of a Chinese company
17 January 2007
By Or Phearith
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
17 January 2007
By Or Phearith
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Some 200 villagers from Kratie province’s Kbal Domrey commune, Sambo district, have gathered in the Chang-hor pagoda on 16 January to protest and demand that the Chinese Global Agricultural Development company be kicked out of their villages.
The protest was organized when some of the villagers lost their homes to fire, they also claim that they lost their forests which they consider as vital for their survival.
Even though the provincial deputy governor told the villagers to understand that there are gains to be made by the villagers such as labor jobs for their children [brought in by the Chinese company], the villagers who participated in the protest still demand that the Chinese company be kicked out, and that they will never serve as workers to the Chinese: “We keep our land and our forest for the people so that they can sustain a living from it. If we become the slaves of the Chinese, all 10 people out a 10-member-family must work [for the Chinese company], but if only one family member work, can that one person feed a family of 10? They will not survive. All the villagers have decided that the provincial governor must kick this company out.”
Un Thoeun, 22-year-old villager from Chang-hor village, Kbal Domrey commune, gave an interview to RFA after the meeting, where he said that his house was burnt down when workers for the Chinese company were burning down grass to clear the forest, ambers from the land clearing fire fell on the villagers’ houses and burnt them down. He demands that the Chinese company pay him 3 million riels ($750) in compensation, if not the villagers will destroy the machineries belonging to the company.
The protest was organized when some of the villagers lost their homes to fire, they also claim that they lost their forests which they consider as vital for their survival.
Even though the provincial deputy governor told the villagers to understand that there are gains to be made by the villagers such as labor jobs for their children [brought in by the Chinese company], the villagers who participated in the protest still demand that the Chinese company be kicked out, and that they will never serve as workers to the Chinese: “We keep our land and our forest for the people so that they can sustain a living from it. If we become the slaves of the Chinese, all 10 people out a 10-member-family must work [for the Chinese company], but if only one family member work, can that one person feed a family of 10? They will not survive. All the villagers have decided that the provincial governor must kick this company out.”
Un Thoeun, 22-year-old villager from Chang-hor village, Kbal Domrey commune, gave an interview to RFA after the meeting, where he said that his house was burnt down when workers for the Chinese company were burning down grass to clear the forest, ambers from the land clearing fire fell on the villagers’ houses and burnt them down. He demands that the Chinese company pay him 3 million riels ($750) in compensation, if not the villagers will destroy the machineries belonging to the company.
3 comments:
WTF? No way, we'll not getting
rid of jobs from cambodia. We need
to bring in more, actually a lot
more.
Right bring more jobs from outside into the countries. There are 10 millions of slaves there who are ready to work for them. For the next 10 years these slaves can't even afford to buy a motocyle. Slaves what more do you need? I gave you job to buy food. As far as job accidents or health affected by poor working condition are all yours. We need
to bring in more, actually a lot
more to destroy all the environments and turns dignity humen into slavery.
10 millions is not enough. We need
about 3 millions more jobs. If
we can do 500 thousands a years,
that will take about 6 years if
you do the math.
Aso there is no way to bring in
500 thousands if there are too
many troublemakers around,
especially KI homies.
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