Cambodia alienating its ownTHURSDAY, AUGUST 09, 2007
By Hamish Macdonald in Sihanoukville
Al Jazeera
In Cambodia, tens of thousand of people are being forced to seek temporary shelter after government land seizures had left them homeless. The conditions faced by many of those evicted from their homes are dire.
There is little food, no proper shelter, no running water and no health care, reports Al Jazeera from Sihanoukville in Cambodia's south.
A week ago these families had homes. Tonight they shelter in tents. They lived on "contested" property. The local government threw them off and the army destroyed what was left.
Tents offer no protection from the elements
Sok Mom, an evicted resident, said: "I just want to go back to my home, or at least get some land to build a new home."
Most of those evicted by the government, infants and their sick, crying mothers, spend their life under makeshift shelters.
Ros Saoita, another evicted resident, said: "They had guns. They burned down our house, took all our property… our rice, our clothes. We came here with nothing."
These families have been living here for only a week but already conditions are squalid.
The smell in some parts of the camp is overpowering and given the current wet season, the families barely have any protection from the elements.
Shelter after shelter the stories are the same. No compensation, nowhere to go.
The next day the evicted residents took Al Jazeera to the place where only a week ago they had homes and livelihoods.
The Land Act passed in 2001 did little to protect villagers, favouring wealthy developers instead
The fourth village on Cambodia's southern coastline has now been earmarked for redevelopment.
Like most rural villagers in this country, the people of this village held no land title. The Khmer Rouge destroyed the records during its four-year rule in the 1970's.
A new Land Act passed in 2001 did little to protect them, favouring wealthy developers instead.
Yash Ghai, a UN representative, said there were "many gaps in the law" which rendered the land titles very dubious as there was no comprehensive system of land law.
"The people who suffer from all that are poor people, indigenous communities. So, I would say there are many violations of human rights and other laws that take place through the medium of the courts," he said.
The authorities moved in on another village nearby and destroyed everything, forcibly removing the residents.
Pung Chhiv Kek, a human rights activist, said the people have already suffered during Cambodia's many years of civil war and the period of genocide.
"And now they suffer. You cannot just simply say 'go away'. Where are they going [to go]? They are citizens of this country... the government should find a place for them."
The displaced live in squalid conditions
Another 10,000 people displaced by government land seizures have found shelter in a camp on the outskirts of the capital, Phnom Penh.
At least there is medical care at this camp but seasonal rains are having an effect here too.
They've been here a year and already at least 10 children have died after contracting dengue fever, including young children.
Phan Chendaa, whose seven-year-old son died of dengue, said: "I am angry. When I was in Phnom Penh we had enough food to eat. When we moved here life got worse, now we don't have enough food."
Seizure of land is one of the biggest issues facing Cambodia.
The government maintains it is legal, but declined to be interviewed by Al Jazeera for this story.
There is little food, no proper shelter, no running water and no health care, reports Al Jazeera from Sihanoukville in Cambodia's south.
A week ago these families had homes. Tonight they shelter in tents. They lived on "contested" property. The local government threw them off and the army destroyed what was left.
Tents offer no protection from the elementsSok Mom, an evicted resident, said: "I just want to go back to my home, or at least get some land to build a new home."
Most of those evicted by the government, infants and their sick, crying mothers, spend their life under makeshift shelters.
Ros Saoita, another evicted resident, said: "They had guns. They burned down our house, took all our property… our rice, our clothes. We came here with nothing."
These families have been living here for only a week but already conditions are squalid.
The smell in some parts of the camp is overpowering and given the current wet season, the families barely have any protection from the elements.
Shelter after shelter the stories are the same. No compensation, nowhere to go.
The next day the evicted residents took Al Jazeera to the place where only a week ago they had homes and livelihoods.
The Land Act passed in 2001 did little to protect villagers, favouring wealthy developers insteadThe fourth village on Cambodia's southern coastline has now been earmarked for redevelopment.
Like most rural villagers in this country, the people of this village held no land title. The Khmer Rouge destroyed the records during its four-year rule in the 1970's.
A new Land Act passed in 2001 did little to protect them, favouring wealthy developers instead.
Yash Ghai, a UN representative, said there were "many gaps in the law" which rendered the land titles very dubious as there was no comprehensive system of land law.
"The people who suffer from all that are poor people, indigenous communities. So, I would say there are many violations of human rights and other laws that take place through the medium of the courts," he said.
The authorities moved in on another village nearby and destroyed everything, forcibly removing the residents.
Pung Chhiv Kek, a human rights activist, said the people have already suffered during Cambodia's many years of civil war and the period of genocide.
"And now they suffer. You cannot just simply say 'go away'. Where are they going [to go]? They are citizens of this country... the government should find a place for them."
The displaced live in squalid conditionsAnother 10,000 people displaced by government land seizures have found shelter in a camp on the outskirts of the capital, Phnom Penh.
At least there is medical care at this camp but seasonal rains are having an effect here too.
They've been here a year and already at least 10 children have died after contracting dengue fever, including young children.
Phan Chendaa, whose seven-year-old son died of dengue, said: "I am angry. When I was in Phnom Penh we had enough food to eat. When we moved here life got worse, now we don't have enough food."
Seizure of land is one of the biggest issues facing Cambodia.
The government maintains it is legal, but declined to be interviewed by Al Jazeera for this story.
10 comments:
I can't believe this is happening to my brothers and sisters, where is king Seihak mony ? Mr. prime minister Hun Sen what kind of leader you are? They are your people ,why you are treating them worse than animal?
Dear Cambodian friends please pass this sad story on to all people you know.912
Its hard to see these pictures.. I dont ?
hun sen are u a leader of cambodia? why dnt u help them? who are u going to protect if u dont protect them? Where u want them to go? U r like a scarecrow leader, hun sen.
Its hard to see these pictures.. I dont know where my tear gently comes from?
hun sen are u a leader of cambodia? why dnt u help them? who are u going to protect if u dont protect them? Where u want them to go? U r like a scarecrow leader, hun sen.
Very sad. Like I always say, the people need to arm themselve, create a small army, like the khmer rough, and start attacking the gov't. THis will not stop unless the people fight back. If there is another war, let it be. It's better to die than live without land.
8:31PM, CPP is Khmer rouge!
They are a mordern Khmer rouge, they kille us and destroy us litle by litle to be acepted by the Great UN, USA, Great Britain, Franc, Germany, Japan, all the stupid or corrupted Paris Cosignatures!
We are dying now with the world say they are helping us while in reality they are killing us slowly!!
Hard to pickup arm in communist world, how about Kamikaze?
Para Chey Pouk Ah Prey Sai CPP Party.comment by Dom Nak Loung
Ah See Pee Pee Hun Sen Kwak knows only how to kill his own people. Look at the image is worst than Khmer Rouge.
Ah Hun Sen hurts the poor people of Cambodia and destroys the country natural resources while the King is hiding inside his palace with his eyes close. Sihamony is a worthless King and does not deserve the respect of the Cambodian people.
This is just injustice,the rich is walking all over the poor and the government is backing it up!Why don't you fat bastards leave these poor people alone?,What have they done to you or to deserve this kind of treatment??They are human being just like you all,you have no rights to judge them or treat them like this.Remember as a buddhist nation,you oughta believe in Karma and I hope Karma will come back to you in ten folds.I agreed with an anon that people should form an army and fight back this corrupted government and the fat fucked riches!Ah Hun Sen ,you are just a puppet for the Youn!Where are all the international Aid money,I bet ya stashed them away in the Swiss bank so you can spend it on your women,and your fat bodyguards!Hope u rot in hell!
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