Original report from Pailin
08 July 2008
[Editor's note: In the weeks leading into national polls, VOA Khmer will explore a wide number of election issues. The "Election Issues 2008" series will air stories on Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by a related "Hello VOA" guest on Thursday. This is the first in a two-part series examining rural development.]
Villagers around the former Khmer Rouge stronghold of Pailin complain that they are facing a lack of clean water, schools, hospitals or clinics and land for farming.
Steung Trang commune is 30 kilometers from Pailin, accessible only by a gravel road that was only recently repaired, in time for the July 27 election.
Kong Naren, a villager in Tum Nup Thmei village, Steung Trang commune, Srala Krao district, said recently people here are facing a lack of farmland, water, latrines, hospitals and schools, and where there are school, there are not enough teachers. Srala Krao translates as "outside of school," in fact.
The lack of rural development in places like Srala Krao has become one of the election issues parties have taken up. Nine of the country's 11 competing parties campaigned around Pailin during the June 26 kickoff, promising the kind of development that voters in rural areas say they need.
Kong Naren has 10 children, but none of them go to school. A schoolhouse is too far away, he said, about 7 kilometers. Moreover, the family's poverty makes it too hard to send them to school. The children instead work to raise money for the family or help farm.
"My life here is facing all kinds of difficulties," Kong Naren said. "No water, no food, the house is deteriorating; our living is desperate. My family is like other families, desperate."
The only water sources come from the rain or a river red with earthen runoff, villagers said.
In the nearby village of Andong Reaksa, conditions are much the same.
"We face a lot of problems, no water, no land to farm," said one villager there. "These are the two greatest difficulties we are facing."
"We don't have enough schools, no pagoda for children to attend, so they cannot read and write," said another villager.
Some residents here said their land along the main road had increased in value until it was stolen, forcing them to work as farm laborers on another's land.
Steung Trang commune chief Vorn Ruom said he had 16 villages with 4,000 residents, most of whose living conditions were poorer than other villagers in Pailin.
His villagers lacked clean water, schools, teachers, hospitals or clinics, healthcare and medicine. Their farm produce is offered cheaply, because they are too far from town for good prices.
The people in Pailin where there is no development are looking for political parties that can convince them development will come, in more ways than a single gravel road.
Villagers around the former Khmer Rouge stronghold of Pailin complain that they are facing a lack of clean water, schools, hospitals or clinics and land for farming.
Steung Trang commune is 30 kilometers from Pailin, accessible only by a gravel road that was only recently repaired, in time for the July 27 election.
Kong Naren, a villager in Tum Nup Thmei village, Steung Trang commune, Srala Krao district, said recently people here are facing a lack of farmland, water, latrines, hospitals and schools, and where there are school, there are not enough teachers. Srala Krao translates as "outside of school," in fact.
The lack of rural development in places like Srala Krao has become one of the election issues parties have taken up. Nine of the country's 11 competing parties campaigned around Pailin during the June 26 kickoff, promising the kind of development that voters in rural areas say they need.
Kong Naren has 10 children, but none of them go to school. A schoolhouse is too far away, he said, about 7 kilometers. Moreover, the family's poverty makes it too hard to send them to school. The children instead work to raise money for the family or help farm.
"My life here is facing all kinds of difficulties," Kong Naren said. "No water, no food, the house is deteriorating; our living is desperate. My family is like other families, desperate."
The only water sources come from the rain or a river red with earthen runoff, villagers said.
In the nearby village of Andong Reaksa, conditions are much the same.
"We face a lot of problems, no water, no land to farm," said one villager there. "These are the two greatest difficulties we are facing."
"We don't have enough schools, no pagoda for children to attend, so they cannot read and write," said another villager.
Some residents here said their land along the main road had increased in value until it was stolen, forcing them to work as farm laborers on another's land.
Steung Trang commune chief Vorn Ruom said he had 16 villages with 4,000 residents, most of whose living conditions were poorer than other villagers in Pailin.
His villagers lacked clean water, schools, teachers, hospitals or clinics, healthcare and medicine. Their farm produce is offered cheaply, because they are too far from town for good prices.
The people in Pailin where there is no development are looking for political parties that can convince them development will come, in more ways than a single gravel road.
5 comments:
If you want clean water, school, ..., and hospital, you need to stop voting for liar like Ah Scam Rainxy. He always promises, but can't never delivered anything.
"Srala Krao" is not mean outside of scholl, fool!
It mean "Outer school"
To the Khmer Issan in this forum. You do not represent the thai people in general. We are the REAL Thais believe that only small group of thai politicians and others are trying to disturb the good relationship of the two countries. We have never been against Cambodia for the listing of the temple.
You are not thai's friend, but thai's slave. You are disgrace and bring bad reputation to our thai people. So, stop your stupid dream of getting the temple. It belongs to Cambodia, not your stupid slave of our king. It is wasting off our thais money and time to educate stupid people like you.
i think the people of this area in pailin need to come to phnom penh to demonstrate in front of parliament or something so gov't official can do something to help out in pailin. if you don't ask for help you won't get anything in cambodia. god bless all.
Pailin used to be Khmer Rouge stronghold in the 1980 and because this of legacy and Hun Sen government must not prejudice against the Khmer people because of their past involvement by ignore them of the economic development! Even though some of these Khmer people used to have Khmer Rouge tied and they are still Khmer people and they deserve the same attention like any Khmer people living in Cambodia!
Hun Sen government can't go on proclaiming that Cambodia is progressing economically here and there but not in Pailin! The whole Cambodia should have the opportunity to progress economically!
Please don’t throw the Khmer people to the Tiger and the Crocodile!
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