Boeng Kak Lake (Photo: Cambodge Soir Hebdo)
Shhkaku's Tycoon-senator-Hun Sen crony Lao Meng Khin and Choeung Sopheap, his wife (Photo: Global Witness)Amnesty International
The filling of Boeung Kak Lake in central Phnom Penh should immediately stop until a proper process that ensures human rights protection is in place, said Amnesty International and the Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE) today.
With work starting on the redevelopment of the lake, tens of thousands of Phnom Penh residents living in its immediate vicinity fear forced eviction. They were not notified the work was going to begin. Few details about the plans have been disclosed as to what will happen to the affected people - an estimated 3,000 to 4,200 families living on the shores of the lake and around the area.
Amnesty International and COHRE said the project process is in breach of both Cambodian and international law.
Brittis Edman, Amnesty International's Cambodia Researcher, said:
'In the absence of proper plans, compensation and adequate alternative housing for at least 3,000 affected families, the filling of the lake should be immediately halted. Otherwise, this may be the beginning of the biggest forced eviction in post-war Cambodia.'
Dan Nicholson, Coordinator of COHRE's Asia and Pacific Programme, added:
'If the government wishes to develop Boeung Kak, they should do so through a legal process, with the participation of communities that live around the lake.
'Affected communities need to be able to make informed decisions. The serious lack of clear information and accountability shows that preparations are just not in place.'
Background
With work starting on the redevelopment of the lake, tens of thousands of Phnom Penh residents living in its immediate vicinity fear forced eviction. They were not notified the work was going to begin. Few details about the plans have been disclosed as to what will happen to the affected people - an estimated 3,000 to 4,200 families living on the shores of the lake and around the area.
Amnesty International and COHRE said the project process is in breach of both Cambodian and international law.
Brittis Edman, Amnesty International's Cambodia Researcher, said:
'In the absence of proper plans, compensation and adequate alternative housing for at least 3,000 affected families, the filling of the lake should be immediately halted. Otherwise, this may be the beginning of the biggest forced eviction in post-war Cambodia.'
Dan Nicholson, Coordinator of COHRE's Asia and Pacific Programme, added:
'If the government wishes to develop Boeung Kak, they should do so through a legal process, with the participation of communities that live around the lake.
'Affected communities need to be able to make informed decisions. The serious lack of clear information and accountability shows that preparations are just not in place.'
Background
- The development plans for Boeung Kak Lake emerged in 2007, after the Municipality of Phnom Penh had entered into a 99-year lease agreement, handing over management of 133 hectares of land, including 90 per cent of the lake, to a private developer, Shukaku Ltd. According to the Municipality, this company will turn the area into 'pleasant, trade, and service places for domestic and international tourists.'
- As recently as two weeks ago, representatives of the Municipality conceded to journalists in Phnom Penh that they did not know how many people were affected, but estimated the number to be just 600 families. Local group surveys show the number to be far higher.
- In breach of international law and standards the process leading up to the agreement between the company and the Municipality of Phnom Penh excluded affected communities from participation and genuine consultation. Information has been lacking throughout the process, and community members and housing rights advocates in Phnom Penh consider that offers of compensation and/or adequate alternative housing have not been systematic, while resettlement plans have been withheld from the public.
- The agreement also appears to breach domestic law and implementing regulations in that no environmental impact assessment has been made public and no bidding procedure preceded the agreement. Moreover, according to the 2001 Land Law, the lake itself should be inalienable state land (so-called state public property), so its ownership cannot be transferred for longer than 15 years, during which time the function [of the property] must not change. Many of the affected families have strong legal claims to the land under the Land Law.
8 comments:
Khmer people must put a bullet in the heads of these two clowns. Wipe the smiles out of their ugly faces.
These two are Hun Sen friends they are Cambodia mafia,
They are the biggest drug dealer in Cambodia, the major smuggling.
agree that displaced people must be compensated fairly so they can relocate to a new area and continue on with their livelihood with the compensated money that they received. god bless.
I think people who were victims of these two evils should put their complain to the world court of criminals to work on these two evils for their crime on humanity by using their power on land grabbings. Areak Prey
This woman is called yeay pho, and she is the most powerful woman in cambodia. She has a sister is called yeay phan, hunsen's father's stepwife. Yeay phan can take any land she wants. she doesn't whether you have land title, and the court is always with her.
A revolution must occur to prevent such incident. Also, the Cambodian people must use their people power to prevent from future human rights gross violation.
PEOPLE POWER MUST BE USED!
1:39,
WHAT HAPPENED IF THEY DON'T WANT TO RELOCATE TO A NEW AREA? THEN WHAT? WHAT IF I SAID THAT MY FAMILY WANTS TO CONTINUE TO LIVE HERE?
IT'S UP TO THE PEOPLE POWER TO ACT NOW AND DISMANTLED THIS HUN SEN REGIME. OTHERWISE, THERE IS NO MORE CAMBODIA!
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