Hun Sen's cronies: Lao Meng Khin and Choeung Sopheap, his wife
Some residents around Boeung Kak lake have opted to stay, despite rising waters caused by fill.
Boeung Kak's rising water has brought swaths of trash with it, convincing hundreds of residents it is time to leave.By Pin Sisovann, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
28 October 2008
One day last week, Pen Bun Noeun watched as her wooden house on Boeung Kak lake in Phnom Penh was dismantled by workers she had hired for its removal.
With the lake’s developer Shukaku, Inc., pumping fill into the lake, its polluted water was rising and her situation had become untenable, she said. She was opting to move outside of the city, to a development in Dangkao district called Borei Santepheap 2.
“It’s far, but what can I do?” she said, as her neighbors sloshed through the muck or sat on chairs and tables to avoid the rising water. “I cannot stay here because it is flooded. Too much flooding and a bad smell. There was no flooding before the dredging. It is now flooded all over.”
Plagued with mosquitoes, putrid mud and rising waters, hundreds of residents of the lake say they are voluntarily moving, taking a buyout or move offers from the city. But critics say developers are filling the lake, forcing the water to rise, and that the moves are not voluntary at all.
Many residents in recent interviews told VOA Khmer they would now prefer to take a controversial buy-out, despite protests in the past that the market value of their homes was much higher than the $8,000 offered by the city. Others said the offer to relocate to an apartment on the outskirts of the capital, though far from services, was better than living in the quagmire their neighborhood has become.
The “volunteer” exodus starkly differs from displacements under past city projects. In 2006, the government faced sharp criticism for its ejection of impoverished residents of neighborhoods on the Tonle Bassac, where police forced people from the area at gunpoint in the early morning as bulldozers leveled their homes.
Pen Bun Noeun’s uncle, who declined to be named, said the situation “only looks better” for people at Boeung Kak than those who were forced from developments like the communities of Sambok Chap, or Sparrow’s Nest, and nearby Kak Ampov, or Sugarcane Leavings, on the Tonle Bassac.
The authorities “didn’t force us to leave clumsily, didn’t surround us with fencing,” he said. “It looks better than there. They didn’t force us, but [we move] voluntarily. They haven’t mistreated us yet.”
The uncle had already been forced to remove his house as the flood waters rose, he said, calling this a “strategy” of the developers and the city.
“If we don’t go now, we will go later,” he said. “To go now is better. If we go last, we could be sent 20 or 30 kilometers from where we are to be moved to now. It would be damning.”
“They didn’t force us,” he said with sarcasm, “but we must go.”
The 133-hectare, $79 million development was undertaken by Shikaku under a 99-year lease with the city. Plans include the construction of businesses and homes, centers for trade, culture and tourism, and increased security. Residents have been loath to go, however, and staged a protest in September when Shikaku began filling in the lake.
The halt was only temporary, however, and shortly after Shukaku resumed filling the lake.
Ny Chakrya, chief of the monitoring section for the rights group Adhoc, said the displacement was similar to those along the Tonle Bassac, except residents here were being forced out by floodwater and not gunpoint.
“It is not a principle of volunteering,” he said. “Volunteer removal means a negotiation in which neither side was put under pressure of any kind. Once one side acted to put another side aside; with no choice, it becomes a non-voluntary agreement. If it was to be a voluntary agreement from the people, [authorities] should not have created an impact on the daily living conditions of the people.”
Resident Neth Sophana and her family said they were being forced to leave under a “volunteer principle” espoused by Phnom Penh authorities and Shukaku.
“It is right to say either: we volunteered or were forced, because the company dredged to flood us,” she said. “We must leave. How can we stay? Speaking frankly they’re driving us away.”
Mann Chhoeun, deputy governor of Phnom Penh, maintains that the more than 500 families who have now agreed to leave the area did so willingly and have thumb-printed documents attesting to that.
“It moving ahead now,” he said. “It looks good, and they have printed their thumbs on proper volunteer documents. They were not forced.”
Those who opted for an apartment at Borei Santepheap 2 would find a school and market at the new location, he said, and the government continued to negotiate with families still living around the lake.
“We will solve it step by step and avoid violence with people,” he said. “We will have a good result before long.”
Despite floodwater creeping into her house, forcing her to build small wooden walkways through the living room, resident Houth Srin said she would wait for a better offer. Borei Santepheap 2 was too far from services, she said, and the itchy feet caused by the dirty water was a small price to pay to hold out.
Meanwhile, she said, people who owned smaller houses were being separated from those with large houses by the city’s buyout plans. Those with small houses could take the money, but those with larger houses, like hers, would wait. That meant a unity of voice against the displacement was divided, she said.
“Owners of small houses didn’t go to protest,” she said. “Only residents in big houses.”
Others, like Reoun Sovannara, were ready to leave.
“We volunteered to go because we have no way to live here,” he said. “It’s flooded. They’ve dredged to flood us, so why should we stay?”
With the lake’s developer Shukaku, Inc., pumping fill into the lake, its polluted water was rising and her situation had become untenable, she said. She was opting to move outside of the city, to a development in Dangkao district called Borei Santepheap 2.
“It’s far, but what can I do?” she said, as her neighbors sloshed through the muck or sat on chairs and tables to avoid the rising water. “I cannot stay here because it is flooded. Too much flooding and a bad smell. There was no flooding before the dredging. It is now flooded all over.”
Plagued with mosquitoes, putrid mud and rising waters, hundreds of residents of the lake say they are voluntarily moving, taking a buyout or move offers from the city. But critics say developers are filling the lake, forcing the water to rise, and that the moves are not voluntary at all.
Many residents in recent interviews told VOA Khmer they would now prefer to take a controversial buy-out, despite protests in the past that the market value of their homes was much higher than the $8,000 offered by the city. Others said the offer to relocate to an apartment on the outskirts of the capital, though far from services, was better than living in the quagmire their neighborhood has become.
The “volunteer” exodus starkly differs from displacements under past city projects. In 2006, the government faced sharp criticism for its ejection of impoverished residents of neighborhoods on the Tonle Bassac, where police forced people from the area at gunpoint in the early morning as bulldozers leveled their homes.
Pen Bun Noeun’s uncle, who declined to be named, said the situation “only looks better” for people at Boeung Kak than those who were forced from developments like the communities of Sambok Chap, or Sparrow’s Nest, and nearby Kak Ampov, or Sugarcane Leavings, on the Tonle Bassac.
The authorities “didn’t force us to leave clumsily, didn’t surround us with fencing,” he said. “It looks better than there. They didn’t force us, but [we move] voluntarily. They haven’t mistreated us yet.”
The uncle had already been forced to remove his house as the flood waters rose, he said, calling this a “strategy” of the developers and the city.
“If we don’t go now, we will go later,” he said. “To go now is better. If we go last, we could be sent 20 or 30 kilometers from where we are to be moved to now. It would be damning.”
“They didn’t force us,” he said with sarcasm, “but we must go.”
The 133-hectare, $79 million development was undertaken by Shikaku under a 99-year lease with the city. Plans include the construction of businesses and homes, centers for trade, culture and tourism, and increased security. Residents have been loath to go, however, and staged a protest in September when Shikaku began filling in the lake.
The halt was only temporary, however, and shortly after Shukaku resumed filling the lake.
Ny Chakrya, chief of the monitoring section for the rights group Adhoc, said the displacement was similar to those along the Tonle Bassac, except residents here were being forced out by floodwater and not gunpoint.
“It is not a principle of volunteering,” he said. “Volunteer removal means a negotiation in which neither side was put under pressure of any kind. Once one side acted to put another side aside; with no choice, it becomes a non-voluntary agreement. If it was to be a voluntary agreement from the people, [authorities] should not have created an impact on the daily living conditions of the people.”
Resident Neth Sophana and her family said they were being forced to leave under a “volunteer principle” espoused by Phnom Penh authorities and Shukaku.
“It is right to say either: we volunteered or were forced, because the company dredged to flood us,” she said. “We must leave. How can we stay? Speaking frankly they’re driving us away.”
Mann Chhoeun, deputy governor of Phnom Penh, maintains that the more than 500 families who have now agreed to leave the area did so willingly and have thumb-printed documents attesting to that.
“It moving ahead now,” he said. “It looks good, and they have printed their thumbs on proper volunteer documents. They were not forced.”
Those who opted for an apartment at Borei Santepheap 2 would find a school and market at the new location, he said, and the government continued to negotiate with families still living around the lake.
“We will solve it step by step and avoid violence with people,” he said. “We will have a good result before long.”
Despite floodwater creeping into her house, forcing her to build small wooden walkways through the living room, resident Houth Srin said she would wait for a better offer. Borei Santepheap 2 was too far from services, she said, and the itchy feet caused by the dirty water was a small price to pay to hold out.
Meanwhile, she said, people who owned smaller houses were being separated from those with large houses by the city’s buyout plans. Those with small houses could take the money, but those with larger houses, like hers, would wait. That meant a unity of voice against the displacement was divided, she said.
“Owners of small houses didn’t go to protest,” she said. “Only residents in big houses.”
Others, like Reoun Sovannara, were ready to leave.
“We volunteered to go because we have no way to live here,” he said. “It’s flooded. They’ve dredged to flood us, so why should we stay?”
14 comments:
Over 20 years Cambodia ruled by the uneducated government (CPP) turned the country to the lawless country and the poorest country in the world.
Corruption every corners from the grand corruption to street level of corruption on the lives of the poor.
The rich and powerful people abuse and lands grabbing from the poor.
This happen to the poor Cambodians everyday lives.
To day the poor Cambodians starting eat rat meat to survive.
No body's cared! Stand for yourself! Fight for your children and your stinky life!
with this kind of attitude toward the poor why in hell are people still supporting the government? Just a little manipulation the Cambodians lost their track, no wonder yuon still fooling them.
The bitch Tep Vong looks like a corpse with lots of white powder (more like a man with a wig). And the gay Tep Vong looks like he's constipated. Are these Tep Vong working for the Red Cross?
Oh they are undercover, I see.
I believe those of you in this forum want be back to the pol pot regime and you never complaning a gain to khmer government.You know Cambodian people built their house anywhere anyplace without permit. Sometimes the house get fire the firetruck get not get throught to put the water on,because no where no place to get in.
Hey people.
Uneducated Gov. can only force their own people but not Thai.
They force people to vote for them. When they have power, they kick them out.
K. serey
6:10 AM
Look the yuon were slave to the Chinese for 1000 years. Fuck why the yuon are still bragging?
7:31 AM
You are too naive or you pretend to be smart.
Maybe you're just simply stupid.
4:27 AM, 6:10 AM
If you two assholes were to be in their shoes, I wonder if you'll do better?
So keep your big mouth shut if you don't have anything interesting to say.
If Hun Sen has friends like these two Tep Vong zombies, that's mean he not smart one bit.
8:50 yes sure other can do better if only you allow them to lay down their foundation without yuon threat or Thais. Your only option is Hun sen because your brain only work at that level. Remember that if Hun sen lose an election his yuon friends sure to bring back pol pol just to keep you sheep in check. It's work every time when they use the word Khmer rouge or pol pot, but ever wonder who are these pol pot anyway? Can't figure that out???
Are you fucking nuts, the yuon will not bring anything? The KR hate the yuon to the bone. There China and EU. You know why the yuon pullout their troops after 10 years, because of the embargo from the UK and the US. The yuon is only a small roach at the back stage. Cut the shit you and you siblings yuon (the 5M and 100000 troops). If you're that smart you would be an empire by now, but you still eating rats and dogs.
What do you think that nobody knows that the yuon is behind the CPP?
Spare us you little menace yellow dwarf.
10:13 AM
By the way is these two clown on the first photo is you parents?
Ah Yuon (10:13 AM), to give you a hint, do you really think that China the biggest donor and investor in Cambodia is wasting their money on Cambodia for the yuon to have the country? Still haven't figure that out?
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