The land on which Dey Krahorm stood was bought by a property developer
Housing rights workers said the eviction was unnecessarily violentSaturday, 24 January 2009
By Guy De Launey
BBC News, Phnom Penh
Police have been overseeing the eviction of hundreds of people from a slum community in the centre of the in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh.
Residents of Dey Krahorm, who have been fighting eviction for the best part of three years, say they have a legal right to the land.
But the local authorities signed it over to a property developer.
It is the latest in a series of evictions, which have accompanied a dramatic increase in land values.
Dawn operation
As the bulldozers moved into Dey Krahorm at dawn on Saturday, residents had little chance of resisting.
Hundreds of military and civilian police accompanied workers from the property developer which bought the land from the city.
At first, they would not allow journalists or human rights workers to observe the eviction, and forcibly removed those who had made it through the barricades.
Dey Krahorm had been the heart of Cambodia's artistic community. Traditional musicians and dancers held classes there in an effort to pass on their skills to the younger generation.
Their instruments could be seen among the rubble, along with the other belongings of the former residents.
'Excessive force'
Housing rights workers criticised the way the eviction was carried out, saying it was unnecessarily violent.
"They cannot stand again because of the excessive use of force, of tear gas. A few of my colleagues got hurt more than me," said Yeng Virak of the Community Legal Education Centre (CLEC).
The evicted residents will be taken to land on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.
The local authorities and the developers say they will find better living conditions there, with running water, electricity, health centres and schools.
Phnom Penh's deputy governor, Mann Chhoeun, insists the city has been generous to the people of Dey Krahorm.
But the residents say the negotiations had not finished and that they have not received fair compensation for their land.
They add that moving outside the city centre will stop them from earning a living.
The demise of Dey Krahorm will also cause concern among several other communities threatened with eviction.
Residents of Dey Krahorm, who have been fighting eviction for the best part of three years, say they have a legal right to the land.
But the local authorities signed it over to a property developer.
It is the latest in a series of evictions, which have accompanied a dramatic increase in land values.
Dawn operation
As the bulldozers moved into Dey Krahorm at dawn on Saturday, residents had little chance of resisting.
Hundreds of military and civilian police accompanied workers from the property developer which bought the land from the city.
At first, they would not allow journalists or human rights workers to observe the eviction, and forcibly removed those who had made it through the barricades.
Dey Krahorm had been the heart of Cambodia's artistic community. Traditional musicians and dancers held classes there in an effort to pass on their skills to the younger generation.
Their instruments could be seen among the rubble, along with the other belongings of the former residents.
'Excessive force'
Housing rights workers criticised the way the eviction was carried out, saying it was unnecessarily violent.
"They cannot stand again because of the excessive use of force, of tear gas. A few of my colleagues got hurt more than me," said Yeng Virak of the Community Legal Education Centre (CLEC).
The evicted residents will be taken to land on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.
The local authorities and the developers say they will find better living conditions there, with running water, electricity, health centres and schools.
Phnom Penh's deputy governor, Mann Chhoeun, insists the city has been generous to the people of Dey Krahorm.
But the residents say the negotiations had not finished and that they have not received fair compensation for their land.
They add that moving outside the city centre will stop them from earning a living.
The demise of Dey Krahorm will also cause concern among several other communities threatened with eviction.
18 comments:
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"War ends only when people love each other." -Buddha.
Yeah, after we got rid of Ah Evil-oversea from our holy soil.
Hun Sen and ah Hor, ah Chea, Heng:
In the 70's -- they buried Khmers in mass graves, the evidence speaks for itself. What Hun Sen and his cronism has been doing to present time is burrying political dissident and anyone who dare to stand up to him a few at a time! The evidence has spoken for itself.
THE PEOPLE OF CAMBODIA KNEW THAT HUN SEN IS A RUDELESS M.I.L.F, AND YET KHMERS VOTED FOR HIM. THEN, I SAY THE KHMERS DESERVED TO LIVE UNDER THE OPPRESSIVE REGIME, RATHER THAN VOTING FOR CHANGE.
CAMBODIA IS FAR FROM "holy soil". It the poorest country in Asia and human rights abuse is sporadic. It was 168th out of 175 countries rated.
HUN SEN IS CREATING A DIFFERENT MASS GRAVE FOR HIMSELF. HUN SEN WILL BE REMEMBER IN THE HISTORY BOOK AS THE REGIME THAT TURN CAMBODIA INTO A DESERT, COERSIVELY FORCE KHMERS TO BE HOMELESS, PUTTING KHMERLAND FOR SALE FOR OWN GAIN, MONOPOLIZED THE COUNTRY FOR FAMILIAL CONTROL, MASTER OF MANIPULATIVE, AND ETC.
Only heartless persons can do this sort of things to another person. These corrupt officials who connive with the 7NG company should be stripped off their power and jailed along with the 7NG owners.
Just your party and your people make hesdach of khmer government.
Only Ah evil-oversea will allowed evil to stop Cambodia from developing and cause millions to suffer.
These corrupt officials are criminals who should be thrown in jails. If they need lands for developments then the dwellers/owners must be compensated adequately and fully.
Pouk Ah Scam Rainxy should be round up and incarcerated for stealing State's lands.
9:36 PM you are a bunrany cunt licker .. I hate to respone to your comment , but you are too stupid and sick .. you need help .
9:36 PM, you mean Dey Krahorm is belong to Ah Scam Rainxy who had been stolen from the state. So, what about the residents who had settled there? Or coz of they're on Ah Scam Rainxy side?
But I saw your mother and your grandma live in there, too. And you eagerly want them to be evicted.
Oh! I see. You're on Ah Hun Sex side. I can say, "What's a great dog! bite everything even his parents to persuade the boss to get a bone!!
That's a honesty dog. sacrifices his life for the boss. What's a Fucking great dog are you!!!
Come on guys, don't respond to ah ploe oversea who use the word "Ah Scam Rainxy". Don't you know 9:36PM is a Scam, and he's scamming Hun Sen.
9:36PM, Hun Sen will bury you alive for scamming the Kingdom of Kapuchea.
common, $20,000 per family to relocate is enough! they must not be so greedy to want more; that' why gov't now took this decisive action. they are being compensated, maybe not the amount they were asking for, but $20,000 per family is enough already! it's gov't land in the first place. remember back during the 1960s there was no squatters in this area; that was proof of gov't land, they must go something else!
Slums and Rat's nest must be eliminated in order to attract businesses and create jobs for Khmer people.
Lesson learned: Never vote for Ah Scam Rainxy.
7NG can make better use of the land. It is better then maintaining a slump in heart of the city.
Cambodians killing Cambodians. *Sigh. Fcukin' developers & gov.
Somebody PLEASE kill all of CAMBODIA'S DICTATORS!!!
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