Traffic comes to standstill at Prek Eng, about 7 kilometers from Phnom Penh
Area where new road ends and old road starts at Kien SvayBy Luke Hunt Voice of America
Kien Svay, Cambodia
05 May 2009
A group of Cambodian villagers are blocking construction of a 13-kilometer section of a new highway that will link Singapore to Hong Kong and beyond. The villagers demand better compensation for their land.
Five years ago, then United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan declared that the new Trans-Asia Highway would link 32 countries with 141,000 kilometers of all-weather roads.
The highway will end decades of overland isolation and significantly bolster cross-border trade in Asia. But here in Kien Svay, in southeastern Cambodian, villagers are refusing to give up their land and make way for a final missing link in the highway. They say they have been offered too little for their land.
Kim Lorn, a 72-year-old grandmother, says she was offered just $200 to walk away from her home and business of 26 years.
Many living in one home
Community meetings have turned into rowdy protests. Photo shop owner Kong Heng says the government refuses to take into account how many people are living under the same roof.
He says some people are upset when their houses are affected and they get little compensation because they have a lot of family members. He has three families living in his house so when if they get little compensation there is nothing they can do, and they are disappointed.
The villagers' defiance resonates across Cambodia, where land grabbing and forced evictions dominate headlines. Poor land records and a high level of official corruption have meant that over the past several years, tens of thousands of poor Cambodians have lost their land to developers building hotels, golf courses and other lucrative projects.
Project could take another year to finish
Cambodian officials say the protests mean that final link connecting the Malay Peninsula with Vietnam and China through Cambodia will not be completed on schedule by the end of this year.
They say nagging resettlement issues mean it will take at least another 12 months to finish.
Villagers here in Kien Svay hope this means vastly improved compensation packages in return for their homes.
Five years ago, then United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan declared that the new Trans-Asia Highway would link 32 countries with 141,000 kilometers of all-weather roads.
The highway will end decades of overland isolation and significantly bolster cross-border trade in Asia. But here in Kien Svay, in southeastern Cambodian, villagers are refusing to give up their land and make way for a final missing link in the highway. They say they have been offered too little for their land.
Kim Lorn, a 72-year-old grandmother, says she was offered just $200 to walk away from her home and business of 26 years.
Many living in one home
Community meetings have turned into rowdy protests. Photo shop owner Kong Heng says the government refuses to take into account how many people are living under the same roof.
He says some people are upset when their houses are affected and they get little compensation because they have a lot of family members. He has three families living in his house so when if they get little compensation there is nothing they can do, and they are disappointed.
The villagers' defiance resonates across Cambodia, where land grabbing and forced evictions dominate headlines. Poor land records and a high level of official corruption have meant that over the past several years, tens of thousands of poor Cambodians have lost their land to developers building hotels, golf courses and other lucrative projects.
Project could take another year to finish
Cambodian officials say the protests mean that final link connecting the Malay Peninsula with Vietnam and China through Cambodia will not be completed on schedule by the end of this year.
They say nagging resettlement issues mean it will take at least another 12 months to finish.
Villagers here in Kien Svay hope this means vastly improved compensation packages in return for their homes.
2 comments:
ខ្ញុំមិនស្អប់ ហ៊ុន សែន តែស្អប់អាមនុស្សដែលបញ្ចេញ
មតិសរសើរ ហ៊ុន សែន ។ បើមិនដឹងពិតប្រាកដបិទ
មាត់ទៅប្រសើរជាង ។ ខ្ញុំសូមប្រាប់បន្ដិចសូម្បីតែ
ប្រទេសផ្សេង ៗ គេនិយាយថា ហ៊ុន សែន ស្ទាត់
ជំនាញខ្លាំងណាស់អាខាងបិទបាំងអំពើរអាក្រក់របស់
ខ្លួនដល់ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋខ្មែរ ជាពិសេសអាមនុស្សល្ងង់
ខ្លៅដែលចូលចិត្ដបញ្ចេញមតិសរសើរ ហ៊ុន សែន ។
បើ ហ៊ុន សែន ល្អម៉ែន ចុះកាលដែលមកប្រជុំនៅ
ហ៊ួហ៊ិនប្រទេសថៃម៉ិចមិនចូលប្រជុំនិងគេស្ដីពីការ
សិទ្ធិមនុស្ស តែគ្មានអ្នកកាសែតរបស់ខ្មែរមួយណា
ហ៊ានរាយការណ៍ថា ហ៊ុន សែនមិនបានចូលប្រជុំ
តើវាជិះយន្ដហោះមកធ្វើអ្វី?
dear 11.47pm,
yes, i don't hate Hun Sen, I hate only crazy stupid heads who always too strong with Cambodians but too weak with other countries. I am condemning those people who fight, kill and shoot Cambodians!!!
Post a Comment