Vietnamese boat sellers in Pursat province (Photo: Ouk Savborey, RFA)21 October 2009
By Ouk Savborey
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the article in Khmer
On 20 October, more than 200 Cambodian fishermen showed up at the Kampot provincial office to demand that the authority stop illegal Vietnamese fishing boats that came in large number into the Cambodian sea waters. The presence of these Vietnamese boats disrupts and affects the livelihood of Cambodian fishermen.
El Nget, a representative of the fishermen who were protesting in front of the Kampot provincial office, claimed: “The Viets came to drag [fish] in shallow water, the same area that our people are living in currently. It’s difficult to make a living, we can’t find fish.”
Prom Dul Kraim, a fisherman from Daun Toak village, Treuy Koh commune, said that his group does not own rice field land, and it only depends on fishing. If the Vietnamese fishing boats are allowed to come in freely, his group will lose its livelihood and nobody will have the money to pay more than 400,000 riels ($100) [in fishing license fee] to the state coffer.
Prom Dul Karim said: “They come to take away our job, they brought in large dragging boats inside our Cambodian territories. Our Cambodian people cannot earn a living, everything went down.”
El Soeu indicated that he couldn’t catch fish, however, the Vietnamese boats equipped with modern equipments use nets to comb out all the baby fishes, crabs, shrimps, snails. Furthermore, the Cambodian fishery department did not raid these illegal Vietnamese boats that violated the Cambodian sea waters, but they only came to ask money from the Cambodian fishermen instead, telling the Cambodian fishermen to pay 430,000 riels (~$110) per year.
El Soeu indicated: “Now, it’s time to pay the fishery department. Each year, we have to pay 430,000 riels. But, with the large amount of fishing [from the Vietnamese boats], I couldn’t catch anything. Where do I find the money to pay [the fishery department]?”
Ung Set, another fisherman, said: “We have to pay 430,000 riels to the fishery department every year. We cannot earn the money.”
After the fishermen gathered in front of the Kampot provincial office, three of their representatives were called in for negotiation. Man No, one of the three representatives, claimed that the provincial authority and the fishery department, as well as the police department promise to raid these illegal Viet boats that catch fish inside Cambodian waters and affect the livelihood of the Cambodian people.
RFA attempted to meet with Mr. Sor Sarin, the chief of the Kampot fishery department, and Mr. Khuoy Khun Huor, the Kampot provincial governor, and his deputy to obtain a clarification on their [promised] intervention help as the Cambodian fishermen requested, but all of them declined to comment.
Mrs. Try Chhoon, the official of a human rights group in Kampot province, declared that the fishermen have protested for several years already about the illegal fishing conducted by the Viet boats inside Cambodian waters, but the authority and the fishery department seems to be afraid that problems could arise and they all act as if they never saw these illegal Viet fishing boats.
The protesting fishermen revealed that this is not their first time protesting. They have protested many times already, but nothing came out of them.
The protesters warned that if this time, the authority does not take action to raid these Viet boats that came to destroy Cambodia’s fishery with their modern equipments, they will go to Phnom Penh to protest in front of the National Assembly to seek for a resolution.
El Nget, a representative of the fishermen who were protesting in front of the Kampot provincial office, claimed: “The Viets came to drag [fish] in shallow water, the same area that our people are living in currently. It’s difficult to make a living, we can’t find fish.”
Prom Dul Kraim, a fisherman from Daun Toak village, Treuy Koh commune, said that his group does not own rice field land, and it only depends on fishing. If the Vietnamese fishing boats are allowed to come in freely, his group will lose its livelihood and nobody will have the money to pay more than 400,000 riels ($100) [in fishing license fee] to the state coffer.
Prom Dul Karim said: “They come to take away our job, they brought in large dragging boats inside our Cambodian territories. Our Cambodian people cannot earn a living, everything went down.”
El Soeu indicated that he couldn’t catch fish, however, the Vietnamese boats equipped with modern equipments use nets to comb out all the baby fishes, crabs, shrimps, snails. Furthermore, the Cambodian fishery department did not raid these illegal Vietnamese boats that violated the Cambodian sea waters, but they only came to ask money from the Cambodian fishermen instead, telling the Cambodian fishermen to pay 430,000 riels (~$110) per year.
El Soeu indicated: “Now, it’s time to pay the fishery department. Each year, we have to pay 430,000 riels. But, with the large amount of fishing [from the Vietnamese boats], I couldn’t catch anything. Where do I find the money to pay [the fishery department]?”
Ung Set, another fisherman, said: “We have to pay 430,000 riels to the fishery department every year. We cannot earn the money.”
After the fishermen gathered in front of the Kampot provincial office, three of their representatives were called in for negotiation. Man No, one of the three representatives, claimed that the provincial authority and the fishery department, as well as the police department promise to raid these illegal Viet boats that catch fish inside Cambodian waters and affect the livelihood of the Cambodian people.
RFA attempted to meet with Mr. Sor Sarin, the chief of the Kampot fishery department, and Mr. Khuoy Khun Huor, the Kampot provincial governor, and his deputy to obtain a clarification on their [promised] intervention help as the Cambodian fishermen requested, but all of them declined to comment.
Mrs. Try Chhoon, the official of a human rights group in Kampot province, declared that the fishermen have protested for several years already about the illegal fishing conducted by the Viet boats inside Cambodian waters, but the authority and the fishery department seems to be afraid that problems could arise and they all act as if they never saw these illegal Viet fishing boats.
The protesting fishermen revealed that this is not their first time protesting. They have protested many times already, but nothing came out of them.
The protesters warned that if this time, the authority does not take action to raid these Viet boats that came to destroy Cambodia’s fishery with their modern equipments, they will go to Phnom Penh to protest in front of the National Assembly to seek for a resolution.
10 comments:
omg. $100 fishing license fee?
Cambodians must organize in groups of militia against the viets fishing in our water. Violence is sometimes necessary. Do not count on Hun Sen to help you.
Camobdia will have no Khmer living in the futuer.everywhere alot of vitnamese living. and Hun Sen never or ever care about this problem. when talk about vitnamese Hun Sen never answer.
Khmers have the right to defend their land and interests. If these Viets were told many many times before to stop fishing but continue to do then it gives us the right for affirmative action i.e. forceful eviction of Vietnamese.
Keep in mind that the Vietnamese Government of Hanoi supports this disruption of Khmer livelihood.
The problem at the Thai boarder has sparked great nationalism, we can also incorporate the Vietnamese problem and create a higher sense of nationalism that will surely bring trouble to Hun Sen and the Vietnamese. This is a good chance to voice our concern of not only the Thai aggression but the Vietnamese aggression. Now is a good chance to kill two birds with one nationalist stone.
The thai know that if youn are getting deep controll of cambodia, the thai will be next!
I hate how the Youn talk. Everytime they speak it's like they are on crack cocaine. Dick mai dick mai dick dick dick dick mai. Those stupid hats are also retarded looking. They have no culture. The Vietnamese traditional clothing is what the Chinese wears. Some Vietnamese girls only look good because they part or full ethnic Khmer Krom. Full blooded Vietnamese girls are ugly just like full blooded Thai.
Violence is definitely necessary when the government also uses violence to silence us. Hun Sen was never our official leader. He seized power illegally. I have never accepted him as my leader. He's lucky this is Cambodia and not those middle eastern countries, where car bombs explode frequently. The Cpp government is good at one thing. They like to use threats to keep us in check. Threats like lawsuit and harassment proven to be very effective.
Gangster only act tough in groups and scared when all alone. The only way to beat the government is to divide and conquer them. Create tension between the members of the ruling party, and let them fight amongst themselves.
pouch ah kantop, both; endless mass political sacked and savage robbing… Kmean dkei srok ros nov chiit pouch chaor , pouch prei, more that khmer have no real defend system to protect from these barbaric
hey viet bitches, this is cambodia, ok, you must assimilate or else go back to where you came from, ok. khmer people are not that fond of ugly looking viet bitch like this one on a canoe inside cambodia, ok! get rid of that ugly straw hat and wear khmer krama, instead. i hate youn bitches!
Looks at all of these Viet-Whore fishing inside khmer waters...?
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