Tuesday, 28 December 2010
Cheang Sokha
The Phnom Penh Post
Prime Minister Hun Sen lashed out at unnamed environmental activists on Tuesday at the groundbreaking of a 338-megawatt hydropower dam in Koh Kong province.
Speaking at the site of the Stung Russey Chrum Krom dam, which will span the eponymous stream in Koh Kong’s Mondul Seima district, Hun Sen said environmental impacts were a natural consequence of economic progress.
“Is there any development that happens without an impact on the environment and natural resources? Please give us a proper answer,” Hun Sen said. The premier said society inevitably exacts a toll on the environment, making a bizarre allusion to proposed taxes on carbon emissions in other countries.
“Only the wind that we breathe comes without a fee, but in other countries, they have to pay,” he said. “Even with farts, there is a tax, and though they do not say the tax comes from farts, it is implied when they talk about the value of biodiversity.”
The dam is set to be completed by 2014 and is being constructed by China’s Huadian Corporation at an estimated cost of US$495 million, one of the largest foreign investments in Cambodia to date.
The government has granted Huadian a 38-year lease under a Build-Operate-Transfer agreement.
Um Serey Vuth, environmental team leader at local NGO Sawac, said his organisation conducted a preliminary environmental impact assessment on the project last year.
Because the area around the site is sparsely populated, he said the dam would have little impact on local livelihoods, though he noted that it would require some clearing of forest in the surrounding area.
In November, Cambodia and China inked a deal that will allow Huadian and another Chinese state-owned firm, China Guodian Corporation, to conduct feasibility studies for four proposed hydropower projects. The four include another dam in Koh Kong, two in Stung Treng province and the Sambor dam on the Mekong River in Kratie province.
A report commissioned by the Mekong River Commission earlier this year said more than one million fisheries-dependent Cambodians could be affected by dams on the Mekong, recommending a 10-year moratorium on construction pending further study.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY SAM RITH
13 comments:
of course, sometimes you have to give drastic example so people can understand, you know! now do you understand? it's psychology, you know!
Hun Sen, twin brother of Hugo Chavez. Say no more. Completely understand.
What's an idiot to make such an ignorant statement!
Why Hun Sen needs to build dam in Russey Chrum? Why not at the cross rivers in front of Royal Palace or Koh Pich? If the development is inavoidable impact on Environment.
AH KWACK HUN SEN I CAN SMELL YOUR FART COMING FROM MY COMPUTER! DAMN MUST BE THE THAT YOUN FART!
Agree with you 100% Hun Sen. Better move forward economically rather than move backward to save environment.
HAHAHAH.. Even though this guy is a dictator he have a sense of humor hahahahahhaha!! ahahahhahaa!!
He sounds very goofy PM.
4:08 AM
Hun Sen = Mr. 99 yreas = Youn every where in srok Khmer
Move forward by selling the country to youn for 99 years??? Youn take Khmer's land every where, don't you know?? You build dam for youn not for Khmer people.
Chheam Khmer
No you are not wast your time, SRP MP stand up against youn, that fine I undestand, and you may very knowledgible on politicale issue, yes I agreed, you may gentle and highly interlected people, I very please to hear from you that you love Khmer who stand against enemy. Since We all Khmer and allways, always want to see brighter future of Cambodia, PAD Thai theive they claim Hun sen tooke theire land, SRP you now Sam rainsy was cooporate with Thai,is it Right?, claim Hun sen give land to youn. is it provocative by SRP to help enermy Thai or Sam rainsy are Stupid, was Hun sen dare to give land to youn? and 14 millions Khmer stupid, or only SRP are smarter?. He who sold braind to foreign not Hun sen, but Sam rainsy. I frustreat too when I saw veit police in our territory, but why don't we base our judgement on both the JBC Var kimhong, and the SRP MP, I strongly beleived No one dare to give land to youn they will have no place to live if do so.
Regards
Hun Sen has been showing his ignorance and stupidity about invironment which he knows nothing about . His speech doesnt sound like a leader at all .
Ah sva teang 3 ning pak puok vea nho nhim pruos chit dol thngay 7 makara dael ning trov kob kbal puok vea hoey.
The 3 monkeys and their gang are smiling because it is close to the 7 Makara which will burry their head.
We are vietnam ,we will be a great vietnam soon, we already control laos and cambodia, we put our people and our agent every where in cambodia ,even in government and in CPP, we tie every thing ,in1979 we work hard ,we send our suicide commando to phnom pnh to catch samdat sihanouk ,before we push pol pot to the forrest ,we need him stay with us and support us ,but the china worker at phnom penh catch our commando and destroy them,but we still lucky ,because now samdat sihanouk come support us by himself ,now we have hun sen in our right hand and samdat sihanouk in our left hand ,we are strong enough ,we will be a great vietnam soon ,no body can against us.
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