Monday, July 04, 2011

Boeung Kak Lake Protesters Look to US for Help

Boeung Kak Lake protesters (Photo: CEN)
Monday, 04 July 2011
Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh
“We want the Cambodian government to offer what we need in order to prevent conflict.”
Lake residents protesting over a Phnom Penh development delivered a letter to the US Embassy on Monday, asking for support in their ongoing dispute with the city and a development company.

The Boeung Kak villagers are asking the city to grant them a portion of land on the development site, rather than take buyouts and be removed to a resettlement site outside the city.

Fifteen representatives of 100 lake area residents thumb-printed the letter, addressed to US Ambassador Carol Rodley, requesting urgent intervention in their imminent eviction.


Developer Shukaku, Inc., has residential and commercial plans covering 133 hectares over Beoung Kak lake, which it has been filling in with earth dredged from the Tonle Sap river.

Residents say they are not happy with buyout or resettlement offers and have instead proposed they be given a corner of the development for their own homes instead.

Tep Vanny, a representative of the villagers, told reporters Monday they now had “no choice” but to appeal to the US, “a democratic country that has donated a lot to Cambodia.”

“We’ve tried to find a solution from all relevant authorities, but we never get a response,” said Sous Nary, a 44-year-old resident of the area. “We want the Cambodian government to offer what we need in order to prevent conflict.”

Villagers have staged a number of demonstrations in front of City Hall, often clashing with police as a result.

Embassy officials were not immediately available to comment Monday, which is a US holiday. City officials declined to comment.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

ក្នុងនាមខ្ញុំបាទជាកូនខ្មែរម្នាក់ សូមធ្វើការអំពាវនាវដល់រដ្ឋាភិបាលសហរដ្ឋអាមេរិកនិងរដ្ឋាភិបាលនៃប្រទេសមហារអំណាចសេរីដ៏ទៃទៀត
ក្នុងពិភពលោក សូមមេត្តាជួយធ្វើអន្តរាគមន៍និងជួយរកយុត្តិធម៌ឱយពលរដ្ឋខ្មែរយើងខ្ញុំផង។ ពីព្រោះអីយើងទាំងអស់គ្នាអត់មានសង្ឃឹមទៅលើពពួកក្រុមរដ្ឋាភិបាលអាយ៉ងកញ្ជៈយួននៅភ្នំពេញបច្ចុ
ប្បន្នថានឹងមានឆន្ទៈមកជួយដោះស្រាយបញ្ហារយើងទេ។ សូមមេត្តាជួយខ្មែរផង! បើពុំនោះទេយួននឹងប្រើនូវគ្រប់ឧបាយកលសម្លាប់ខ្មែរអស់ហើយ។

Anonymous said...

The protesters should turn to China or Vietnam for help since both countries are the one who have more influences over Hun Sen and his regime while America has none of that.

Anonymous said...

ហ៊ុន សែន, ស៊ី ហនុ និងបរិវារ អារដ្ឋាភិបាលកញ្ជៈយួនហាណូយនិងពួកអាក្រពើរយួន ត្រូវតែវិនាសឱយអស់ពីទឹកដីខ្មែរជាដាច់ខាត! ព្រោះខ្មែរមិនត្រូវការពួកអាចោរលក់ជាតិពួកអស់ឯងទេ។ ខ្មែរត្រូវតែមានអ្នកដឹកនាំជាតិមួយពិតប្រាកដហើយខ្មែរត្រូវការរំដោះប្រទេសខ្មែរឱយរួចពីក្រញាំដៃរបស់យួនហាណូយជាដាច់ខាត!

Anonymous said...

DEAR BEUNG KAK RESIDENTS,

PLEASE DO NOT HOLD THE PORTRAIT OF THE PRIME MINISTER HUN SEN. THIS MAN IS BEHIND THE SOUKAKU COMPANY.

YOU CAN CALL FOR HELP FROM EUROPEAN UNION AND FROM THE UNITED STATED OF AMERICA. I HOPE IT WILL WORK IN SOME WAY.

THE ONLY CALL THAT CAN BE SUCCESSFUL IS THE CALL TO ALL CAMBODIANS TO VOTE TO BRING HUN SEN DOWN FROM POWER. THIS MAN IS COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED FROM THE REALITY IN CAMBODIA.

Anonymous said...

To 1:37 AM,
you have quite right, we don't how many Million USD that Hun Sen get from this company. Those money will land in the swiss Bank already.

Anonymous said...

Where is the People Power? Use it or loose it.

Anonymous said...

that's fair! the US can help with establishing the social services agency in cambodia. yes, cambodia needs to have social services or human services agency.

Anonymous said...

កុំជេរស្ដាច់ម៍ណា!!!ប្រយ័ត្តបាបណា!!!ស្ដាច់ម៍វាគ្មានបញ្ញាញាណ ពួកវាធ្វើអ្វី​ៗក៍ដើម្បីក្ដិតដែរ ចាស់ជិតចូលរណ្ដៅទៅហើយវាមិនទាន់បាត់ឃ្លានទៀតនៅពេលវាជិតដាច់ខ្យល់វានឹកឃើញតែក្ដួយ ចិនយួនប៉ុណ្ណោះព្រោះមួយជីវិតនេះវាបានលះច្រើនណាស់ដើម្បីក្ដិតដូចជាៈកាត់ដីអោយយួនលក់សម្បត្តិធម្មជាតិអោយចិននិងយួន សម្លាប់ប្រជាជនខ្មែរមិន
ថា ស្លូតឬកាច ចាស់ឬក្មេង ព្រះសង្ឃឬគ្រហស្ថ
សូម្បីតែព្រះរូបបដិមាករក៍វាកំទេចចោលដែរ
សរុបប្រជាពលរដ្ឋដែលបានស្លាប់ដោយសារអាស្ដាច់ម៍ផ្លេយ៍បយមួយក្បាល់នេះអស់បីលាននាក់
ជាង សព្វថ្ងៃនេះថ្វីត្បិតតែវាចាស់ជរាក៍ពិតមែន
ប៉ុន្តែវាមានជិវិតដល់សព្វថ្ងៃនេះក៍ដោយសារទឹកក្ដិតចិន យួនប៉ុណ្ណោះ វាធ្វើអីលែងកើតហើយ បានត្រឹមដេកលិទនំអាកោរចិន ទាំងផ្អូមនិងជូរ...

Anonymous said...

The leader (s) should begin distributing Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama posters (or pictures)for the protest.