Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh
Hun Sen’s decision “appears to be a positive development, and we hope that it will lead to a good outcome for the residents of Boeung Kak.”
Thousands of Boeung Kak lake residents who have been fighting a protracted battle with Phnom Penh and a development company have seen their fortunes reversed and have been granted a small plot of land on which to resettle.
Prime Minister Hun Sen signed a subdecree Aug. 11, giving 1,000 families still living near the lake approximately 12 hectares of land on the planned 133-hectare development site.
The order came just days after the World Bank said it would withhold funding to Cambodia if a resolution over the dispute were not found.
World Bank officials, lake residents and rights monitors all welcomed the decision, which prevented thousands from being evicted from land they had fought to keep.
Annette Dixon, the World Bank’s Cambodia country director, said in an email that Hun Sen’s decision “appears to be a positive development, and we hope that it will lead to a good outcome for the residents of Boeung Kak.”
The Center on Housing Rights and Evictions said the order was the beginning of the end of a five-year battle, “all but ending fears of evictions for the remaining residents.”
Residents had continually appealed to the city and national government, to no avail, often clashing with police or authorities in violent protests but stubbornly remaining on land they said they were entitled to hold under Cambodian land policies.
They had refused buyout or resettlement offers from the developer, Shukaku, Inc., which began filling the lake with sand in 2008, flooding the neighborhood with overflow.
Tep Vanny, a representative of the residents, said they were “proud” of their struggle, and were happy with Hun Sen’s “win-win strategy.”
But not everyone was convinced the new order would mean security.
Keh Chan Reksmey, 31, said she was still afraid rich or powerful people would be able to take her land through forgery or fraud.
Another resident, Pov Sophear, 36, said she wanted Hun Sen, the World Bank, donors and NGOs to monitor the land handover, to ensure it was fair and transparent.
Sia Phearum, secretariat director of the Housing Rights Task Force, a rights group, urged local authorities to “implement this sub-decree with care and respect.”
The lake residents have provided a “good model for other communities,” he said. “And our society can now make developments without tears and blood.”
2 comments:
Hi Everyone,
One of KI-Media member who has his name in Facebook as Khmer Sovannaphumi but his real name is Pang Sokhoeun, former political asylum and now living in Sweden. He always copies news from here to post in his facebook profile to promote himself, but right now, he tries to remove and blocked anyone who dares to reveal his con activity particular he tries to hide what he has cheated his wife (Sreypov Chea) by having a girlfriend (Sokunthear Sam) behind his wife back. Now, his girlfriend had run way from him after she knew his cheating.
A con man Pang Sokhoeun as well as KI-Media like to insult to the government officers who have affairs, but himself does even worse than other people. What a shame!
When one person had posted in KI-Media and accused that a con man Pang Sokhoeun is a brother of Som Ek (former Chief of Tiger's head sign guerilla, who was arrested and put in prison by Cambodian government) during that time, a cheater Pang Sokhoeun came to deny in his blogs immediately and had pointed the blame to Mr. Sourn Serey Rotha, but this time, he has bury his head in the sand because he cannot deny the truth that he has cheated his wife. Right now, all he can do is removed and blocked anyone who dared to reveal his cheating.
ស្តាយមិនគួមានមនុស្សជម្ងឺខួរក្បាលហើយមិនទៅព្រែកត្នោត ! បែជាមក comment តែអារឿងត្រឹមចង្កេះចុះក្រោម អត់មើលអត្ថបទគេសរសេរពីអី ! អូភ្លេចអាចំគួតមួយហ្នឹងត្រូវបានមីស្រីអារ៉ាត់អារាយបំរ៉ុងយកទៅស្រុកខ្មែរឆាប់ៗហើយ ! ព្រោះវាត្រូវទៅដេកមើលខួរក្បាលឆ្គួតៗ របស់វា ហិ ហិ អាប្រុសចេះត្រឹមធ្វើរឿងត្រឹមចង្កេះចុះក្រោម !!!! ពិជាពូជន៏អាអត់កំណើតមែន !!
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