Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Cambodia urged to halt Boeung Kak Lake forced evictions in Phnom Penh

Eight homes and businesses were demolished without warning last week (Photo: Nora Lindstrom)
Thousands of families have lived under threat of forced eviction since 2007 (Photo: Nora Lindstrom)

19 September 2011
Source: Amnesty International

The Cambodian authorities must stop a series of heavy-handed forced evictions in Phnom Penh which have seen thousands of families lose their homes, Amnesty International said today.

About a further 90 families living around Boeung Kak Lake in the centre of the capital are at imminent risk of forced eviction as development company Shukaku Inc clears the land for construction.

Eight homes and businesses were demolished without warning in village 22 on Friday by two excavators accompanied by around 100 armed riot police and security guards.

One Boeung Kak Lake resident and activist, Suong Sophorn was beaten unconscious by police with batons and a brick after he called for other residents to join hands to stop the destruction of more houses.

"The authorities must act to ensure that no further forced evictions are carried out in the Boeung Kak Lake area and that all the remaining families are treated fairly and equally" said Donna Guest, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific Deputy Director.


"They must also launch an investigation into the beating of Suong Sophorn and bring those police officers responsible to justice."

Only 779 out of some 4,000 families are still living in the Boeung Kak Lake area. The others were subjected to a campaign of threats and intimidation to accept inadequate compensation or resettlement to a site 20km away from their work and livelihoods.

On 11 August, the prime minister authorized 12.44 hectares of land within the Boeung Kak Lake development area to be handed over to the remaining 779 families for onsite housing in plots with legal ownership.

However, the Municipality of Phnom Penh (MPP) has excluded 96 families in villages which it claims do not live within the 12.44 hectares.

The families whose homes and businesses were destroyed on 16 September are among these 96 excluded households.

Families have lived under threat of forced eviction since February 2007 when the MPP granted a 99-year lease for the land to Shukaku Inc.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

តាមពិតទៅ ពលរដ្ឋដែលគាត់កំពុងមានបញ្ហា
នៅបឹងកក់នោះ គឺពួកគាត់មិនព្រមចាកចេញ
ដោយខ្លួនឯងទេតើ ។

ជ័យយោ រជ្ជកាលទី៤នៃសមេ្តចអគ្គមហាសេនាបតីតេជោ
ហ៊ុន សែន វរ្ម័នទី១! ជាទេវតាចាប់ជាតិ និង
ជាមេដឹកនាំដ៏ឆ្នើម សោយរាជ្យយូរជាងគេ នៃប្រវត្ដិសាស្ដ្រប្រទេសកម្ពុជា


បរាជ័យ! ពួកអាខ្មែរក្បត់ជាតិនៅក្នុងនិងក្រៅប្រទេស!

Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

Cambodia has over 14 millions people but New Zealand has only less than 5 millions look at the difference between the two goverment! And ask Why ? and Why not ?

"Christchurch earthquake:

government wants to demolish 5,000 homes
The New Zealand government has offered to buy thousands of the most badly quake-damaged houses in Christchurch so it can demolish them.

Announcing the buyout plan, John Key, the prime minister, said some land in the worst-hit areas was so unstable it would be impossible to rebuild on it "for many years".
The decision means land in the razed suburbs will effectively be abandoned in the city's rebuild.
Christchurch, the country's second biggest city, was devastated by major earthquakes in September 2010 and again in February this year, and continues to be rocked by strong aftershocks which are causing more damage.

Mr Key said engineers have divided the city, home to 350,000 people, into four zones.

The government will offer to buy all 5,000 properties in the worst affected areas, classed as red zone.
Householders who accept must assign their right to an insurance payout to the government in return.
He estimated the net cost to the government would be up to NZ$635 million (£323 million).

About 10,000 houses in an orange zone need further investigation, while a further 100,000 in a green zone can be rebuilt.
Properties yet to be assessed comprise a white zone.

The worst-hit suburbs are all in low-lying eastern areas of the city that suffered liquefaction, a process in which the ground turns to liquid during the shaking and leaves a quagmire of sludge.
As beleaguered residents, frustrated by months of waiting for the announcement, pored over online maps to see which zone their street was in, Mr Key pledged: "The government remains fully committed to rebuilding Christchurch."

He went on: "Since September last year, the government has been working to provide certainty for residents, while recognising many people have their life savings tied up in their homes."
The prime minister said the move was "the next step in the government's ongoing work to give the people of greater Christchurch a clearer picture of what their future holds".

The cost of rebuilding Christchurch has been estimated at NZ$15 billion (£7.6 billion) or more."

Anonymous said...

I would like to congratulated my colleagues CPP for their great effort. Boeung Kak Lake residents are now being evacuated beyond this point. Thus, we're going to replaced this plot of hactres with new skyscrapers, malls, boardwalk and park. Please accept our apologied that this situation had been solved.

Anonymous said...

6:49 AM

Ah Chkuot, Ah Doctor Lob, Ah Cheam Yab.
Shut your mouth hole.

Anonymous said...

To Beung Kak lake residents and all Khmers,

If somebody tries to help you such as Suong Sophorn and got beaten by the brainless polices, you don't stand still and watch. You must do with whatever you can to stop these brainless polices. When you fiercely fight back, these stupid polices will think twice before they initiate violence again next time. The same perception should apply to the expansionist YiekCongs too.

You got to believe these animals (polices) are afraid of dying like you too.

Stop standing still, stop crying and stop begging people to help you. Everything has price, and it costs something to get it. The helper like our hero Suong Sophorn has only one life to live like you too. Don't let him die in vain. We need collective efforts to successfully defend our right.

Stop acting chicken Khmer people !!

Anonymous said...

ទោះជាបោះឆ្នោតឱយគណបក្សប្រឆាំងណាមួយក៏វាមិនឈ្នៈអាខ្វាក់កញ្ជៈយួនដែរ! ចុៈបើដឹងថាបោះវាមិនឈ្នៈហើយនោះ! ម៉េចក៏ចេះតែបបួលពលរដ្ឋខ្មែរដែលលោកពុំសូវបានទទួលនូវពត៌មាននិងគ្មានឱកាសគិតពិចារណាថាត្រូវគួតែធ្វើយ៉ាងណានោះ។ ដើម្បីរំដោះស្រុកខ្មែរយើងបានគឺមានតែពលរដ្ឋខ្មែរទូទាំងប្រទេសត្រូវហ៊ានប្រើសិទ្ធរបស់យើងជាម្ចាស់ទឹកម្ចាស់ដី ងើបឡើងធ្វើការបៈបោរពេញទាំងប្រទេសដេញទម្លាក់ពួកអាក្បត់ឱយចេញពីអំណាច មធ្យោបាយឈ្នៈមួយនេះប្រទេសក្នុងពិភពលោកមួយចំនួនបានធ្វើជាគំរូ