http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHLiWcTZFJE
Can progress and justice co-exist in Cambodia, a country where development leaves a trail of destruction?
29 Jun 2012
101 East
Al Jazeera
For years, Cambodia's Boeung Kak Lake has been the centre of a David-and-Goliath battle between its residents and the government. Thousands of residents have been forcibly evicted; their homes destroyed for nominal compensation in the name of developing prime real estate in the capital, Phnom Penh.
Locals have cried foul since authorities awarded a 99-year lease to Shukaku Inc - owned by Senator Lao Meng Khin - in 2007 to develop the area, which is home to some 4,000 families. Over the years, villagers who resisted eviction were harassed by security forces and even thugs, often resulting in violent clashes. Those who accepted relocation found themselves in remote areas lacking basic amenities.
The remaining residents witnessed bulldozers turn their neighbourhood into a construction site, as the once scenic lake was filled to make space for a high-end residential and commercial area.
In August 2011, the World Bank halted funding for Cambodia in reaction to the conflict. Under pressure, Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered 12.44 hectares of Boeung Kak to be allocated to the remaining families, who were to receive land titles. By then, fewer than 800 families were left.
But there is a sting in the tail - 94 families among them are ineligible for the titles due to the unclear borders of the segmented area. To muddy the waters, Senator Lao's name appears more than 20 times in a list of title applicants.
The community says corrupt officials are trying to make money from land allocated to them. It remains united to fight for those who have been excluded from the list.
101 East reporter Chan Tau Chou covered the issue in 2008 when the lake housed a bustling community. He returns to see the remaining people of Boeung Kak face their stiffest challenge yet - to keep their homes as authorities crack down even more violently on protests.
In a country where the trail of development leaves behind a trail of destruction, Boeung Kak turns out to be just the tip of the iceberg. Can development and justice co-exist in Cambodia?
15 comments:
Dear Chan Thou Chao, I really appreciate your video. Great work! Just one question and suggestion. I think the song is a Thai song. Not a Khmer song. Why should a story of Khmer destruction goes with a Thai song instead?
Indeed!I will be to fuck a world such!The good weather will be come back for me..!
Excellent report by the journalist and Al Jazeera. Please do more reports on Cambodia and help publicise the struggle of Cambodian people for democracy and justice.
Thanks
You need to stop say Boeung Kak Lake in all your writing, Boeung & Kak is the same.
shut the fuck up! motherfucker Phay Si Phan if hun shit khmer rouge gangs did that to your motherfucker family what do you do? stop talking about the law ,your laws is my pusst motherfucker get it?
10 Thousand Khmer can't find Senator Lao Meng Khin?? There your answer. step Khmer people kill that senator.
AH HUN SEN AH KBOT CHEAT PERIOD!
give me a break, nothing can be compare to the stupid KR rule, you know! of course, cambodia is much better nowadays, but it still has a lot more work to do, though; something to be proud of in cambodia today; however it is expect to be better still, i think. just don't start relaxing now, ok. life must go on and work must continue, really. so wake up and get smart and wise about it all, ok!
during time of conflict or war, it is the small children and women were the most at risk and most vulnerable, i think. i cried when i see small children being helpless and suffer. god bless all the little children in cambodia and everywhere else, too.
Phay siphan never pay attention to your comment in KI-MEDIA. He will never comes in here. Phay siphan couldn't find a job that makes him rich so quick in USA, that's why he left USA to bark for HUN SEN. High educated khmer who advocate HUN SEN never stay in the democratic countries, WHY? Because they're corrupted.
YES of course, nothing can be compared to the KR, you know! But listen to me and listen good Miss LOP, only people that much better this day is you who are high ranks can suck from the poor to enrich yourself. You shit people deserve to die in POL POT REGIME, you should not stay a live to continue to sow your germs in khmer society again.. again! I know khmer people are dumb becuz of they're humble, so that's why they're still struggling to survive by their own nature. Only people i see that much better are ethnic group of chin and youn, WHY? becuz they're genuis, so that's why cambodia GOVT. taking good cares of them and leave the dumb native khmer to struggle by their own, despite these khmer have a good education or not... NO money to bribe..no work.. no position for them in the GOVT. OFFICIAL.
A Phay Siphan is useless in America,
he only knows how to bark, that's why he left. He just want easy money-
I felt sorry for him as a Cambodian, that has no brain to fight the Viet.
maybe he doesn't give a shit about Cambodia or his dame wife is Vietcong
. Anyway, he sound ignorant when he talks. No wonder he can works with dumb ass CPP Party.
The Vietnamese invaders fooled you Cambodian people through this couple This couple are old and they are not going to live 99 more years.
The two (husband and wife) whoever they are, they are old and they may die tomorrow or next months or 4-5 years or so.
These people may be Vietanmese in Cambodian dresses. I don't care they are Shukaku or Shoesmakers, they are Vietnamese and leasing the land of Cambodia for 99 years may be a way of making a city or cities for Viet invaders to come and live in Cambodia permanently that is all.
Think about it. leasing for 99 years for this old couple? Where did they get all cash if Vietnam did not give it to them?
ឈាមត្រូវសងដោយឈាម ពួកអាហ៊ុនសែន និងឆ្កែបំរើរបស់វា ត្រូវតែងាប់នៅពេលខាងមុខដ៏ឆាប់នេះ ។
Chan Thou Chao is at his best standing for the weak of Cambodia. He poses reality questions to that government parrot and spineless Phay Siphan and the only things that came out from that sh*tty Phay Siphan was "Well this and well that". Phay SiSh*t also wants the people to "lodge their complains with the court", but Chan Thou Chao simply says after 6 years of suffering at the hand of the court the court is still not for or of the people.
We need more outsiders like Chan Thou Chao to stand up against the human vultures and bullies of Cambodia.
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