Lake Developers Want ‘Safety’ [-Is terrorism the new catchword to evict people from their homes?]

By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh
15 April 2008

The fear of terrorism and the ineffective control of foreign tourists, as well as internal migrants, are all driving the development of the Boeung Kak lake area, officials said recently.

The Cambodian government hopes to bring modern development to the area, to prevent chaotic settlement in the capital, officials said.

“We need to strengthen the security issue and develop modernization construction in Boeung Kak for easily monitoring security,” Phnom Penh Deputy Governor Pa Socheathvong told VOA Khmer. “There are many complicated security problems for those coming in and those going out, without good security control.”

Phnom Penh has leased the land to developer Shukaku, Inc., in a $79 million deal, but residents say they are not being paid a fair price to leave the lake homes.

“We knew terrorists have easily hidden in there, like CFF and JI terrorist leader Hambali,” he said, referring the Cambodian Freedom fighters and the leader of the Southeast Asian group Jemaah Islamiyah. “If we cannot properly control this area, it will create a security problem for Phnom Penh in the future.”

Members of the CFF came from the area to attack government forces in Phnom Penh in November 2000, and Riduan Isamuddin, better known as Hambali, reportedly stayed in the area prior to his arrest in Bangkok in 2003, following the 2002 Bali bombings carried out by JI.

Critics say city government and developers are neglecting the interests of Boeung Kak villagers as they move to clear the area of the makeshift homes jutting over the lake.

“Safety and people’s living are very important issues, but Boeung Kak development must provide for the very important interests of Boeung Kak villagers, or the people’s interest will be lost,” said Keo Remy, vice president of the Human Rights Party, which is competing in July’s general elections.

Be Pharum, Boeung Kak villager, said residents supported development.

“But we request that the government find a proper resolution for Boeung Kak villagers, to avoid the suffering with the development like people in Sambok Chap, Koh Pich…in Phnom Penh.”

Phan Sithan, coordinator of NGO Forum on Cambodia, acknowledged that the area was important for security.

“But the people’s living is also an important part of development,” he said.

The government must “seriously consider” the relationship between security and people’s livelihoods, he said.

Residents, City at Impasse Over Lake Land

By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
01 April 2008

[Editor's note: In the weeks leading into national polls, VOA Khmer will explore a wide number of election issues. The "Election Issues 2008" series will air stories on Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by a related "Hello VOA" guest on Thursday. This is the first in a two-part series examining the development of Phnom Penh's Boeung Kak lake.]

On a recent evening, small groups of residents of the Boeung Kak lake area sat chatting, as the still, stagnant water stirred below their makeshift wooden homes. A slight stench rose from the lake, as looks of concerns crossed the brows of several in one group.

They were worried, they said, about losing their land and their homes without proper compensation from the government in a municipal development deal that will affect thousands of people.

Var Ieng Leang, a 56-year-old with grey hair, was one of them.

"Frankly, I suffer from worry and disappointment," she told VOA Khmer. "I cannot sleep well, or eat well, because I think of the land price for the development. I don't know what the government has calculated about the price of our land, with the market land price or not."

Var Ieng Leang, with many others, would like to see the government compensate her $1,500 per square meter, the market price for land in the capital now.

She is holding out for the money, at odds with the municipal government, which is offering a fixed price for homes in the area.

The municipal government is leasing the land to development company Shukaku, Inc., for 99 years, at $0.60 per square meter per year, according to a copy of the lease agreement obtained by VOA Khmer. That's about $798,000 per year for 133 hectares, for a total lease of about $79 million.

The agreement is to develop the lake area into a center of trade, culture, tourism, residence and entertainment, including strong security and a high measure of safety, according to the lease agreement.

The government has issued three choices for residents of this shabby neighborhood: stay in place once the development is finished; move into a residence on the outskirts of the city; or receive monetary compensation for leaving.

It is the third option that has many residents vexed.

The fixed price of land is far below market price, they say.

The development will affect more than a thousand homes jutting over the water of the lake over 103 hectares and another thousand perched on shore over 30 hectares.

There are 4,252 families living around the lake. Many of these residents support the development, but they say they have not had clear communication from city officials over compensation and other options.

"If the government pays the government-regulated price to us, it is not right," said Leang Eng, 45, told VOA Khmer, "because it will destroy the government's policy of poverty reduction."

Phnom Penh Deputy Governor Pa Socheatvong told VOA Khmer that the market price is not acceptable to the city.

"But we must find the middle way to solve this problem, because Boeung Kak belongs to the government," he said. "However, we respect the people's right to live, and the development will not cause people's development to be lost."

Soeng Bunna, director of the Bunna Realty Group, said the market price for legal land in Phnom Penh is between $800 to $2,500 per square meter and is especially high in residential areas near the water.

A 2007 report by the NGO Forum on Cambodia said that even if all of the $79 million is used to compensate the families, each family would only receive an average of $18,588, or about $400 per square meter, well below the current market price.

It is not clear how the government will pay that much to the families on top of investing in infrastructure. For now, the development site is quiet, but residents say they worry that after the elections, forced evictions will occur.

Chinese company buy into business deal in Cambodia with $1 mln worth of equipment, no words on under the table donations

Governor of China's Yunnan Province Qin Guangrong (L) attends the signing ceremony of the donation agreement, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, April 7, 2007. According to the agreement, China's Yunnan province will donate fax machines, computers, printers and generators worthing altogether one million US dollars to Cambodian government. (Xinhua/Xia Lin)

PHNOM PENH, April 7 (Xinhua) -- China's Yunnan province expanded economic cooperation with Cambodia in the fields ranging from real estate to hydropower plant and electricity transmission network as a batch of agreements were signed here on Saturday.

An enterprise from Yunnan province here on Friday signed two agreements with a Cambodian Company to co-develop two real estate projects in Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville.

Officials from the Yunnan Southeast-Asia Economy and Technology Investment Industrial and the Cambodia's Shukaku Company signed the agreements in presence of Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An and Governor of China's Yunnan Province Qin Guangrong, who is leading a delegation to visit Cambodia from April 5 to 9.

Under the agreements, the two sides will cooperate to develop the Boeng Kak Lake area in Phnom Penh into a multi-purpose living and recreation center called the New City of East, and establish an eco-garden in Sihanoukville for tourism and other commercial uses.

The signing ceremony was held on the sidelines of the one-day China (Yunnan) - Cambodia Investment and Trade Fair, which attracted some 400 participants from both governments and business arenas to seek cooperation.

The above projects will be implemented as Yunnan plans to intensify its cooperation with Cambodian partners in the fields of agriculture, transport, hydropower, investment, trade, forestry, tourism and mining, said Qin Guangrong while addressing the fair.

Meanwhile, Chinese companies from Yunnan province here on Saturday launched two power projects in Cambodia, the Stung Atay hydropower plant and a set of electricity transmission network.

Sok An and Qin Guangrong unveiled the foundation stones of the two projects during a ceremony held in Phnom Penh.

China Yunnan Corporation for International Techno-Economic Cooperation and Yunnan Southeast-Asia Economy and Technology Investment Industrial Co., LTD. undertake the construction and development of both projects, a press release said, adding that the Cambodian government adopts BOT pattern (build, operate and transfer) for the projects.

On the sideline of the unveiling-ceremony, the two Chinese companies and the Cambodian government also signed a memorandum of understanding for co-constructing Stung Roessei Hydropower Plant in Koh Kong province.

Earlier on Saturday, Qin Guangrong and Sok An hosted the signing ceremony of an agreement for the Yunnan provincial government to donate altogether 1 million U.S. dollars worth of fax machines, computers, printers and generators to the Cambodian government in the coming months.

A press release said that the bilateral trade between Yunnan and Cambodia stood at 3.51 million U.S. dollars in 2006.

By the end of 2006, the two sides have signed over 20 economic and trade agreements worth of 40.39 million U.S. dollars, it added.

CPP Tycoon-Senator Lao Meng Khin finds a Chinese partner to develop Boeng Kak area

April 06, 2007
Chinese enterprise to develop real estate projects in Cambodia

An enterprise from China's Yunnan province in Phnom Penh on Friday signed two agreements with its Cambodian partner to co-develop two real estate projects in Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville.

Yin Tengyun and Lau Ming Kan, respectively on behalf of Yunnan Southeast-Asia Economy and Technology Investment Industrials and Cambodia's Shukaku Company, signed these agreements in presence of Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An, Cambodian Minister of Commerce Cham Prasidh, Governor of China's Yunnan Province Qin Guangrong, and Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Zhang Jinfeng.

The signing ceremony was held on the sidelines of the one-day China (Yunnan) - Cambodia Investment and Trade Fair, which attracted some 400 participants from both governments and business arenas to seek cooperation.

Under the agreements, the two sides will cooperate to develop the Boeng Kak Lake area in Phnom Penh into a multi-purpose living and recreation center called the New City of East, and establish an eco-garden in Sihanoukville for tourism and other commercial uses.

Details of these agreements were not disclosed.

The above projects will be implemented as Yunnan plans to intensify its cooperation with Cambodian partners in the fields of agriculture, transport, hydropower, investment, trade, forestry, tourism and mining, said Qin Guangrong while addressing the fair.

A press release said that the bilateral trade between Yunnan and Cambodia stood at 3.51 million U.S. dollars in 2006.

By the end of 2006, the two sides have signed over 20 economic and trade agreements worth of 40.39 million U.S. dollars, it added.

Source: Xinhua

Negotiations on Boeng Kak land dispute failed

03 April 2007
By Sok Serey
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

Negotiations between the representatives of the Boeng Kak lake residents – who are assisted by SRP MP Son Chhay and Ho Vann – with the deputy governor of the municipality of Phnom Penh on Tuesday morning, ended up in failure again as the Phnom Penh municipality refused to cancel its agreement with the Shukaku Inc company, unlike what the residents demanded.

Officials of the municipality claimed that the development agreement in Boeng Kak will not lead to eviction of people to outside the city as had happened in the past.

The negotiations were conducted at the Phnom Penh municipality on Tuesday morning between Pa Socheatvong, the deputy governor, and the representatives of the Boeng Kak residents. SRP MP Son Chhay and Ho Vann also participated in the negotiations, however reporters were prevented from following the negotiations.

After the negotiations, MP Son Chhay told reporters that: “The city and the prime minister guarantee that people will not be force-evicted like what had happened in the Sambok Chap case, they will remain in Boeng Kak but they will be re-accommodated. The prime minister said that if there is no housing provided to the residents, there will be no development. They claimed that studies are currently being initiated.”

One municipality official explained that the government plans to develop the Boeng Kak area, but that SRP MPs are trying to obtain political advantage from the situation. He declined to provide further comment.

Boeng Kak residents who waited to hear news about the negotiations, expressed their disappointments on the lack of results, causing them to worry about their living safety still.

Sinat, a 56-year-old woman, reacted by saying: “Nowadays, I cannot sleep, I cannot eat because I am worried about land issues in Boeng Kak. Whether we are resettled there or a land exchange will take place, please do it fairly for me and I will accept it.”

Sok Khea, a 41-year-old woman, said: “I am asking the municipality of Phnom Penh who wants to develop the Boeng Kak area, to compensate me for my land. I demand $1,200 per square meter, but this is not a fixed price, it can be negotiated.”

The 133-hectare area of Boeng Kak lake which houses more than 4,000 families is currently under dispute following the secret deal to lease the area by the municipality of Phnom Penh to the Shukaku Inc company belonging to CPP Tycoon-Senator Lao Meng Khin. The duration of the lease is 99-year long, and no prior consultation with current residents has been made by the municipality. The residents have since protested this decision made by the municipality.

Son Chhay handed over Boeng Kak residents petition to Phnom Penh city hall

Security force prevented Boeng Kak lake residents to enter the City Hall yesterday. Residents are talking with reporters in front of the City Hall (Photo: Sralanh Khmer newspaper)

Thursday, March 29, 2007
By Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

SRP MPs Son Chhay and Ho Vann handed over a petition bearing the thumbprints of Boeng Kak lake residents who are opposed to the development of the Boeng Kak area. The petition was handed to the attention of Kep Chuktema, the Phnom Penh governor, so that the city rethink over its agreement to lease the Boeng Kak lake area to a private company for a duration of 99-year. On Wednesday morning, the two SRP MPs led about 60 Boeng Kak lake residents who represent the 4,252 families, to deliver a thumbprinted petition to governor Kep Chuktema. However, the latter did not come out to the meet the representatives of the residents, claiming that he was too busy with the commune election. He gave an appointment for the residents to return back on 03 April.

Petition to demand the cancellation of the Boeng Kak concession

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

By Sarah Oliveira
Cambodge Soir
Translated from French by Luc Sâr

Click here to read Cambodge Soir’s original article in French

SRP MPs want to hand over to the Phnom Penh municipality, a petition by Boeng Kak lake residents who are contesting the legality of the concession granted for this area to a private company.

Son Chhay and Ho Vann, the SRP MPs from Phnom Penh, announced yesterday in a communiqué that they will show up today at 9:00 AM at the Phnom Penh municipality, along with several dozens of Boeng Kak residents in order to hand over a petition to the authorities. The MPs collected close to 400 thumbprints from the lake residents who are contesting the legality of the concession of the zone, last 06 Feb, to the Shukaku Inc private company for a duration of 99-year. Those who sign the petition wish to see the cancellation of this concession and they ask the municipality to provide them the ownership certificates for the current property of their homes.

Over the phone, Son Chhay reiterated that the SRP plans to pull itself out of the National Authority for the Resolution of Land Disputes (NARLD) if the Boeng Kak concession issue is not resolved in an acceptable manner.

On the other hand, the municipality said yesterday that it didn’t know whether it will receive the opposition MPs or not. Pa Socheatvong, the city vice-governor, said: “We are currently busy with providing security during the election campaign. We are willing to meet with the SRP MPs, but not until 02 or 03 April, after the commune election. We are not close to discussing the Boeng Kak case yet.” According to Pa Socheatvong, the SRP is trying to make a political statement in order to want to hand over the petition to the municipality right in the middle of the election campaign.

Ousted Lake Residents Step-Up Pressure on City Hall

Thida Win
VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh
28/03/2007

A group of displaced residents has increased pressure on City Hall to at least meet with them to address their ouster from a lake district in the capital.

The Beung Kak Lake residents have said they will protest outside City Hall until officials grant them an audience to explain why they were evicted from their homes in favor of development and to find a way they might move back.

But city officials say they are too busy until after commune elections.

"City Hall is busy in the commune elections and postponed the meeting until April 3," Phnom Penh Governor Kep Chutema said.

He accused Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Son Chhay of inciting the people for political gain, a charge Son Chhay denied.

"We want the City Hall to meet directly with the people and discuss things," he said. "Is there any means to solving the Beung Kak development issue? City Hall and the people should work closely together and agree before any agreement can proceed."

More and more development in Cambodia has meant the displacement of many families, often times far from jobs, school or even potable water.

Son Chhay denies SRP receive $300,000 bribe

26 March 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Son Chhay, a MP from the opposition SRP, denies the information published by a local newspaper on 22 March, stating that the Sam Rainsy party received a bribe of $300,000 from the businessman who is investing in the Boeng Kak area, in exchange for the SRP to keep the residents of Boeng Kak from demonstrating against the Phnom Penh city authority. Son Chhay who is a MP in Phnom Penh city, considers this information as false and lacks decency. In a speech given during a campaign for the commune election, Son Chhay said that he plans on leading the Boeng Kak residents to demonstrate against the Phnom Penh municipality in front of the city hall at the same time the election campaign is being conducted. Son Chhay said: “If we really receive the $300,000, we would not lead you in this protest at all.”

Boeng Kak: In place housing is far from answering the residents' need

The municipality promised that new housings will be built for the residents (Photo: PS, Cambodge Soir)

Thursday, March 22, 2007

By Sarah Oliveira
Cambodge Soir
Unofficial Translation from French by Tola Ek

Click here to read Cambodge Soir’s original article in French

In spite of a reassuring statement issued by the Phnom Penh municipality, the residents of Boeng Kak are still worried about the investment project planned for this area, and the uncertainties they will face for in place housing.

In the affair of the controversial development project for the Boeng Kak site, the statement issued by the Phnom Penh municipality on 14 March, which highlighted the positive aspects of this transaction, did not reassure the residents. The NGOs still remain on the alert. While the 99-year land concession of the area to the Sukaku Inc company was immediately denounced by the NGOs when it was first announced, the affair is now delegated to the background during the election campaign which is now in full swing.

“No relocation,” according to the municipality

The municipality denies any plan to evict the families currently living in this area, it indicated in its statement “that no relocation” was mentioned in the contract and that the company will “build in place housing for the residents.”

“In fact, the contract does not stipulate any eviction but compensations,” Chhit Vichea, a lawyer for the Community Legal Education Center (CLEC), noted. “Nevertheless, we don’t have much more details,” he added. An anonymous Boeng Kak resident is voicing his concerns. He learnt last week through a document handed to him by a clerk from the city hall that his district will be turned into a tourist and commercial center. “I bought a plot here in 1993, and I built a two-story guesthouse. The municipality claims that housing will be built for us. But, if my family is relocated to the third floor, how can I earn a living? Maybe, they will build small apartments for us, and they will keep the vast lands for themselves,” he said with much doubt.

Keeping his anonymity, an old man noted that Asians not speaking Khmer, “maybe Chinese, Korean, or Japanese” came to visit the area yesterday morning to establish roads, and to count the number of houses. “If the municipality or a company tells us that my family can stay, we will stay. If they tell us to leave, we will leave. Protesting will not do anything because we will never be able to make them change their plans,” the man said. His neighbors share his resignation since they don’t have ownership titles. They bought their small plot of land from others who settled there at the end of the Khmer rouge regime, when people were able to return back to Phnom Penh.

Guarantees for compensations

Ou Vireak, the spokesman for the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR), said that he is pleased that the municipality published its statement, but he stressed that it is not sufficient. “The residents must receive a fair compensation, but there is no such guarantee for them until now,” he added. “During recent land disputes, we noted that this was never the case, and we fear that the same thing will happen again.”

Eng Chhay Eang, SRP MP and also vice-president of the National Authority for the Resolution of Land Disputes (NARLD), recalls that his party recently wrote to the government on this affair, but that it has not yet received any reply. He declared that if the government does not void this contract, or if it does not resolve the housing problem for the 4,000 families involved, in an acceptable manner, the SRP could pull itself out the NARLD.

Boeng Kak Lake: Pa Socheatvong says the residents have no right to prevail in this case as the lands belong to the state

MPs Son Chhay and Sok Soty waiting outside Phnom Penh city hall to talk to governor Kep Chuktema (L). Son Chhay talk to reporters and Boeng Kak lake residents after his meeting with Pa Socheatvong (R). (Phtoto: Sralanh Khmer newspaper)

Monday, March 12, 2007
Three SRP MPs ask the Phnom Penh municipality for explanations on the Boeng Kak land concession

By Nhim Sophal
Cambodge Soir
Translated from French Tola Ek

Son Chhay, Sok Soty and Ho Van visited the Phnom Penh city hall to ask for clarifications on the situation of the Boeng Kak area where a land concession was granted to a private company, and this will lead to the eviction of 4,000 families.

Three Phnom Penh SRP MPs visited the Phnom Penh city hall where they were received by Pa Scoheatvong, the deputy-governor, in the absence of governor Kep Chuktema who is traveling abroad. Son Chhay, Sok Soty and Ho Van planned to ask for clarifications on the Boeng Kak Lake case, where 133-hectare of land concession was granted to a private company, and will cause the eviction of 4,000 families. A dozen of Boeng Kak residents accompanied the three MPs but they were not refused entry to the city hall.

After one hour of discussion, Son Chhay talked to the news media, indicating that he took this initiative because “of the failure to receive any response from the municipality following the two letters, dated 27 Feb and 05 March, he sent to the municipality.” Son Chhay reported that the vice-governor promised to provide a written response today,. According to Son Chhay, the municipality claimed that “the delay in providing the response was because it had to consult with the Ministry of interior, which oversees the municipality.”

Son Chhay and his SRP colleagues demand that the municipality make available to the public its conclusions on the advantages the city will benefit from this concession granted to the Shukaku Inc company. They also demanded that a study be performed to evaluate the impact of this decision on the residents and on the environment, in particular regarding the filling of the lake. The MPs also want a debate on the amount of compensation to be paid the residents. Son Chhay said that this affair is one among the string of recent land conflicts, similar to the Sambok Chap case where “the residents had to give up their lands to an investor, before being carted out of the city like animals.”

Finally, the SRP MPs are wondering about the legality of this transaction, and they want to know whether a bidding process was performed according to the rules. For now, according to the three MPs, vice-governor Pa Socheatvong told them that the lands involved belong to the state which is free to dispose of it as it sees fit. Pa Socheatvong said that the residents have no right to prevail in this case.

SRP Could pull out from the National Authority for the Resolution of Land Disputes

Close to 20,000 people are affected by the hand over of the Boeng Kak Lake zone to a private company (Photo: PS, Cambodge Soir)

Friday, March 9, 2007

By Kong Sothanarith
Cambodge Soir
Translated from French by Tola Ek

The SRP is considering the possibility of pulling itself out of the National Authority for the Resolution of Land Disputes (NARLD) if the “government chases out Boeng Kak Lake residents,” Sam Rainsy, to whom the Boeng Kak lake affair is emblematic, said on Thursday.

While the prime minister just receives the mandate from the CPP central committee to resolve land disputes, in particular those involving CPP party members, the SRP is considering the possibility of pulling itself out of the NARLD. “If the government chases out Boeng Kak lake residents, or if it continues to grab lands belonging to the citizens to give them to businessmen, and if it does not take into consideration our propositions for a better distribution of lands, then for sure we will pull ourselves out of the NARLD,” Sam Rainsy said on Thursday.

Since the announce was made on 06 Feb to hand over the Boeng Kak Lake zone to a private company, the SRP lent its support to the residents of the area. On Friday, SRP MP Son Chhay plans to lead a delegation of the lake residents in an attempt to meet with Phnom Penh governor Kep Chuktema, from whom the residents want to obtain explanations on this transaction affecting 4,200 families, i.e. close to 20,000 residents. For the opposition, this affair is emblematic. “It is not normal that they throw out so many people at once,” Sam Rainsy noted.

The NARLD, which was represented by all political parties seated at the National Assembly, was formed under the premise that it will be a new form of establishing dialogue between all concerned parties to resolve fundamental land issues in the country.

Three weeks away from the commune election, this consensual approach has failed. By designating Hun Sen as its chief in the “war” against land-grabbers, the CPP wants to show that it considers land disputes as one of its priorities and that it would not hesitate to clean up within its own rank and file. The SRP sees this as nothing more than an election campaign maneuver. “It is not to look for scapegoats. There are thousands of people who grabbed lands belonging to the poor. To resolve land disputes in a systematic way, we must fight against corruption,” Sam Rainsy explained.

SRP Son Chhay to lead Boeng Kak Lake residents in a sit-in demonstration against Phnom Penh municipality; NRP to demonstrate on 14 March

SRP to Challenge City Hall as NRP Set to Protest Courts

Reaksmey Heng
VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh
08/03/2007

A Sam Rainsy Party official said Thursday residents displaced by recent development in Phnom Penh will gather to demonstrate in front of City Hall Friday, while members of the Norodom Ranariddh party said they had set a date to protest the municipal court.

Displaced residents want municipal authorities to disclose development plans that have pushed 4,000 families out of their homes around Beng Kak Lake in the capital, SRP parliamentarian Son Chhay said.

They will hold a sit-in demonstration that will continue until the city's leaders agree to see them, he said.

"It is important to see the government being accountable for its action," he said. "This is a way to remind local officials to accept parliamentarians' roles and to cooperate on their country's problems as common affairs."

Not every displaced person would demonstrate, he said, but representatives would be there of their own volition.

An increasing number of being are being displaced, separated from running water, schools and other basic necessities, as Cambodia develops. Phnom Penh has seen a high number of displacements in recent years.

As Son Chhay was readying for his demonstration, members of the Norodom Ranariddh Party said they had set a date for a demonstration at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court.

The court is scheduled to hold a case against the party's president, Prince Norodom Ranariddh, on March 13 in charges stemming from the sale of the headquarters of his old party, Funcinpec.

Party spokesman Muth Chantha said the party plans to hold a demonstration on March 14.

Party members from 24 cities and provinces, meanwhile, have signed a petition asking the prince, who is not in the country, to stay away from the proceedings, party secretary-general Nhek Bun Chhay said.

Officials from Phnom Penh and the Ministry of Interior did not respond to requests for interviews.

Tourism deal criticised by human rights groups

02/03/2007
Radio Australia
Australian Broadcasting Corporation

A human rights group says a deal between the Cambodian government and a development company is riddled with deceit and corruption. The deal involves forcibly evicting thousands of town dwellers from prime real estate in Phnom Penh.

Presenter - Steve Holland,
Speaker - Pa Nguon Teang, executive director, Cambodian Centre for Human Rights; Bou Saroeun, World Bank Cambodia

HOLLAND: The Beong Kak lake area is a bustling tourism precinct in the heart of Phnom Penh.

It's also home to more than 4,000 low-income families.

However, a recent contract means thousands of villagers must leave their homes to make way for development as Cambodia steps up its efforts to boost its tourism industry.

The Executive Director of the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights, Pa Nguon Teang, says sinister motives are behind the deal.

TEANG: We suspect that the corruption is a motive behind the funding.

HOLLAND: The agreement was reached between the Governor of Phnom Penh Kep Chuk Tema and the Soka Ko In Company.

Under the deal the company has been awarded a 99-year lease of the Beoung Kok site, covering an area of 133 hectares.

The area is planned to be developed as a commercial, cultural and tourism centre.

Pa Nguon Teang says the government gave residents little warning of the development.

TEANG: The government didn't give any clear information to the public and there is no transparency of the signing of the contract and no information about the project.

HOLLAND: He says a string of social problems will follow as a result of the development.

TEANG: We worry about the violation of the rights of people. If the people will be evicted and a lot of problem that will have to be faced. For example, their children will lose access to school.

HOLLAND: The deal allows the company to develop the large body of water in Beong Kak - it's one of seven natural lakes in Phnom Penh which are said to be crucial to city's drainage.

Pa Nguon Teang warns the proposed development also presents environmental threats which could impact on the entire city.

TEANG: If the government allows the company to fill up the lake and that's a problem for the people in the capital as a whole.

HOLLAND: The Governor of Phnom Penh, Kep Chuk Tema, was unavailable for comment. However, in a statement obtained by Radio Australia, the governor's office said.

GOVERNOR: The Governor on behalf of Phnom Penh residents expresses his profound thanks to Prime Minister Hun Sen, who provides the possibility for the City Hall to reach the investment agreement. The municipality of Phnom Penh will work together with the company to turn the Beong Kak site into a nice centre in central Phnom Penh.

HOLLAND: Creating incentives to lure more tourists features high on the government's agenda.

And Bou Saroeun from the World Bank's Cambodian office, says the tourism industry is vital to Cambodia's economy.

SAROEUN: The tourist sector is Cambodia's second most important foreign exchange earner. Cambodia saw a 20 per cent growth in international tourists arrival in 2006, which is
1.7 million international tourists arrive Cambodia in 2006. And the tourist industry is crucial for the Cambodian economy.

HOLLAND: It's not the first time Phnom Penh residents have faced the prospect of relocation to make way for development.

But it's believed the planned development of the Beong Kak area will result in the greatest displacement of Cambodians since 1989.

And, as Cambodia's economy continues to strengthen, many feel it will be poor who pay the price for the country's new-found wealth.

Cambodian lake development could displace thousands

27/02/2007
Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Human rights groups say the planned development of Phnom Penh's Boueng Kak lake area could displace large numbers of local people.

A lease agreement signed earlier this month by the city municipality gives a private firm the rights to develop the vast lake.

The Housing Rights Task Force, a coalition of some 20 housing rights organisations, says more than 4,000 families could be displaced.

It says the deal was negotiated in secret and failed to consult tens of thousands of people who will be directly affected.