When the rich tear down the mountain to build fences it’s legal, but when the poor look for firewood, they are sent to jail: Pro-CPP media

Major land grading operation is taking place inside the Kep mountain national park (Photo: Neay Keb, Koh Santepheap)

Tuesday 31 August 2010
By Koh Ekareach
Koh Santepheap (Pro-CPP mouthpiece media)
Translated from Khmer by Soy

Kep province – The Kep mountain national park is currently being razed down to build fences at a large scale and this action starts from the top of the mountain and along the foothill of the mountain. It is not known which department authorized this grading for building lots and turning this national park into a private property like this? This problem does not just affect this mountain national park, it also affects several other mountains as well where land grading for building lots are also taking place. A few years ago, the Kep police force made a confiscation once already, they took away numerous fence posts and brought them over to the police station. At that time, there were protests made by environmental officials [against such grading operation], but in 2010, the land owner, who boasted that he is an Oknha (rich tycoon), now has the right to bring in machinery to raze down the mountain without any worry, and there is no authority to prevent this operation either.

Regarding this mass land grading of the national mountain park, Rao Sokha, the director of the land development and construction for Kep province, commented that the construction in the mountain areas is legal. On the other hand, Panha Rith, the director of the Kep national parks, told us rudely over the phone: “All reporters who want to ask any questions about the Kep national park, must send in their questions in advance”, then he would forward them to his bosses first to decide whether an interview is warranted or not because he is afraid of providing information contradicting the orders from his bosses. Therefore, he cannot speak or reply to the reporters.

Mom Sitha, the Kep city police commissioner, told Koh Santepheap that an extremely poor woman with young children was recently arrested by the Kep national park officials. She was accused of sneaking in to the national park to look for firewood. Currently, this woman is jailed in the Kampot province prison already and the authority is also looking to arrest 5 other people because they were looking for firewood for their cooking needs.

Regarding this sordid affair, the national park officials would not provide any clarification because they are under self-gag order and they cannot provide any information. Furthermore, about the arrest of poor people, they would not provide any information about the cause of the arrest either. Critics indicated that when the rich raze down the national park mountain to make building lots, no officials would stop them, but when poor people came in to look for firewood, the officials hit them hard with the law by arresting them and sending to jail.

Siem Reap, Village Chief collect names of SRP voters

08 April 2007
By Uon Chhin
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

SRP officials and people living in Kauk Daung Chas village, Kauk Daung commune, Angkor Chum district, Siem Reap province, said that the names of a number of villagers were collected by the village chief and the village group chief. These people were questioned and sneered at because they voted for the Sam Rainsy Party.

Ms. Chheng Say, the first candidate on the SRP commune list for Kauk Daung commune, reacted to the action taken by the village chief and the village group chief by saying: “The election has ended already, there’s upheaval here, they (CPP village chief and village group chief) sneered at very poor people during the distribution of food, [they said:] ‘you are poor, when you vote for them (SRP), what will they help you?’ They threatened people, when I heard about a number of these comments, I replied that I (as a SRP candidate) did not give out help to ease any family or individual, because I did not occupy my position yet, I don’t have anything like all of you.”

Another woman told RFA about her questioning: “They (CPP village chief) said that you support this party (SRP) for what? I told them that I didn’t receive anything, it’s a poor party. They said that if this party is poor, why do you support it, if they (SRP) don’t give you money?”

Another woman reported the same problem she encountered also: “They (CPP village chief) said that villages which support the Sam Rainsy Party will not be allowed to participate with them [during the food distribution], they gave us a hard time, they told us all kind of things. It made me mad, I went to apply for my membership with SRP. The CPP insult people a lot.”

Tuon Uon, the Kauk Daung commune chief said that he heard from others about the distribution of gifts [by the CPP] following the election: “No, I did not know about it, because my mandate had ended, I did not do anything. But I heard from others, I did not do any research about this issue as the election was already completed, whoever they vote for, let it be, I am not going to review [anybody’s vote], for me, my mandate as commune chief is already over.”

Kul Panha, Comfrel executive director, said that this action is a serious violation which requires the immediate intervention from the Commune Election Committee (CEC) and the local police: “For the functioning of a free and fair election, following the outcome of the election for a political party, even though we know who support this or that party, these people should not be threatened, otherwise it will create fear during the election in Cambodia, it will create a bad atmosphere before and after the election, it will create a bad situation for our country.”

Villagers who are worried about their situation, are calling for all organizations involved to intervene to help protect them.