Cambodian Conservati​on Areas For Sale

"A COUNTRY FOR SALE: I MEAN ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING IS FOR SALE! Buy the Prime Minister and get his wife for HALF OFF... Buy his son and get his daughter free..." -- Heard on the street of Phnom Penh

April 29, 2011
Op-Ed by Heng Heng

Destruction of Khmer Nation Continue..............

"Conservation Areas See Bonanza of Concessions" Cambodia Daily, April 29, 2011

Anything for sale in Cambodia, and it has always been quite a trend over the last two decades or so. Cambodia has been selling away its precious lands to Vietnam, a major investor of all times, at such a rapid rate that now even conservation areas are not spared from this quick-money-making process. More rain forest will be cleared as a result for rubber plantation and/or other similar projects. This is all done under the leadership of corrupted mind and soul like Monsieur Rannaridh and Hun Sen. Unfortunately, people continue to turn away blindly at their nation's on-going destruction of natural resources, land, lakes and everything constitute Khmer Nation. For Hun Sen and his associates there are just too many creative ways to pocket millions of dollars, of tea or social money so the Cambodian government preferred to call it. There aren't any transparencies to any transactions or where exactly the money go to? So, the looting of our nation continues unabated.

Whatever the issues are, whether it is land concessions, forced evictions, human rights violation, social or economic there is always a card that Hun Sen can play to distract all the attention from it all and that is to firing shot across the border with Thailand. It should not come as a surprise to anyone to learn that the last instigation of conflict, firing first, was initiated by the Cambodian side given there were enough domestic issues on the table for Hun Sen to deal with. Thailand did respond in kind and Mr. Hun Sen has to back off not without leaving many lives in shatter at the present. Having said that, Mr. Hun Sen did get his objective accomplished an that is to get people and the international community re-focusing back on the issue of Preah Vihear with Thailand. It is a diversion tactic/strategy which has a powerful affect in getting the populous behind the issue while in the process allowing Hun Sen and his ministers to continue selling out Cambodia. While refugees are being once again displaced, the deals and the destruction of Cambodia continues. Isn't it time for a meaningful change of leadership in Cambodia? It's long over due and as long as Hun Sen and his associates are in charge, your country will continue to operate on this destructive economic policy "Cambodia for Sale". Who is the major buyer, you bet, Vietnam. Vietnam will probably buy us out before the end of this decade, the nice part about it all, they have already taken plenty of lands without paying much, not to mention our lakes and sea areas. Go around Tonle Sap and see how many Khmer villages remain in the hand of Khmers. What about Tonle Bati, Takeo? A lot of free stuff since 1979, folks. Khmer people need to be aware that this damaging process can not continue un-checked because it has a devastating affect for eternity, their livelihood, their children for eternity. It needs to be reversed and it needs to be reversed quickly. Next time people go to the pole, they should vote for change.

I was wondering also what will be left after the selling of our National Parks? Hun Sen and his men are very creative in their scheme of things, and I won't be surprise they have already figured out what to do it next, so long they get your kind supports. Let's hope that your land or villages will not be next on his hit list as remote areas are most affected so far. Should anyone care? I hope you do because this so-called development process, land evictions, concessions, are not about to end any time soon. On the contrary, it has picked up speed and it could be heading your way in due course. So, do look out for that freight train, people.

Viet companies continue to destroy Prey Lang

Prey Lang destruction is going unabated as shown on this 13 March 2011 photo (Photo: Uon Chhin, RFA)

14 March 2011
By Tin Zakariya
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Soy
Click here to read the article in Khmer

The demands made by people living in the Prey Lang forest community, asking Vietnamese companies to stop their forest destruction activities, have not met with any result up to now.

One SRP MP from Kampong Thom province indicated on 13 March that he will take the complaints from people living in the Prey Lang forest in 4 provinces to give to the president of the National Assembly and to Hun Xen at the beginning of next week. The complaints ask for intervention to stop the Viet companies from destroying Prey Lang forest as such destruction affects the livelihood of the people.

Men Sothavrin, an opposition MP from Kampong Thom, indicated that, as a representative of the people and as a citizen, he plans to send a complaint to the president of the National Assembly and to the prime minister because there is no resolution to the problem caused by the Viet companies which are still destroying the Prey Lang forest. The Viet companies’ activities affect the livelihood of the people: “It destroys the environment, it destroys Prey lang. I will write to the prime minister, only him can resolve this problem.”

Hun Xen tried to divert attention from land concessions to Vietnam by attacking Thailand: Thai Gen. Charan Kullavanijaya

Charan: All border disputes stem from conflicts of interest

Why history has made border demarcation efforts so difficult

9/02/2011
Bangkok Post

"Hun Sen has come under fire from his critics over his decision to grant long-term concessions over the use of land in the northeast of Cambodia bordering Vietnam. This put Cambodia at a disadvantage. As a result, he has had to divert public attention away from that issue by attacking Thailand."

The recent conviction in Phnom Penh of Thai Patriots Network coordinator Veera Somkwamkid and his secretary, Ratree Pipatanapaiboon, on charges of espionage bodes ill for solving the long-running border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia.

Gen Charan Kullavanijaya, former secretary-general of the National Security Council and chairman of the National Defence Alumni Think Tank, shares his views on the border conflict with KING-OUA LAOHONG.

Why does Thailand have more border disputes with Cambodia than any other country?

Thailand has had border disputes with Malaysia, Laos and Burma, but they were settled through negotiations. The border demarcation with Malaysia went well. In the case of Cambodia, there would be no problem if the two countries could agree on their common interests.

Land clearance by Korean firm blocked

Friday, 07 January 2011
May Titthara
The Phnom Penh Post

SOME 800 people in Kampong Thom province’s Santuk district staged a protest against a Korean rubber company yesterday, claiming that the firm is trying to clear their trees and farmland without offering any compensation.

Villagers demanded that the company, Korean BNA (Cam) Corp, stop the clearing of cashew trees they claim to have been planting since 1984.

Red spray paint reportedly marked the trees on the land facing destruction, but protesters from six villages in Santuk’s Tipor commune stood their ground to prevent the clearing of the land.

The protest was peaceful, according to Pen Chhin, a representative for the villagers, who said protesters simply stood in the middle of the orchard to prevent the destruction of the trees.

"You rob Khmer land to give to the Chinese": Fed up villagers in Kg Speu

"Puok Ah Chor" (Gang of thieves), a woman yelled at the cops!

Minorities Demand End to Land Concessions

By Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
18 March 2010

Ethnic minorities from 15 provinces on Wednesday called on the government to suspend land concessions they say are hurting their communities and daily income.

The government has provided at least 1 million hectares of land in these provinces to concessions, according to Chhit Sam Ath, executive director of NGO Forum.

This has led to clashes between companies and residents and “human rights violations,” he said.

“We urge the royal government to suspend concessions that have caused an impact to ethnic minorities in 15 provinces,” said Ven Samin, a representative of the Suoy ethnic group in Kampong Speu province, as she sobbed in a press conference.

“The concession holder was not consulting with the local community, [and working] without the agreement of residents,” she said, as other representatives from the provinces of Kampong Thom, Mondulkiri and Rattanakkiri pointed to the impact on their traditional culture, especially forests where their ancestors are buried.

“Where there is investment, land and forest for wildlife will be lost,” Ven Samin said.

In February, ethnic representatives submitted a report to the UN’s Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, in which they said they were subject to violations and discrimination committed by Cambodian authorities and asked the UN to intervene.

On Thursday the UN committee issued a statement saying it was “particularly concerned about reports of the rapid granting of concessions on land traditionally occupied by indigenous peoples without full consideration or exhaustion of procedures provided for.”

Government spokesman Khieu Kanharith, said developments in concessions were in the long-term interest of minority groups.

“Firstly we plan to preserve their cultures and keep their sacred places, and we already planned to allocate land for them,” he said.

Minority representatives say they want to be involved in concession decisions where their land is involved.

Private company Socfin-Khaou Chuly is the "wild-east" law in Mondulkiri?

Khao Chuly, the business tycoon that operates under any regime in Cambodia since the Sangkum Reastr Niyum, is also the father-in-law of CPP minister Sun Chanthol (himself, a former Funcinpec defector)

NGOs say rubber firm blocking public road

Monday, 25 January 2010
Sebastian Strangio and Chhay Channyda
The Phnom Penh Post

RIGHTS groups have accused a rubber company in Mondulkiri province of blocking access to a public road after an employee of the company allegedly accosted rights workers on a field trip to the controversial plantation in Bou Sraa commune on Thursday.

In a statement issued Friday, the Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC) claimed a French-speaking employee of Socfin KCD prevented around 30 activists from travelling along the road.

“Since the company set up its office in the area, [it] has put up barricades to block people’s access in and out,” the statement said, noting that the road had previously been a public right of way and was used to access areas used by local people.

Socfin KCD, a joint venture between the Khaou Chuly Group and French rubber giant Socfin, has a 10,000-hectare concession in Bou Sraa commune.

Local Phnong villagers say, as well as displacing around 800 families, the plantation has intruded on traditional rotational farmland and spirit forests.

Bill Herod, an adviser with Village Focus Cambodia, confirmed the road, which allows access to Phnong sacred sites, was controlled by police employed by the company.

“Blocking access to this road is a serious issue for the Phnong,” he said.

Philippe Monnin, the general manager of Socfin KCD, declined to comment on Sunday. Provincial Deputy Governor Yim Lux claimed ignoranc of the incident because he was out of the province.

Cambodia: Nothing left for sale!

Map prepared by Sithi.org

Development Trends in Cambodia

Maps presented here highlight the extent to which the government is signing off concessions for development which is monopolizing land, forest and other natural resources to private companiesboth Cambodian and international. Land conflict is a major issue which raises questions not only about poverty reduction and human rights but sustainable development in general.

The development trends presented on these maps signifies a new approach to viewing the information on land allocation for concessions and other development initiatives. It is hoped that by taking a holistic approach to viewing development trends across sectors national and international organizations, the RGC and their relevant departments along with development Donor groups can begin to analyse and potentially rethink development from a new paradigm perspective. Hopefully influencing more environmentally sustainable development models which are socially equitable and just.

Click here to learn more about this issue

Temples hidden in the Kreb rubber plantation land concession … one of them completely destroyed by the stupid and criminal company

Prosecutor Nuon San visiting the discovered temples (All photos: Samnang, Koh Santepheap)

23 December 2009
Koh Santepheap newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

KI-Media Note: Cambodian soldiers are willing to sacrifice their lives to defend the Preah Vihear temple from the Siamese, and yet, the Hun Xen's government land concessions allow these evil and criminal private companies to destroy our cultural heritage. This is outrageous!

Siem Reap – Angkanh villagers from Svay Leu commune and a number of people who love ancient artifacts have called on experts from the Apsara Authority and International heritage organizations to preserve and develop a number of ancient temples that are currently being threatened because they are spread in wooden areas on land concession granted to the Kreb rubber plantation company.

Angkanh villagers indicated that five temples dating several centuries old are spread in deep forest that the government granted as land concession to a rubber plantation company. Some of the five temples have been destroyed through land clearing last year. The villagers are very concerned that land clearing will continue and they requested that the Apsara Authority and international organizations in charge of conservation of national heritage to help preserve the remaining temples for the sake of humanity.

Sao Sam Ol, a villager from Angkanh indicated that the five temples located on the Kreb land concession include: (1) Prasat Trung, (2) Prasat Ahen, (3) Prasat Mor Thav, (4) Prasat Sangker Singh and (5) Prasat Tukh Preah. The fifth temple was completely destroyed by the Kreb rubber plantation in 2007. The temple used to be surrounded by a stone fence that was 2 to 3-meter high. Currently, all that remains from this temple are the foundations and a pile of stone rubbles. This situation is extremely regretful.

Sao Som Ol added that the villagers love and hold their belief in these ancient temples, and what the villagers want to see is the clearing of small trees from the surrounding area of the temples and the construction of a road leading to each of these temples so that they can be worshipped.

Cambodia is the single country whose flag bear the image of an ancient temple [Angkor Wat] that is revered by all Cambodians, and that shows to the world that the Khmer race is a famous race that built thousands of temples on this golden land. The Khmer people also maintain a proud and long-lasting culture in the world, therefore, these temples represent the soul of our nation, and these temples demand that we pay special attention to them, in particular for their preservation as heritage and cultural artifacts for humanity.

Reth Samuth, a former popular cultural radio program presenter in the region and a tourist guide, indicated that ancient temples represent the soul of our national culture and no price can be placed on them, therefore the destruction of our ancestors’ temples is tantamount to our own destruction, i.e. an extremely bad misdeed that must be avoided at all cost.

Nuon San, the prosecutor of the Siem Reap-Banteay Meanchey provinces, who traveled to these temples by foot and by land clearing through hand machetes, visited 2 temples – Prasat Sangker Singh and Prasat Ahen – on Saturday 21 December 2009. He said: “I am very saddened when I saw these valuable temples, which are the heritage of our Cambodian ancestors, hidden deep in the forest and falling into ruins like this.”

He said that the intricate stone carvings attached to the rock pieces of the temple that fell to the ground seem to beg us to lift them up and put them back in place, following their long battle with nature and those ignorant artifact looters who take them to sell to foreigners during wartime.

Because of his love and desire to preserve valuable national cultural artifacts, Nuon San called on the organizations involved in the preservation of national heritage, and, in particular, the Apasara Authority and international heritage organizations to help preserve these temples also.

Even if only the foundations are all that remain, he asked that there should be no further land clearing and destruction of these temples anymore. Even if the temples are located on concession lands for a company, the perimeter of these temples must be preserved because these temples represent our valuable Khmer culture.

Hun Narith, the deputy director of the Apsara Authority, recognized that there was indeed forest clearing in the temple areas for rubber plantation. However, after the Apsara Authority learnt about these temples, the company was prevented from further land clearing near these temples. Currently, the Apsara Authority has already planted perimeter delimitation areas. The finding of these hidden temples is indeed an incredible finding of cultural treasures.

Sithi.org shows maps of the "EVIL" land concessions signed off by Hun Xen's regime

Click here for the Sithi website

Source: Sithi.org

Development Trends in Cambodia

Maps presented here highlight the extent to which the government is signing off concessions for development which is monopolizing land, forest and other natural resources to private companies both Cambodian and international. Land conflict is a major issue which raises questions not only about poverty reduction and human rights but sustainable development in general.

The development trends presented on these maps signifies a new approach to viewing the information on land allocation for concessions and other development initiatives. It is hoped that by taking a holistic approach to viewing development trends across sectors national and international organizations, the RGC and their relevant departments along with development Donor groups can begin to analyse and potentially rethink development from a new paradigm perspective. Hopefully influencing more environmentally sustainable development models which are socially equitable and just.

Information presented here is an understatement of the many other land deals which are currently active on the ground and difficult to monitor. Thus when reviewing the information it is important to note that data gathered for these maps is from open public sources of information from Government bodies, company websites, press releases and organizations working on specific sectorial issues. The actual status of many of these projects is scattered and mostly yet to be confirmed by the RGC.

A report by Amnesty International in 2008, noted that around 150,000 Cambodians were at risk of eviction. This conservative estimate has since been widely quoted in the international media. For the most part, however, the individual experiences of those affected go unreported. People living in poverty are routinely excluded from decisions affecting them. So-called development often happens to their detriment and at their expense, rather than in consultation with them.

But just how widespread is the problem? All around the country, thousands of families have lost -- or are at risk of losing -- their homes and livelihoods. They report losing their land and forest through economic land concessions, mining concessions, special development zones, logging concessions, hydro-electricity dams and just plain-old land grabbing by the rich and powerful. These maps have attempted to gather information about all these factors into one place.

Cases of land alienation, though totaling a large area, are not possible to map. The maps we release her, therefore, could be considered to be a conservative estimate of the problem of land and forest conflict in Cambodia.

The issue that we also need to look at is the claim that these developments are being done in the name of development and poverty reduction. Everyone needs to think about the reports that come in from communities to say that it is not the local people affected by concessions that are employed as laborers on the concessions – it is the landless people from other areas and from other countries who are brought in –ironically creating more landless poor.

The maps presented here are a complement to the database currently presented on this website which we are developing in order to show the extent of human rights abuse in Cambodia. We would like the government to declare which of the area in the maps are not concessions or have been cancelled. We welcome government clarification.

Forest Cover Map

Official government data as released by Save Cambodia’s Wildlife in their Cambodian Atlas maps available on line at http://www.cambodiaatlas.com/map. The map outlines 33 Protected Areas in Cambodia which accounts for a total of 4,624,971 hectares.