Im Chhun Lim's crocodile tears after the eviction was already completed?

A woman pumps water from a well outside makeshift homes on the edge of Boeung Trabek lake Monday. More than 150 families have been evicted due to the construction of a canal at the lake. (Photo by: Pha Lina)

‘Regret’ over forced evictions

Monday, 27 December 2010
May Titthara
The Phnom Penh Post

A senior government official on Monday expressed “regret” over the forced eviction and relocation of thousands of Phnom Penh residents in recent years, attributing problems to a lack of awareness in resolving government policy.

Speaking at a workshop in Phnom Penh, Im Chhun Lim, the Minister of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction, said that though the removal and relocation of residents’ homes was commonplace in developing countries, it was important that the government takes action based on the proper policies.

He said much confusion stemmed from residents who are living illegally on state land, but who claim ownership and market-price compensation for their properties.

“It is regrettable that [we] were not previously sufficiently aware of how to resolve issues such as the confusion between resettlement based on humanitarian policies and the resettlement based on market price compensation or unreasonably high compensation demands that could not be accommodated,” he said.

Im Chhun Lim added that some relocation cases were complicated by the involvement of politicians, which delayed compensation negotiations or caused standoffs between residents and the authorities. Often, the disputes did not end until the government took “administrative measures”, forcibly removing residents from disputed land.

He stressed that the government wanted to avoid these problems at all costs and would implement a “humanitarian” policy related to urban evictions and relocations.

Rights groups claim that thousands of families have been illegally evicted from valuable land in the centre of Phnom Penh and relocated to sites on the outskirts that often lack all but the most basic amenities.

Sia Phearum, secretariat director of the Housing Rights Task Force, said that from 1990 to 2010, 130,000 Phnom Penh residents – nearly one in 10 of the city’s residents – have been the victims of urban land grabs.

“The evacuation of people from the capital to the suburbs affects their standard of living. This forces them to lock their homes [in the suburbs] and come back to the capital to look for jobs to support themselves,” Sia Phearum said.

Am Sam Ath, technical supervisor of local rights group Licadho, said the evacuation of residents from the city to ill-equipped relocation sites on the outskirts seriously affected such communities.

“The regret [expressed by Im Chhun Lim] is justified, but the victims are citizens. The authorities should have thought about the welfare of people first before simply evacuating them,” he said.

100,000-hectare Yuon rubber plantation lanched in Kratie ... with the blessing of CPP Im Chhun Lim

Rubber group launches tree planting project in Cambodia

06/20/2010
VOV News (Hanoi)

Dong Nai and Dong Phu rubber companies under the Vietnam Rubber Group (VRG) began a campaign to grow new rubber trees in 2010 in Sombo district, Kratie province in Cambodia on June 19.

The campaign is the result of great efforts by VRG’s subsidiary companies to plant 100,000 hectares of rubber trees in Cambodia despite harsh weather conditions and escalating oil prices.

Addressing the ceremony, Le Quang Thung, Chairman of the VRG Management Board affirmed that VRG-funded projects in Cambodia have proved to be effective. Currently, the two companies have attracted more than 2,000 workers in Cambodia.

Minister of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction Im Chun Lim, also highlighted VRG’s investment models in Cambodia, adding that subsidiary companies of VRG have helped generate jobs, eradicate poverty and stabilize local residents’ lives.

These companies have been implemented this project to grow rubber in Sombo district since 2008.

After receiving a license to operate in more than 16,000 hectares of land in Sombo, the companies planted more than 2,000 hectares of rubber trees in 2008-2009 period and each company is expected to plant around 2,000 hectares in 2010.

Premier Hun Sen 'Will Not Dare To Clash With Cham Prasit' [-Nepotism in full swing among the CPP ministers in P.Penh]

Cham Prasidh and his wife, the powerful Lok Chumteav Tep Bopha Prasidh

09 Feb 09
Moneaksekar Khmer
Translated from Khmer by Anonymous

Minister of Public Works and Transport Tram Iv-tek has appointed his daughter as office chief. Tek Leakhena was appointed office chief while her husband was made deputy director general of a department in this ministry. At the Ministry of Environment there is also competition among Minister Mok Maret's relatives. Such an example has been adopted by officials of the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) as seen with Trade Minister Cham Prasit and Social Affairs Minister It Sam Heng.

Sources have reported that Public Works Ministry personnel were greatly surprised when Tram Iv-tek appointed his daughter Tek Leakhena as office chief, along with Tek Leakhena's husband as deputy director general of a department. The ministry staff said that it is a bit too soon to make Tek Leakhena's husband a deputy director of a department and Tek Leakhena office chief.

At Mok Maret's Ministry of Environment competition is still ongoing for the posts of director general of administration and office chief between Mok Maret's brother-in-law (younger brother of Maret's wife) and Mok Maret's nephew. There has been no decision yet on this matter as Mok Maret has difficulty deciding who to give the position to: one is brother-in-law, the other is nephew. In any case the position of director general of administration will not escape from Mok Maret's brother-in-law or nephew. The incumbent director general has been reported trying hard to find a backer; it would be very hard, however, for the incumbent director to keep his position once the circular on retiring officials is out.

It Sam Heng at the Social Affairs Ministry is the most well known for appointing relatives and his own children to high positions at the ministry's office or cabinet. With so many relatives and offspring working at the ministry, and in order to avoid criticism from various circles, It Sam Heng ordered his relatives to change their family names and hide their biographies. Some of these are It Sam Heng's nephews but some officials at the ministry did not realize this when looking at the names before these people were accepted.

Trade Minister Cham Prasit is the one renowned for considering relatives first for jobs at the ministry: offspring, nephew, and wife all work at the ministry. Daughter Cham Nimol is chief of the minister's office. Son Cham Borit is deputy director general at Camcontrol department. Most special of all is Cham Prasit's wife: Tep Bopha; she is head of the archives department and in charge of Cham Prasit's secret documents. The trade ministry is the most famous in appointing offspring, nephew, and wife to high positions to facilitate corruption and to hide documents.

At the Trade Ministry Chm Prasit's wife is the one at the helm. In Cham Prasit's absence it is not any one of the many officially appointed state secretaries who will be acting minister; instead it is Tep Bopha Prasit even though she has not been officially appointed. Tep Bopha Prasit's power is very strong. Some of the state secretaries have nothing to do while Tep Bopha Prasit has plenty of work to do with no time to rest.

Apart from the Trade Ministry and the above other ministries, there is also the Ministry of Urbanization of Im Chhun Lim who made his son office chief. This appointment drew a lot of attention from some leading officials at the ministry as it was made in this fourth term.

And it is the same work structure based on family ties at other institutions. This culture is increasingly expanding now with ministers holding the same portfolios for the past three or four terms. Some appointments have been seen as appropriate looking at the officials' competence. Some others are not competent work wise and are not suitable for their positions; they are there due to the leadership positions of their fathers or uncles. Some of these officials only carry the minister's documents and oversee the budget; this is part of corruption.

Apart from the various ministries, in some provinces and cities relatives have been appointed office chiefs. Phnom Penh City Governor Kep Chutema appointed his daughter as his personal assistant. This personal assistant's influence has been affirmed to be even stronger than that of the office chief. Everyone is fearful of the influence of Kep Chutema's daughter.

No action by the prime minister to deal with this issue has been seen. And this has led to the inefficiency of circulars putting officials into retirement as seen currently spreading at various ministries and offices. Each ministry is the sole property of the minister in charge and his family. There are some subordinate officials who could not work with and who have left those ministries.

Such a culture has not been dealt with because it is believed that if it is to be dealt with, the trade ministry should be the first. It is said that in any event Prime Minister Hun Sen will not dare to clash with Cham Prasit. If it is going to be dealt with, it has to be done with everyone. If not, let it spread all over.