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.

Even the pro-CPP media can no longer hide the trespassing of Viet fishing boats into Cambodian waters with the blessing of corrupt officials

Viet fishing boats continue to violate Cambodian waters

04 May 2009
Kampuchea Thmei
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

Cambodian fishermen indicated that Viet fishing boats continue to unruly violate Cambodian waters, and they have no fear of Cambodian authorities at all. The location that currently sustains the flow of Viet boat violations is near Koh Po Island, located in Kep province where fishes are abundant.

According to reports provided by Cambodian fishermen, fishes in Cambodian waters have been depleted to the point of extinction because the Viet fishing boats used modern and illegal equipments to catch them when they violate Cambodian waters day and night without any fear of Cambodian authorities.

The same source claimed that the large flow of Viet boats into Cambodian waters stem from the green light by some corrupt Cambodian officials who are operating under the motto: “the small [officials] eat small, the big [officials] eat big.”

The source also indicated that these corrupt officials always welcome Viet boats that come to fish in Cambodian waters, even if these boats used illegal equipments to catch fish, as long as those Viet boats are willing to bribe them. Cambodian fishermen do not have the same means as their Viet counterpart because they do not own any modern or illegal fishing equipment. Therefore, Cambodian fishermen do not earn as much as the Viet fishermen. Furthermore, if Cambodian fishing boats dare use illegal fishing equipment, these corrupt officials would round them up and arrest them like thieves.

Mat Saloss, a Cambodian Muslim fisherman living in Phum Thmei village, Prey Thom commune, Kep city, Kep province, said that he is a fisherman for several years now, but his life has never been as difficult as it is now. He said that in the past, fishes, crabs and shrimps can be found in abundance in the Kep waters. However, all the fish resources have been quickly depleted since the Viet boats arrived and they used electric current to catch the fish or boats dragging nets in tandem pairs. Mat Saloss said that if these Viet boats continue to fish like this, Cambodian fishermen could no longer catch fishes anymore.

Regarding the report above, Kampuchea Thmei tried to call the Koh Po Island authority, but to no avail because nobody picked up the phone there.