Former residents of Koh Pich remind of their eviction

24 Nov 2010
By Den Ayuthyea
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Soch
Click here to read the article in Khmer

Former residents who were evicted from Koh Pich claimed that they used to put a curse on the Phnom Penh city authority and the development company which evicted them out by ignoring their tears and without providing them with a decent resolution.

The Koh Pich entertainment center where almost one thousand people were killed and injured in the evening of 22 Nov was known as Koh Klung (Leper Island). The residents claimed that they settled there since 1982 and more than 300 families lived there. Between 2002 and 2005, the Phnom Penh city authority evicted them by force and moved them to a new location under the pretext that the land is earmarked by the government for development.

An aging woman, who was a former resident in Koh Pich and who declined to provide her name to RFA, indicated on 24 Nov that, between 2002 and 2005, the residents suffered constantly and they shed their tears almost on a daily basis because the authority forced them out of their homes where they used to live without providing them with a reasonable explanation.

The same lady added that when the eviction started, the residents put a curse on the authority and the development company, wishing that they cannot progress their work smoothly because the development of Koh Pich brought hardship on several hundreds of families.

Hun Samnang, another former resident, said that he settled on family’s land and farm in 1982, but he lost everything when the city forced him to dismantle his home and it also prevented him from protesting to ask for compensation. He said that because his family had no choice, he accepted the $8,000 compensation imposed by the city.

Hun Samnang added that when reminiscing about the house he used to live in on Koh Pich, he regrets very much that the authority forced the Koh Pich residents to dismantle their houses and move out under the pretext of providing the island as a concession to a private company for development.

He also said that during the eviction, his family, as well as other residents on Koh Pich, used to pray to the magic spirits and the land guardian spirit to punish those who evicted the residents, and they also prayed to God to provide them with justice. However, he said that he never prayed for the death of innocent people just because they came to Koh Pich for leisure.

Sao Hak, a former Koh Pich resident, told RFA on 24 Nov. that his house and 2-hectare of land in Koh Pich were dismantled and confiscated under the pretext of development, and the city did not provide proper compensation to his family. He said that he brought his complaint to the court, but the Supreme court decided on 06 August 2010 that he would receive $6 of compensation per square meter only whereas the actual market in 2004 was already at $20 per square-meter.

Sao Hak said that this extreme injustice for the former residents in this community who were evicted, and then the authority gave the ownership of this land to a private company while evicting by force the former island residents.

Morn Vuthy, an official for the Community Legal Education Center (CLEC) which provided help to the residents who were evicted from Koh Pich, said that the eviction of the Koh Pich residents by the government was very unfair for the resident because the government compensated them with $1.50 per square-meter only, but after the residents protested, the development company and the authority raised the compensation to $6.75 per square-meter.

RFA could not reach Pung Kheav Se, the CEO of the Overseas Cambodian Investment Corp. (OCIC) which received the right to develop the Koh Pich entertainment center, in the afternoon of 24 Nov as his aide told us that he was busy in a meeting. Nevertheless, his aid said that Koh Pech is currently developed to become an exposition center to sell local and foreign products, as well as an entertainment center. However, there is no high rise building or hotel in the island yet.

Regarding this development, Hun Xen used to ask developers to plan for the construction of a 555-m high rise building, the tallest of its kind in Asia. The construction of this building is planned to take place on Koh Pich.

On 25 June 2004, the Cambodian Development Council (CDC) gave the right to the partnership of Canadia Bank and the OCIC to develop and change Koh Pich island and turn into a satellite city. Koh Pick is located next to the Tonle Bassac, in Bassac commune, Chamcar Mon district, Phnom Penh city.

Fresh Koh Pich investigation sought

The covered bodies of victims lie outside Calmette hospital in the aftermath of the tragic stampede during last year’s Water Festival at Koh Pich, which killed 353 people. (Photo by: Pha Lina)

Monday, 21 November 2011
Mom Kunthear
The Phnom Penh Post

Late at night on November 22, 2010, some 80 bodies lay side by side in front of a crowd of onlookers who had gathered to peer through a gate at Calmette hospital, trying to understand who had died and why.

Inside, victims of what Prime Minister Hun Sen would later call the worst tragedy to befall Cambodia since the Khmer Rouge were being treated on the floor, while the dead were taken outside and added to the long rows.

A government investigation into the incident concluded that no one was specifically to blame for the Koh Pich tragedy and resulted in no resignations despite the death of more than 350 people on a bridge on the final day of Cambodia’s annual Water Festival.

A death to make tragedy for a man in poverty, but an opportunity to make profit for a man in business

Pung Sovann aliased Pung Kheav Se,

born 1946 in Phnom Penh turned a

merchant of deaths in Koh Pich

24/11/2010
By Kok Sap
Originally posted at http://khamerlogue.wordpress.com/

“I am not surprised with Pung Kheav Se’s generosity; it’s all about business as usual in Cambodia nowadays.”

Today Radio Free Asia reported the stampede casualties are higher. Officially the total death is 456 and injured 395. Let’s hope it is the number with no more changes. In light of such tragic event on 22/11/2010 including the officials and relevant authorities seemed to focus on the aftermath and none would raise the concern on the bridge liability and responsibility to the mass. Also it appears folks are quick to focus on the results of the events rather than the relativities. So far the public believe the causes are:

• The bridge is too narrow to hold hundreds of people in same time,
• The bridge is in the suspending mode which it could move without warning due to the speed of the wind and impact of the mass,
• The bridge designed for quick commute not as a platform to hold immobile weight for extensive duration,
• The bridge provided no emergency safety and evacuation path.

For Cambodia society not to say there is no proper insurance regulatory, but insurance coverage for anything sounds as strange as the globe is round consisted of more than 70% liquid and spinning on its own axis. But in modern commercial investment regardless of size, in international common practice, the owner or responsible party must and shall have the liability and owner casualty insurance secured before it can fully operate. To ensure public safety and trust in commerce, the government regulatory and compliance must also be accountable in regulations. So for a shrewd and cunning man like Pung Kheav Se, for sure he is not risking his businesses without proper insurance coverage. First it is to protect his personal assets from unwanted lawsuit and inadvertent business liability and second it is to safeguard him from relevant tax entities in his domicile abroad. However, no one knows for sure how much the owner of Koh Pich Bridge and bridge is insured for? If all insured, with whom, what and which company from where?

To date, people know only the owner of Canadia Bank Plc of Cambodia is Mr.Pung Kheav Se who owns Koh Pich Bridge and the inlet land. Strangely before the final casualties confirmed, Koh Pich owner offers $1,000 to each dead victim beneficiary. In total it would amount to $456,000. But no one knows whether he would pay the same amount to the injured ones. Presumably let’s say he would pay the same and the amount would be $395,000. Until now it’s unclear, he doesn’t say he will pay for the several hospitals emergency cares and funeral services provided for the victims. That not to mention what will be the fine and penalty fees that may be deemed by the public safety ordinance violations.

So far in grand total he would pay $815,000. That will be a lot of money for the Cambodia’s $0.50 per day standard. But for the owner of a bank chain that is especially backed by government and known international bodies, the amount is insignificant. It is also not quite right to assume Pung Kheav Se is giving his own money to the victims.

To begin with, he is in the banking business is to make profit, not donation. Beside given the degree of support and collaboration from relevant and corruptive government officials, we don’t know to what exactly figures that he will put in claim for damage and casualty for Koh Pich Bridge and land holder business loss for the reimbursement from the insurance coverage. He has Cambodia government in his under pant pocket for 24/7. Nevertheless for certain at the end of the day so many officials in the finance and economy or commerce ministries will receive a share in kick back pay when the business transaction is a done deal.

The government official included prime minister did not raise concern to account the financial liability and responsibility of the bridge owner. The families of victims immediate concern is how they can afford the funeral and transporting the dead home. Other hands the victims, in despair, would accept and take anything that made available to them.

From his interview with Cambodia News on 23/6/2010, Pung Kheav Se is no patriotic sentimental fool. He said,” In 1993 the Governor of the Bank of Cambodia approached me requesting me to formally transform my trust company into a bank as it was growing so fast. Although our initial capital was not enough, the Governor (who?) told me we could start already with 1.5 million USD. As we had a lot of depositors and also plenty of Cambodians from overseas trusting in our bank, we managed to grow and currently my bank’s total assets amounting of 174 million USD. In deposits we have 150 million and our reserve in 2002 totals 18 million USD. Currently my deposits are about 26% of the whole country’s deposits and our loans are about 32% of country’s total.”

Read more at: http://cambodianews.tv/messages/view/5TFWJ93BWQGYZJV5

Presently with his partners Mrs. Lim Sophany, Mr. Phuong Khinh Hoa, Mr. Mao Khan, Mr. Tol Hak and he hold more than $230 million in assets and cash. Canadia oversees numerous projects in the kingdom.

In essence unlike others, his return in 1991 to Cambodia is driven by the profit to be made out of Cambodia Central Bank and those ex-pats living abroad. To the ears, it’s clear like a bell. With that in mind, it would be a surprise in such a tragic event that Mr.Pung Kheav Se will not reap benefits from it. I would also wonder if his insurance claim will not reflect all of his cash offering to victims. His insurance company in Canada or any place else will have no easy time to not justify his reimbursement. As we know Mr. Pung Kheav Se is no extra-ordinaire humanitarian whose interests driven by the benevolence to protect Cambodia poor peoples.

Phnom Penh government let Canadia Bank signed agreement with IFC and USAID in its behalf then to be a legitimate conduit in money transferring from overseas accounts. Simply say, Pung Kheav Se is no small potato in the kingdom. He was dining and wining among top government officials in Phnom Penh. Many of them receive profits from his business deals. Koh Pich evicted landowners remember him well. With the help from the Council of Ministers Koh Pich is cleared and developed into his fiefdom.

The Canadia Bank reputation was not positive around 1994’s or so. Investors in Phnom Penh said Canadia Bank owner had fronted as foreign stocks exchange broker to lure merchants from local markets to short buy or sell stocks without guaranty. Because Canadia Bank claimed losses in stocks trade subsequently many of them lost capital over night. Then they can’t fight the Canadia illegal manipulation because it had the Cambodia’s Central Bank protection. In US and Canada, many stocks brokers from that era were faced many class action suits. By this time the settlements were in distribution to the plaintiffs. Oddly no way to tell if Pung Kheav Se was not one of the beneficiaries and plaintiffs since his home is also in Canada.

For all the concerns, the truth and rights advocates may need to look into this Cambodian investor from Canada obscure background. From what made known, this man entered Canada under Pung Sovann, a Khmer identity. He left Cambodia for Canada in 1980. No one knew under what status he entered Canada then. Whether the status is legal or questionable it is only the Canadian immigration agency would know. Better yet, all the victims and relevant interests shall challenge Koh Pich bridge owner in court. They shall demand the court to withhold insurance coverage payment from the bridge owner. The insurance compensatory reward shall go straight to each victim’s beneficiary. This is to see how independent the judicial systems in Cambodia are , thereby class action suits shall be filed by the victim families against the bridge owner for failing to provide sufficient emergency safety and evacuation paths on the bridge. The ownership of the bridge shall be reverted to the government appropriate authority controlling the toll collection to maintain the bridge.

====================

According to Phnom Penh Post, in 1993 the National Central Bank was under Comrade #100 of KPP Thor Peng Leath management, an infidel of Sino-descent, who was later fired from his job in mid 1995 due to his involvement in scandals and money laundering.

Hun Xen threatens Koh Pich counter-suit

Relatives and officials look at bodies of victims of the 2010 Koh Pich bridge stampede. Photograph: Pha Lina/Phnom Penh Post

Suong Sophorn following a beat up by Hun Xen's cops

Monday, 03 December 2012
Vong Sokheng
The Phnom Penh Post

Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday threatened to counter-sue opposition Sam Rainsy Party Youth Movement president Soung Sophorn if the courts cleared the premier of Sophorn’s charge of premeditated murder.

On Friday, Sophorn filed a criminal complaint with the Phnom Penh Municipal Court alleging Hun Sen, Minister for the Royal Palace Kong Sam Ok, Phnom Penh Municipal Governor Kep Chuktema and former Phnom Penh municipal police chief Tuoch Naruth were responsible for the premeditated murder of 353 people who were crushed to death on the Koh Pich Bridge in a stampede during the 2010 Water Festival.

Speaking to more than 400 villagers in Preah Sihanouk province yesterday at a ceremony celebrating the distribution of land-title certificates, the premier said he would not interfere in the legitimate court process but would take steps to defend his honour.

Stampede in Koh Pich: At least 100 dead, several hundreds injured

22 Nov. 2010
By Sopisith
Cambodia Express News
Translated from Khmer by Soy

Phnom Penh – The stampede near the exit from Koh Pich area created at least 100 dead and several hundreds injured. This is the count made in the evening of 22 Nov. The event took place at 09:50PM near the north bridge exiting from Koh Pich.

No source could indicate the reason for this stampede, however a reliable source indicated that revelers came out in drove from Koh Pich, creating a major jam, then some people could not breathe and this started the stampede. Some decided to jump off the bridge to allow themselves to breathe easier.

Another source indicated that the jam initiated an electrical short circuit, then some people got electrocuted and the stampede took place.

At Calmette Hospital, several dozens injured people were brought in, and at least 17 were dead as of 11PM on 22 Nov. This is only the reported number from Calmette Hospital alone. At the location of the incident at least 80 were dead. Altogether, based on preliminary tally, about 100 died from this accident.

Immediately after the accident, the authority had a hard time intervening due to the large number of people in the crowd.

The authority decided to use boats to ferry people out and take them to the shore in front of the Royal Palace in order to ease the jam and help the victims. At Koh Pich, which is located in Tonle Bassac commune, Chamcar Mon district, entertainment program was set up there during the Water Festival.

My 2-cent engineering perspective on the Pich Bridge tragedy

Koh Pich suspension bridge (Photo; AFP/Xinhua)

Sunday, November 28, 2010
By P. from Long Beach

In view of the recent tragedy on Koh Pich Bridge where several hundreds of our compatriots died and were seriously injured, I would like to provide below, my personal perspective as a Civil engineer in this regards. While my specialty is not in Structural engineering, but rather in Geotechnical engineering, i.e. a specialty related to foundation engineering etc, I will strive to explain as best as I can, in laymen terms, the various aspects of bridge construction, and in particular the suspension bridge type that is used for Pich Bridge linking mainland to Koh Pich Island, and I will also provide my 2-cent input on the various aspects any investigation should consider.

The most basic method of constructing a bridge can be seen in the illustration above. First several piers are constructed as support for the bridge, next a bridge deck is placed in between two piers to provide a platform on which traffic can move over the bridge. In general, guard rails will be constructed next to prevent vehicles and foot passengers from falling off the bridge. While in concept, this construction method appears quite simple, the reality is not so. For one thing, if the spacing between two consecutive piers is very wide, then the bridge deck need to be designed thicker or more rigid so that when traffic moves over the bridge, there would be not too much vertical deflection (see black arrow in the illustration above).

Why do you want to widen the spacing between consecutive piers? The answer is very simple: for cost saving. Because the piers have to be installed under water, their construction cost can increase significantly the total cost of the bridge. Therefore, in the design of the bridge, the engineer must consider a tradeoff between the cost of the piers and the cost of reinforcing (i.e. strengthening) the bridge deck.

In some instances, when the load that the bridge may carry becomes quite heavy, a system of truss (or steel lattice) can also be used to distribute the load on the bridge.

Bridge truss is a steel lattice to distribute the load on the bridge

The type of bridge that was built in Koh Pich is known as “suspension bridge” and its construction technique differs somewhat from the conventional approach described above. In fact, the first concept of such bridge design dated back to 1595 and was attributed to Fausto Veranzio, an inventor and a catholic bishop from Croatia. However, the construction of such bridge did not really take place until the early 19th century.

To build a suspension bridge, first, two pylons or tower-like structure are constructed near both ends of the bridge. These pylons serve as vertical support for the suspension cables. The suspension cables are very strong cables anchored (attached) to solid ground (or rock) on both ends of the bridge. Next suspenders (vertical support cable) are attached to the suspension cable. The bottom of each suspender is attached to the bridge deck and suspends the latter over the body of water.

One advantage of such bridge design is to minimize the number of the support foundation (the foundation for the pylons) and thus cutting down the construction cost due to the wide spacing between the pylons. One of the most spectacular example of suspension bridge is no other than the Golden Gate Bridge linking the city of San Francisco to Marin County, California.

The Golden Gate Bridge in California is one of the most spectacular example of "suspension bridges" in the world.

Would a suspension bridge be less safe than a conventional bridge? Not necessarily, for example, in the case of the Golden Gate bridge, not only is it a massive bridge that serves to move traffic in and out of San Francisco, but it was also built in one of most earthquake-prone area in the world. So far, the bridge is behaving quite well although Caltrans, the California Department of Transportation, is in the process of strengthening it to make it more earthquake-resistant.

Would a suspension bridge be more prone to movement?

In the case of Pich Bridge, preliminary official investigation claimed that the stampede was initiated by the swaying of the Pich Bridge due to the presence of the large number of revelers on the bridge. So the first question that comes to mind is whether the suspension bridge is more flexible (i.e. more prone to swaying under heavy load) than a conventional bridge?

To answer this question, one has to keep in mind that any construction is prone to movement. This is a simple law of action-reaction, i.e. when a load is applied on a structure, that structure will tend to move slightly to respond to the applied load. Can’t the engineer design the structure to minimize the amount of movement? Yes, by designing the structure to be more rigid, then the amount of movement (or deflection) will be minimized, but this also comes at a cost. Therefore, a tradeoff needs to be considered between what is known as acceptable or livable amount of deflection and the cost to build such structure.

Returning back to the case of the flexibility of the suspension bridge, one of the first video shown to a Civil engineering student in a Structural course is the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in Tacoma, Washington in 1940. The bridge was opened to traffic on July 1, 1940. Its main span collapsed into the Tacoma Narrows four months later on November 7, 1940, at 11:00 AM (Pacific time). The spectacular collapse was recorded on film and shown below.

Collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge

The collapse of the bridge was attributed to strong gale wind blowing at 67 km/h (42 mph). In this case, the strong wind was able to initiate the fluttering of bridge deck, i.e. initiating the dynamic motion of the bridge. The fluke in this case was a dynamic phenomenon known as dynamic resonance, whereby the dynamic shaking generated by the wind coincided with the fundamental period the bridge (the time it takes for the bridge to sway up and down in one cycle when it is shaken). When such phenomenon occurs, the intensity of the bridge shaking is self amplified and could lead to collapse as it did in the Tacoma Narows Bridge case.

After watching such spectacular collapse one wonders if the Pich Bridge could sway under the massive human load on the bridge? From an engineering point of view and as I explained earlier, the bridge will deflect slightly in the vertical direction when a large number of people crosses it at once. However, considering the foot traffic on the bridge, since not all the people were dropped in instantaneously on the bridge, but they rather walked in as a stream, therefore, from a preliminary engineering standpoint, I have a hard time seeing the Pich Bridge starting to sway suddenly. In my mind, I can picture a plausible scenario where someone suddenly realizing that there was a large amount of people on the bridge, started to shout that the bridge could collapse, and thereby initiating the stampede.

As an engineer, I cannot solely rely on hearsay as the basis of my investigation, therefore, I was dismayed when a preliminary official investigation announced almost immediately that the stampede was initiated by the swaying of the bridge. In the US (as well as anywhere else in the world) for example, knowing or estimating the live load due to the foot traffic and the structural construction of the bridge, it is quite common to perform a structural evaluation through a computer analysis to evaluate the amount of deformation due to the presence of the crowd on the bridge. Such scientific evaluation would provide more meaningful credence to the official claim than the hearsays and rumors that government officials rely on as their basis. Short of funds to perform such analysis, vehicles loaded heavily enough to simulate to load of the crowd could also be used to perform a live experimental test to see whether the swaying may take place or not.

But even if swaying can be proved to take place, the question still remains as to why so many people are allowed to cross the bridge at once so as to create traffic jam, knowing full well that the bridge is opened to traffic in both directions? Where was the traffic control or was there any to start with? These are more fundamental questions that any investigation will have to answer. The answer to these questions would then pinpoint clearly who is to be blamed in this tragedy. If the government is not willing to support such scientific investigation, the OCIC company which is involved in the development of Koh Pich must take the initiative by launching its own scientific investigation if it wants to clear its name from this criminal case. That would be my 2-cent input into this case.

As always, I remain opened to any input and suggestion by the public, be they engineer or not.

I thank you for your attention,

P. from Long Beach

The Koh Pich tragedy and Hun Sen’s crocodile tears

Op-Ed by Khmerization
30th November, 2010

"His sadness, condolences and mourning seem too genuine and instantaneous. However, to seasoned and veteran political observers.... His grief is fake and his tears are crocodile tears."

Three days after the Koh Pich Bridge stampede tragedy, Prime Minister Hun Sen has been seen around the world’s television screens as having cried uncontrollably for the first time.

To the novice observers of the current Cambodian political affairs, this is an extraordinary scene for a strongman who has been described as having a heart of steel, who is well-known for his brutality and arrogance, to look like a broken man for the first time in his life. His sadness, condolences and mourning seem too genuine and instantaneous. However, to seasoned and veteran political observers of Mr. Hun Sen’s political career and his political maneuverings, Mr. Hun Sen had put up an excellent show to fool the Cambodian people and the world. His grief is fake and his tears are crocodile tears.

The above rationale has been proven correct by his speech on Monday. Seven days after the tragedy and four days after he had put up a public show of emotions, Mr. Hun Sen turned around and declared that no one was responsible for the tragedy and that no head will be rolled. And adding insult to injuries, he had rejected the resignation of Mr. Kong Sam Ol, who is the chairman of the National and International Festival Committee, the body responsible for organizing and managing the Water Festival that caused the stampede.

With the magnitude of the tragedy described as the world’s worst crowd disaster in 4 years, one would have expected that some sort of accountability and culpability be apportioned. Yet, despite an admission of a ‘joint mistake’ and ‘joint responsibility’, Mr. Hun Sen arrogantly declared that no one will be sacked and punished because it is an unforeseen accident occurred because of a ‘carelessness and negligence’ of the government.

Mr. Hun Sen’s admission of a ‘joint mistake’ and ‘joint responsibility’ because of a ‘carelessness and negligence’ of the government is an admission of guilt and wrongdoing and therefore the onus is on the government and Mr. Hun Sen personally. For a tragedy of this magnitude which is a ‘joint mistake’ and ‘joint responsibility’ of a government, the buck stops here with the government and the head of the government, that is to say the government and the whole cabinet must resign, starting with Prime Minister Hun Sen first.

There seem to be a cover up at the highest level to the investigation and the cause of the tragedy. The committee, set up immediately after the tragedy to investigate the cause of the stampede, hastily concluded its investigation in just one day and publicly released its findings exactly one week later. Despite eyewitness accounts of about 30-odd people having been electrocuted, the government denied the claims and the investigation concluded that swaying bridge was the cause of the panic which led to the stampede.

In the West, the investigation into the tragedy of this magnitude will take months, even years, to complete. All evidences will be examined and witnesses interviewed and no stones will be left unturned.

The investigation into the Koh Pich Bridge stampede lacks substance, lacks transparency and credibility. It is doubtful if even 20% of the 8,000 witnesses, that was the number of people who got stuck on the bridge, were interviewed. There is no sign of physical evidences had been examined and analysed and there is no sign of autopsies being performed on the corpses to determine the causes of deaths.

People must remember that Koh Pich Island and Koh Pich bridge are owned by Mr. Hun Sen’s wife and his children and Canadia Bank, which Mr. Hun Sen’s family is the majority shareholder. As a result, Mr. Hun Sen and his family had to be personally and directly responsible for this tragedy also.

By admitting that the tragedy was a 'joint mistake’ and a ‘joint responsibility’ of the government and with mounting evidences pointing to carelessness and cover up at the highest level, the buck stops with Mr. Hun Sen. And to show that his grief and emotions are genuine and in respect to the souls of 351 dead and 329 wounded in the stampede, Mr. Hun Sen and the whole of his cabinet should do the honorable thing and resign.

A Nation in Grief - A Nation Transformed

A Cambodian man carries the body of his son killed in a stampede, at Preah Kossamak Hospital in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2010. Thousands of people stampeded during a festival in the Cambodian capital late Monday, leaving over three hundred dead and scores injured in what Prime Minister Hun Sen called the country's biggest tragedy since the 1970s reign of terror by the Khmer Rouge. (Photo: AP)

A Nation in Grief - A Nation Transformed

Working Together as a Nation for the Safety and Security of Our People

November 25, 2010

The tragic deaths of our people leave our bodies numb. However, action must be taken for those who survived the tragedy and for the children who are now orphans. As a lawmaker, I will join my colleagues and many others in ensuring that an independent investigation will be conducted and the truth be told. Most important of all, that our people can depend on a safety and security system that is competent and trustworthy.

Thousands attended the annual three-day water festival on Koh Pich, located outside Phnom Penh. Most of the people were from the countryside, making their annual visit to the city of Phnom Penh to celebrate the festival, one of the most popular in Cambodia. Hundreds of people crossed a bridge over to the mainland when a stampede formed, crushing at least 385 people to death and causing severe injuries to hundreds of others. The majority of the victims were women from rural provinces outside the capital. Their souls are still will us and will be with us till the truth is told.

We will remember the terror of those who were trapped on the bridge, the horror of the survivors who had to let go of the hands of their children, sisters and brothers - as they were trying to grasp for air. We will remember the rows of bodies covered in white cloth, the cries of the families while searching for their loved ones. We will never forget.

Safety and Security - A System that can be trusted by the people

The Ministry of Interior should make public its policy on public safety and security in times of peace and in emergencies.

According to experts, there are clear standards and measures to control a crowd and to prevent panic and stampede. The question we need to ask the Ministry of Interior and the Phnom Penh Governor is: what are the full details of the plan for safety and security of the public? Was there a contengency plan for crises?. Furthermore, we need to know the experience and expertise of police officers on crowd dynamics. We also need to know, how information was passed on to the high ranking officials when the crowd surpassed the capacity limit on the bridge and on the premises of the entertainment facilities on the island. And where were these high ranking officials to guide the security police assigned to the Koh Pich? What are the details of the arrangements made between the governor of Phnom Penh and the owner of those facilities? What insurance plan covers liabilities on the island, a private facility used for public events?

Witnesses and survivors of the 22/11 stampede speak of police using water hoses against the crowd that caused further panic. When approach to crowd control is the use of force for crack-down - same measures taken in the past to crack-down demonstrators - the people then become the " enemies" and not human beings.

In order to have checks and balances in the search for the causes of the Koh Pich tragedy , there should be true independent and a by-partisan parliamentarian committee, a committee by civil society and concerned citizens, to investigate all causes that have now left Cambodia in a state of uncertainty and deep grief. High ranking officials of the Minsitry of Interior should not be part of the government investigation committee as they were the ones in charge of the water festival events and negligence occured. There should be a committee formed by the families of the victims and survivors, to conduct their own investigation and to formulate their request for fair and just compensation from the company that owns Koh Pich. All testimonies collected by any investigation committee should be public records and the protection and safety of all those who are coming forward with information that holds the key to the truth should be ensured.

Compensations to the families of the victims and to the survivors are not enough to let the souls of our sisters and brothers to move on in peace, there need to be courage from those in charge to face the responsibility and accountability which come with the position they each hold.

We pay respect to all police officers, medics, and civilians who showed true courage and heroism in saving lives.

We continue to be with the families of the vicitms whose sacred memories will be held forever.

Koh Pich stampede has transformed the nation - the people want a true share of governance and a democratic system that decentralize powers and engagement of ideas and opinions for a united Cambodia.

Mu Sochua, MP

Sam Rainsy Party

Incident at Pich Bridge during CCU's members visit on 10 December 2010

Source: CCU

In the morning of 10 December 2010, Mr. Rong Chhun, President of the Cambodian Confederation of Unions (CCU) which regroups the Cambodian Independent Teachers’ Association (CITA) and the Free Trade Union of Workers in the Kingdom of Cambodia (FTUWKC), led a group about about 1,500 teachers and factory workers to pay respect to the victims of the Koh Pich Bridge stampede (22 November 2010).

Rong Chhun and Chea Mony lead the procession to Koh Pich Island

Rong Chhun gave a speech to pay respect to the victims

Chea Mony gave a speech in the memory of the victims at Pich Bridge

Teachers and workers pay respect to the victim at Pich Bridge

While paying respect to the victims on Pich Bridge, an incident took place when Ms. Cheam Chanda, a 30-year-old factory worker from the Cambodia Handsome factory, was seized with trance. She fell down and started crying, and she would not say anything when asked. She was later transported to Wat Langka Pagoda to have the monks perform an exorcism on her.

Ms. Cheam Chanda was seized with trance

Monks started to pray for the factory worker seized with trance

After questioning from the monks, the woman who was seized with trance indicated that: the spirits want a new bridge to be built, they want a monument to be built at the location of the stampede incident, and the woman who was seized with trance should observe silence for 3 years. She is now taken out of Wat Langka to Wat Kamsan Pagoda.

Koh Pich update

Source: DAP-news

DAP news reported as of 12:51 AM on 23 Nov 2010:

At Calmette Hospital: more than 100 dead, several hundreds injured

At Peth Lok Sang (Monk Hospital): 48 dead (including 31 women), over 300 injured

No number tallied from other hospitals yet.

As of 12:51AM, the situation has cleared up at Koh Pich after heavy police intervention.

The police asked that those who lost loved ones should visit Calmette Hospital because the victims have not been identified yet.

According to the victims, initially, 8 or 9 women selling beers ran back and forth to play with each other. Then they started shouting and causing panic among the revelers. Then everybody started to get out of Koh Pich, causing the jam and the ensuing stampede.

There is no bridge collapse at Koh Pich as was initially rumored.

Expert: Accident in Koh Pich due to lack of professionalism by the festival organizers

27 Nov. 2010
By Voha Cheat
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Soch
Click here to read the article in Khmer

Regarding the tragic accident which led to hundreds of people dead and injured due to the stampede on Koh Pich bridge, experts in the organization of national and international festivals claimed that this accident was caused by the lack of professionalism by the event organizers, i.e. they could not help people in case of incident.

Cambodia organizes the Water Festival every year since the country returned back to democracy [really?] following the 1993 election. However, each of the past years, the event only brought happiness to the revelers, the number of which increased from 1 million to 3 millions, and no accident ever happened where several hundreds of people died as it does during this year’s Water Festival.

This tragic event shook everybody and forced them to reflect and analyze the event which, in the past, nobody ever thought something like this could happen.

While a number of Cambodians believe that this deadly accident was a hazard or a karmic event, experts in the organization of large public events scolded that the organization of the Water Festival, both this year and during years past, were done haphazardly, that is why so many people died like this.

Ouk Vanna, PhD in economy and tourism and member of the royal academy, said: “We did not prepare the infrastructure to work properly according to expertise, this is one problem. Maybe we just put our own people to work, or we only use the same people over and over to work, we did not include experts in our organization, be they foreign or international, to help evaluate how the risk is.”

He added that the master plan to prevent this risk should be a priority that must follow international standards, just like the study of the risk should be well done, we must organize force to protect and save that is proportional to the number of revelers or tourists, they should be well trained in each security technique in order to be prepared and to save when risks do occur, and there should be signs showing the traffic direction, they should check the traffic of people constantly, from the beginning to the end.

He said that the government should announce publicly beforehand all the locations where the events will take place, the names of the officials in charge of organizing the entire event, the names of the officials involved at each single event so that they are responsible in front of the law in case accident do take place just like it did this year. However, he said that in Cambodia, festival organizations do not follow international standards at all.

Ouk Vanna added: “The second lacking is that we can see the armed force and the security force lacks moral conduct, they lack conscience and technical skills and they lack discipline, this I am not even talking about their education yet, we are only talking about discipline only.”

Regarding the police officers stationed to protect the Water Festival, he also criticized their lack of proper discipline: “Sometimes, they do not maintain a proper guard, they look to obtain bribes to allow people in. I saw them with my own eyes, the cops took 10,000 to 20,000 riels ($2.50 to $5) in bribe. Now I ask you, if someone bad brings in a grenade or explosive, it would be very dangerous, even during upcoming forums as well.”

Chea Sokhom, the secretary of state for the national and international festival organizations committee in Cambodia, recognized one part of the criticisms and he recognized that the organization of the security forces was not proportional to the number of revelers, however, he said that in the past, such problem never takes place.

Chea Sokhom seems to be blaming the attitude and the moral conduct of the revelers instead who caused the accident in Koh Pich: “Just like on the street, they [revelers] came in drove and created the jam, and regarding this unusual event, there were people who shouted this and that and it created panic. Therefore, those who came from the east collided with those who came from the west, they came from opposite direction, they want to win over each others, they pushed and shoved each other, this created the problem.”

This view is supported by those who participated in past festivals, and they also criticized the general attitude of the Cambodian public in their current daily foot traffic, because the majority of them do not maintain a good moral conduct or conscience, they do not respect each other, they do not forgive each other that much, even when they walk they do not want to avoid each other, they rather bump into each other without apologizing, and they always fight each other. Good conscience is lacking, smile, gentleness and civility no longer exist as they used to be among Cambodians in the past.

25-year-old Srey Len, who works for a company in Phnom Penh, said: “They should change, but it depends on people also. Right now, people has developed a lot, some studied a lot, they are dignified, but others who have studied a lot also, they still behave this way. But for the majority of those who live in the countryside, when they dance Ramvong and they step on each other’s feet, they fight each other. However, in the city, there are some who do that also, but it’s only a minority.”

Chea Sokhom praised the government which organized the festival well this year, his praise is also directed to the cops, the security forces, and the medical care personnel as well: “5 to 6,000 (security force) against 3 million people, it is impossible, therefore some problems will create difficulties. Secondly, the entrance for the emergency vehicles, can they come in if there are millions or tens of thousands of people jamming the streets? Therefore, bringing in medical vehicles is a problem. If we force the medical vehicles to move fast to bring them in, then accidents would happen and this creates another set of problems, therefore, roads need to be cleared by using sirens, and there must be cops walking in front of these vehicles to clear the roads.”

However, Ouk Vanna disagreed with this opinion. He said that the majority of the fault in the stampede in Koh Pich lies on the government’s shoulder or the shoulder of the festival organization committee because in case of urgency or tragedy, the public cannot be expected to remain calm and collected. Therefore, he said that the blame lies on the government which was not highly prepared for such risk, nor was it prepared to provide emergency care on the spot.

Ouk Vanna also said: “There was no set up of multiple emergency stations on the spot. Why were we not prepared for this? For example, if there was a fire, how can the fire trucks be brought in? What is the contingency plan? There are many problems. This is only one accident on the bridge, what if there was a fire along the riverside? Normally, when there are many revelers, we must be prepared for fire as well.”

Nevertheless, Chea Sokhom indicated that this year’s Koh Pich accident is a bitter lesson for the government for the future, and the organization for future Water Festivals will be safer, but he did not elaborate on any details of his claim.

However, Ouk Vanna indicated that the government should study the venue locations and their capacity because locations along the riverside cannot accept million of revelers such as this year’s number. Therefore, the number of commercial and exposition kiosks should be reduced. As for the number of cops and security forces, they should receive expert training, both in terms of protection and providing care, and they should maintain moral conscience and discipline as well.

Pich Bridge deaths blamed on lack of offering to the spirit ceremony?

(All Photos posted on Tang Chhin Sothy's Facebook)

Offering to the spirit ceremony for Pich Bridge reopening on 08 December

07 Dec 2010
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Soch

The Phnom Penh city hall plans to prepare an offering to the spirit ceremony (Krong Pealy) for the reopening of Pich Bridge in the morning of 08 December 2010. The ceremony will be presided by Kep Chuktema, the city governor, and five Buddhist monks will be invited for the occasion. According to city officials, no offering to the spirit ceremony was ever observed before it was put to use, then the tragedy struck and led to many deaths. Due to this superstition, and under the government directive, the city authority has decided to organize this offering to the spirit ceremony in order to officially reopen the bridge on 08 Dec. Pich Bridge measures 101-meter long (~300 feet) by 8.17-meter wide (~27 feet) and it serves as an exit from Koh Pich, whereas Hang Bridge serves as the entrance to Koh Pich.

Pich Bridge opened but number of visitors down

14 Dec. 2010
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Soch

After the offering ceremony to the spirits (Krong Pealy) was completed, Pich Bridge was reopened for traffic on 08 December. However, the number of visitors to Koh Pich Island dropped by about half in comparison to before 22 November 2010 when the tragic accident took place. On Sunday 13 December, the number of visitors to Koh Pich was quite large compared to the day after the bridge was immediately reopened, but when compared to Sundays prior to the accident, the number has dropped significantly. The majority of visitors to the island are those who attend wedding ceremonies. As for visitors to come in for entertainment or for shopping, their number is very small, and the crossing of Pich Bridge is something they cannot avoid since Hang Bridge is reserved for entrance to the island and Pich Bridge is the only exit out of the island.

Koh Pich poem: No one responsibl​e for the Tragedy?

A stampede on a bridge in Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh killed hundreds of people late on Monday and wounded hundreds more many after thousands panicked on the last day of a water festival. Photo courtesy AFP / Tang Chhin Sothy

A poem on Koh Pich Stampede on Pich Bridge at Koh Pich composed by an Unknown Poet; Photos by The Khmer Kampuchea Krom Community and Google; Read by Jendhamuni Sos

On Monday November 22, 2010, 353 people died in the annual Cambodian Water Festival.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqXwdLLIMlc

Koh Pich bridge case swept down the Tonle Sap in a hush-hush investigation cover up

Xok An and the clueless investigation commission (Photo: CEN)

Investigation results for Koh Pich bridge: a clear accident case [so claimed the government]

29 Nov 2010
By Sopheak
Cambodia Express News
Translated from Khmer by Soch

The tragedy on Pich Bridge was not a planned terrorist or a criminal case, and it was not the result of electrocution either, however, it was an accident due to panic and stampede. The deaths were due to asphyxia, dehydration and impossibility to move muscles.

This is the result of the investigation conducted by the commission in charge of investigating the tragedy on Pich Bridge on 22 Nov 2010. The result was presented during a press conference held at the Council of Ministers on Monday afternoon. The highly anticipated investigation result has been made public, but there is nothing new or different from what government officials have been trumpeting all along.

Xok An, the minister of the Council of Ministers and chairman of the commission above, indicated that funds received from donors will be provided to the victims through the ACLEDA bank for security reason.

Yesterday, Hun Xen announced that there is nobody who will be blamed in this case, it is a joint responsibility due to carelessness and underestimation of situation. Like Hun Xen, Xok An also claimed that this is a major lesson for future Water Festival celebrations.

The press conference indicated that the investigation on Pich Bridge is now completely closed.

Responsibility According to Buddha's Teachings

Friday, December 10, 2010
By Cambodian Visions & Paradigm Shifts
Originally posted at http://sophanse.blogspot.com

After reading online article of "Neatee Koun Khmer" posted in ki-media.blogpsot.com, I would like to write something about how Buddha's teachings should be applied to the term "responsibility" as the discussion moderator, Koun Khmer, has focused on this week. Further more, the responsibility being discussed in the forum linked to the disaster occurred on Koh Pich during the Water Festival of Cambodia on the 22th of November, 2010.

Buddhism has been well-known for its rational explanation of all phenomena. And the core teaching of Lord Buddha substantially rests on the Four Noble Truth ie:

• the truth of the problems,
• the truth of the causes of those problem,
• the truth of those causes have its end, and
• the truth of methods using to end those causes

This Noble Truth has exactly interlinked with one another, and the extending explanation of this Noble Truth is the Law of Original Interdependence or Padicca-Samuppada.

Repeatedly, Buddha articulated the responsibility of individuals in caring oneself and caring others. By nature, people have shared this common caring with one another by family line, associations or duties.

Dhamma literally means "responsibility". Buddha explained that whenever each of us take responsible for what we are assigned for or doing for, the people and society will be peaceful and experiencing justice. It is joyful to see a mother take care her son with responsibility; it is joyful to see a policeman patrolling the zone he is assigned to prevent crimes with responsibility; it is joyful to see a judge fairly hands a verdict to the accused with responsibility; and it is joyful to see Water Festival organizers be more rigid and responsible for what was happening on Koh Pich etc. In the law of Kamma stresses on both individual actions and associative responsible persons.

Cambodian people and their society have deeply been embedded by the culture of impunity, and this impunity has distorted their self-esteem and confidence. It has also prolonged their trauma or PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder" to a long term unhealable syndromes.

Below is the collection of some video clips of the Koh Pich tragedy for our CONDOLENCE and REMEMBRANCE

Click here to watch more videos

Safety and Security: A System that can be Trusted by the People of Cambodia

Statement

Safety and Security: A System that can be Trusted by the People of Cambodia

The loss of life at the Koh Pich Bridge on November 22 shocked and saddened us all. What is always a joyous day of national celebration will now be remembered by family and friends with searing pain.

From our perspective, the pain is doubled because it is the result of human error. Large public gatherings like our Water Festival happen across the world every day without devolving into tragedy. Proper systems established by authorities ensure the safety of participants. It is precisely the weakness of our systems particularly the unreliable National Institutions that allowed this terrible event to transpire.

It is the responsibility of the elected leaders of the country to determine the exact mistakes that allowed November 22 to turn into a tragedy. These mistakes may be due to mismanagement at the event itself, as well as structural flaws in our broader approach to security. Now is the time to investigate these questions and determine the best ways to ensure that we do not allow such events to happen again.

Over the upcoming weeks and months, the Sam Rainsy Party will lead a broad effort under the heading:

"Safety and Security: A System that can be Trusted by the People of Cambodia"

We will call for national unity in order to achieve proper safety and security for all of our people.

There are two main tracks that we will pursue:

(1) Immediate relief for the families of the victims of the bridge collapse:

A Committee should be established, consisting of representatives of the victims' families and other concerned members of the community. The first task of the committee will be to establish a trust fund for the families of all victims. The fund will be administered by the committee and funded by the government and the owners of the Koh Pich island and bridge, or their insurers. The committee will also serve as a voice for the families for consultation with the government in future matters related to security.

(2) Comprehensive review of security on November 22, and recommendations for improvement:

A Special Commission of the National Assembly should be established as the primary national investigation of the November 22 stampede. This Koh Pich Special Commission should begin with a thorough investigation of the events before, during the night of tragedy and days after the tragedy. A report should be presented to the public on what happened, what security measures were in place, and how these measures were or were not implemented. Because errors in public safety allowed these events to transpire, this Commission should also conduct a full review existing legislation concerning public safety and security. After consulting with industry experts, the Commission will recommend improvements for our public security system, to be considered by the full Parliament.

The tragedy of November 22 is an unacceptable event in the public life of our nation. By taking the two steps outlined here, the SRP proposes to support the families of the victims as well as possible, and to take every measure possible to prevent such tragedies from happening again.

Phnom Penh December 2, 2010

SRP Members of Parliament

For further information contact MP Son Chhay on 012-858857

Ministry of Tourism hesitant about venue change from Koh Pich

26 Nov 2010
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Soy

In the past, the ministry of Tourism had decided to use the Koh Pich center to organize the 2011 ASEAN tourist forum which will take place between 15 and 21 January 2011. However, following the stampede accident which took place on the last day of the Water Festival that caused the death of several hundreds of people on the Koh Pich bridge, the ministry of Tourism seems to be hesitant about the venue change for this event to a new location. A secretary of state for the ministry of Tourism who did not even dare talk about this issue, told the Rasmei Kampuchea newspaper that the problem of venue change for this event is the government’s right, but if the ministry were to talk about this venue change, he was afraid it might not be true. Therefore, the ministry cannot talk about it at this time. “We are looking for calm for the condolences to the victims of the stampede first,” he said.

CCU calls on factory to pay final salary to the family of factory workers who died in Koh Pich

Rong Chhun, CCU President

25 Nov 2010
By Meas Mony
Free Press Magazine Online
Translated from Khmer by Soy
Click here to read the article in Khmer

The Cambodian Confederation of Unions (CCU), which regroups the Free Trade Union of Workers in the Kingdom of Cambodia (FTUWKC) and the Cambodia Independent Teachers’ Association (CITA), issued a request to garment factory owners to pay the final salary, as well as their additional supplementary income to the workers who died during the tragic accident in Koh Pich bridge on 22 Nov.

Rong Chhun, CCU President, indicated in his letter sent to Van Sou Ieng, the chairman of the Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia (GMAC) that the accident which took place on Koh Pich Island on 22 Nov led to more than 300 deaths and several hundreds injured. Among the victims were 28 factory workers who were members of WTUFKC, and 33 of them were also injured.

The CCU asked Van Sou Ieng to intervene so that administrators of factories where workers have died or injured could receive their last pay and that this money be handed to the victim’s families so that they can organize the funerals or pay for their medical care.