A Cambodian private ship dredges sand in the middle of Mekong river near Phnom Penh, Cambodia. (Photo: AP)Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Washington, D.C Thursday, 13 May 2010
“There is no evidence that basic environmental safeguards have been applied, with boats reportedly turning up and dredging sand, often in protected areas, with no local consultation.”The watchdog Global Witness is warning in a new report that Cambodia continues to export millions of tons of dredged sand despite a government ban and the potential environmental risks.
The report, “Shifting Sand,” says Singapore’s demand for Cambodian sand is undermining environmental and governance efforts in the country and threatening the coastal environment, endangered species, fish stocks and local livelihoods.
Global Witness fingers two ruling Cambodian People’s Party senators, Mong Reththy and Ly Yong Phat, as having received sand extraction licenses “behind closed doors” and “gaining control of an industry worth millions of dollars.”
“Once again, we have not seen any revenue reaching the government’s account,” George Boden, a researcher for Global Witness, told VOA Khmer.
Global Witness has rankled the government on several occasions, reporting on a “kleptocratic elite” who are close to the prime minister and control lucrative trades in timber and other natural resources.
Ly Yong Phat could not be reached for comment.
Mong Reththy told VOA Khmer he had government permission to build a seaport in Koh Kong province, which required dredging. But he said he was not selling the dredged sand.
The report comes a year after a sand-dredging ban by Prime Minister Hun Sen, which Global Witness called a “mockery.”
“There is no evidence that basic environmental safeguards have been applied, with boats reportedly turning up and dredging sand, often in protected areas, with no local consultation,” the group said in a statement.
Boden said donors, who provide as much as half the government’s national budget, have failed to hold the elite to account for the loss of natural resource wealth that could lift the populace from poverty.
“Global Witness is calling on Cambodia’s donors to use a forthcoming meeting to lean on the Cambodian government more to ensure the money from the sale of natural resources reach government accounts and benefit ordinary Cambodian people,” he said.
Government spokesman Phay Siphan called the report an “attack” and said the policy of the government is that “any income must go to the national budget for development.”
He declined to comment on other aspects of the report.
Global Witness reported that at least 790,000 tons of sand from the coast are monthly shipped out, at a price of about $26 per ton, and that Singapore, the world’s largest importer of sand in 2008, has expanded its landmass with fill by 22 percent since the 1960s.
Global Witness said Singaporean demand for sand had created problems for the coastlines of Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam, prior to Cambodia.
In a statement Monday, the Singapore National Development Ministry said, “We do not condone the illegal export or smuggling of sand or any extraction of sand that is in breach of the source countries’ laws and rules on environment protection.”
The statement said Singapore has not received official notice from Cambodia on a ban on sand exports.
8 comments:
They won't stop doing it until Phnom Penh city will be falling in the giant hole made from that uncontroled activity.
That is the Land for sell, they sell what they can.
It is a better idea if Hun Sen sells the whole Cambodia to us, we will make your country become developed, it is a waste for a beautiful country with dumb people. Hun Sen asks the money an we will make you happy.
Singapore citizen
យួន២នាក់រកស៊ីបូមខ្សាច់ទន្លេនាំដល់តុលាការឱ្យទៅផ្ទះបាត់
ដោយ ៖ កោះឯករាជ្យ
ថ្ងៃ ព្រហស្បតិ៍ ទី ១៣ ខែ ឧសភា ឆ្នាំ ២០១០
យួន២នាក់ត្រូវព្រះរាជអាជ្ញារងអនុញ្ញាតឱ្យពួកគេទៅផ្ទះ វិញយ៉ាងរីករាយ
ខេត្ដកណ្ដាល ៖ កោះសន្ដិភាពបាន ចេញផ្សាយ១លេខក្នុងទំព័រខាងមុខ ដោយដាក់ចំណងជើងថា “ចាប់ខ្លួនជនជាតិវៀតណាម២នាក់ រកស៊ីបូមខ្សាច់នៅទន្លេមេគង្គ ហួសចិត្ដអ្នកបំផ្លាញមិនមែនខ្មែរ ” ដែលយួន២នាក់នោះត្រូវបានសមត្ថកិច្ចនគរបាលក្រសួងមហាផ្ទៃចាប់បញ្ជូន ខ្លួនទៅសាលាដំបូងខេត្ដកណ្ដាល នៅរសៀលថ្ងៃទី១២ ឧសភា ក៏ត្រូវដោះលែងឱ្យទៅផ្ទះវិញ ។ ព័ត៌មានដែលបានចុះផ្សាយនៅលេខមុននេះ គឺនគរបាលក្រសួងមហាផ្ទៃកាលពីថ្ងៃ ទី១០ ឧសភា បានឃាត់ខ្លួនជនជាតិយួន២នាក់ ដែលគេអះអាងថា ជាថៅកែទូកម៉ាស៊ីនបូមខ្សាច់១គ្រឿងអត់ច្បាប់ បានធ្វើសកម្មភាពបូមយកខ្សាច់បាតទន្លេមេគង្គលក់នៅត្រង់ចំណុច ភូមិសាស្ដ្រឃុំសណ្ដា និងខ្ពបអាទាវ ស្រុកលើកដែក ខេត្ដកណ្ដាល ដែលជាបទល្មើសជាក់ស្ដែង ហើយត្រូវក្រុមហ៊ុន២ ដែលមានអាជ្ញាប័ណ្ណស្របច្បាប់ប្ដឹងឱ្យនគរបាលព្រហ្មទណ្ឌក្រសួងមហាផ្ទៃ សហការជាមួយអាជ្ញាធរមូលដ្ឋានឃាត់ខ្លួន ។
លោកវរសេនីយ៍ទោ ឈាង មុនី ប្រធានការិយាល័យនគរបាលព្រហ្មទណ្ឌក្រសួងមហាផ្ទៃ ឱ្យដឹងថាករណីនេះលោកបានកសាង សំណុំរឿងបញ្ជូនជនជាតិយួន២នាក់ពាក់ព័ន្ធ រកស៊ីបូមខ្សាច់ទន្លេអត់ច្បាប់ទៅសាលាដំបូងខេត្ដកណ្ដាល ដើម្បីឱ្យលោកព្រះរាជអាជ្ញាធ្វើការចោទប្រកាន់ និងឃុំខ្លួន ព្រោះជាបទល្មើសជាក់ស្ដែងធ្វើឱ្យខូចខាតធនធានធម្មជាតិ ។ ជនជាតិយួន២នាក់នោះម្នាក់ឈ្មោះ វិន យ៉ុងង្វៀង ភេទប្រុស អាយុ៣៧ឆ្នាំ និងម្នាក់ទៀតឈ្មោះង្វៀង យ៉ាំងយិន ភេទប្រុស អាយុ៤៣ឆ្នាំ ពួកគេមានអាសយដ្ឋានពិតប្រាកដនៅប្រទេសវៀតណាម និងមានមុខរបរបូមខ្សាច់លក់តាមដងទន្លេ ។ លោកវរសេនីយ៍ទោបានឱ្យដឹងទៀតថា ការឃាត់ខ្លួនជនជាតិយួន២នាក់នោះ សមត្ថកិច្ចបានធ្វើការដកហូតទូកបូមខ្សាច់១គ្រឿង យកទៅរក្សាទុកនៅអធិការដ្ឋាននគរបាលស្រុកលើកដែក ជាបណ្ដោះអាសន្ន ដោយឡែកម្ចាស់របស់វា២នាក់ ត្រូវបានបញ្ជូនទៅសាលាដំបូងខេត្ដកណ្ដាល ។.............
I undeniably like what SenVarman and his CPP patriotically do Kampuchea..
First, stole and sold any Angkor's stone...
Sold all Khmer national treasures.
Sold forest and land..
Alas! Now, sand!!!!!!
What else can they sell next?
Ah Hun Sen sold everything in Cambodia. First ruby, then prostitutes, then forestry, then land, then corruption, then sand, then Bunrany, then his daughters.
Please stop selling all of our resources. Sand is priceless, once you removed, it is irreplaceable. What we got right now, we must maintain it for our future development, not shipping it out to another country and let them have the benefit of our downfall!. If the really want lots of sand, they need to go to middle east, they have mountains of sand and will never run out of it. why coming to khmer? is it because we are vulnerable or unable to make the decision? and then taking advantage of us?. Why? please do the right thing for the righteous will live forever and the wicked will be terminated. Aust
if they try to deepen dredge sands from cambodia's mekong river, the sands should be used in cambodia, not illegal export to singapore, ok!
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