First they don’t have enough food to eat, now they don’t have clean water to drink: Fate of Khmer soldiers at Ta Krabei temple

Cambodian soldiers at Ta Krabei temple fell ill due to lack of clean drinking water


23 May 2011
By Hang Savyouth
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Soch
Click here to read the article in Khmer

Cambodian soldiers, stationed at Ta Krabei temple and who are prepared to fight with Thai soldiers, indicated that some of them are facing diarrhea because they use dirty water and they also asked for donation of clean water for their daily use.

Currently, Cambodian soldiers, who are defending Cambodian borders in the Ta Krabei temple zone, indicated that they have to pump water from wells along the slope of the hill for their use, and the water is not clean and contains large amount of calcium which affects their health condition.

A soldier, who declined to give his identity and who is now in combat station at Ta Krabei temple zone, said in the afternoon of Sunday 22 May that some of his comrades in arms came down with diarrhea and vertigo after they drank and used water from the wells which contains large concentration of calcium. The water was pumped from wells along the slope of the hills: “The amount of calcium is about half a cup, I boiled it and drank it, it didn’t taste right. Everyday, we have a dire need, we use this water for drinking and for shower as well. We can pump it to there only, then we have to use a container to carry it up to here. When there is a fight going on, we can’t go fetch the water at all.”

The Cambodian army commander in the region recognized that his soldiers stationed in Ta Krabei temple really face clean drinking water shortage.

Cambodia faces safe water, sanitation challenges

March 22, 2011

PHNOM PENH (Xinhua) – While Cambodia is working hard to improve the access to safe water, the issue remains its challenge, a statement from UN office in the country said Tuesday.

"Some 85 percent of the population having access to safe water, among which 76 percent in urban areas," the statement said.

However, it said the situation is not as good for those living in urban slums where they have difficult access to state supplied water.

Furthermore, some 90 percent of population in the country have access to sanitation and 81 percent have toilets, according to the UN office in Cambodia.

Lack of Clean Water, Sanitation Costs Millions: Group

By Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
03 August 2009

The lack of clean water and sanitation is costing Cambodia around half a billion dollars every year in poor health and a loss of tourists, a study has found.

In a discussion titled, “Water is Medicine,” Jaehyang So, manager of the World Bank’s Water and Sanitation Program, said that a study commissioned by the organization on economic impacts caused by the lack of water and sanitation shows that Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam lose around $9 billion every year.

“All of a sudden, the lack of sanitation became not a problem of the poor person that doesn’t have access to sanitation, but it became a real constraint to economic growth in the country,” she told an audience of health experts and policymakers last week in Washington.

In Cambodia, knowledge and access to sanitation and clean water are limited, while less than 30 percent of rural population has decent latrines. But advocates say their knowledge about sanitation has increased in the past year due to many campaigns to raise their awareness.

“Nowadays we focus our campaign on three points: firstly, building rural toilets; secondly, washing hands with soap after going to the toilet and eating food; and finally, drinking safe water and keeping their water at home safely,” Chea Samnang, director of the Ministry of Rural Development’s rural sanitation department, told VOA Khmer by phone Thursday.

Diarrhea is still the main disease caused by a lack of sanitation and clean water and is a leading cause of death in Cambodia and other countries around the world.

So said poor health, disease and the loss of tourists who won’t come to a country without proper sanitation cost Cambodia $488 million a year.

“With this information the government could truly understand that in addition to providing sanitation for every household and every citizen of Cambodia…they could not afford not to provide that sanitation, because without sanitation Cambodia was losing seven percent of GDP,” So told VOA Khmer.

Experts estimate that the lack of sanitation and clean water kills some 1.5 million children every year worldwide, while even small investments to counter the problem can save lives.

Local people flee amid concern of Cambodian-Thai armed confrontation

By Xia Lin, Liu Lu, Long Heng

PREAH VIHEAR, Cambodia, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- Some local residents have been fleeing from the area near Preah Vihear temple amid concern of armed confrontation between Cambodia and Thailand after a deadly clash on the border last week.

"Three members of my family have moved back to Kandal province and I stay here to look after my small souvenir shop in front of the temple," local businessman Srun Sokhorn told Xinhua on Monday.

Some people living at the bottom of the mountain also fled, but some others did not. They watch movies and boxing matches on TV at small cafes, Srun Sokhorn said, adding that about 200 of 319 families still stay here.

"We hope the situation will be normal soon so that I can run my business again," he said.

Local residents are facing shortage of clean water, he said, so they made tent reservoir to collect rain water.

Some children are facing flu from bad weather at the mountain area near the Preah Vihear temple, Kim Ratana, said a doctor at the Preah Vihear provincial health office.

"We are treating a soldier who was infected with malaria," she said.

Meanwhile, the Cambodian and Thai troops have become friendly to each other, after the armed clash killed two Cambodian soldiers and wounded more Thais on Oct. 15 near the Preah Vihear Temple at the border area, officers told Xinhua on Monday.

"They are shaking hands, talking to each other and asking about daily food," said Thol Sovan, deputy military commander of the Cambodian side at the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara Pagoda, which is situated on the only way leading to the temple.

They have good relationship and both troops at the pagoda didn't exchange gunfire on Oct. 15, he said.

"The Thai side didn't (dare to) shoot at us here, because we were all around them at that time," he said.

But Thai soldiers elsewhere shot at us, he said, while pointing at newly fired branches of the jack fruit tree in front of the pagoda.

Meanwhile, Thai military major Apichaut Poo Paud told Xinhua that the troops themselves are like brothers and don't have problem with each other.

"We have good cooperation and relationship," he said, adding that 10 Thai soldiers and two interpreters stay in the pagoda compound.

In other places, Cambodia and Thailand are keeping the same number of soldiers, he added.

Srey Doek, regional military commander of Cambodia, told Xinhua that the situation near the temple is now normal and calm.

However, the number of both troops within the territory is roughly estimated at more than one thousand, he added.

After the Oct. 15 armed conflict, both troops have agreed to conduct joint patrol of the border area, but the two governments have postponed their talks from Tuesday (Oct. 21) to Friday (Oct. 24) to find peaceful solution for their border dispute.

In other developments, the engineering unit of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) is rebuilding and expanding the current road to the Preah Vihear Temple.

"They are rebuilding the road single direction first to provide easiness for travelers and will also construct a few small bridges over the streams at the area," said Chan Thoern, receptionist working at a neighborhood hotel near the temple.

As the renovation ends, the road is expected to become double direction and remains the only way running along the mountain to the temple, Chan told Xinhua.

"With the road completed, it will be much easier for us and tourists to access the temple, although there are still some steep places," said Chan, who came from Kampong Cham province to help his uncle run his business.

Prime Minister Hun Sen, the government and some charitable people have funded the reconstruction, according to the reports of Chinese-language daily newspaper the Commercial News.

Tourists used to arrive at the 900-year-old temple from the Thai side, as the traffic facilities there are well-built.

In addition, the land price at the bottom of the mountain where the 900-year-old Preah Vihear Temple is situated atop, has been increasing rapidly, since it was awarded world heritage status by UNESCO in July, residents said.

"Here will be another popular destination for tourists," said taxi driver Sean Kim on Monday.

A piece of land measuring 1,000 square meters used to sell at 2,000 U.S. dollars, but now is up to 10,000 U.S. dollars, he said.

"I hope the government will build a market here soon," said Sean, adding that there is no bus station, either.

It is difficult to find a taxi car here leaving for the town or nearby province Siem Reap, he said, adding that current taxi car service and food are all expensive.

Local food vendor Neang Kheng said that the price is high because everything is brought from other provinces and the road is poor for transportation.

"Food is simple here, just drinks, rice, instant noodles, pork, fish and vegetables," she said.

The current military face off between Cambodia and Thailand has almost stalled the life at the foot of the mountain, she added.

In July, tensions ran high after the ancient Preah Vihear Temple was awarded world heritage status by UNESCO, angering nationalists in Thailand who still claim ownership of the site.

The tension later turned into a military stalemate, in which up to 1,000 Cambodian and Thai troops faced off for six weeks.

In early October, at least one Cambodian soldier and two Thai troops were wounded during sporadic exchange of gunfire and two other Thai soldiers were seriously injured after stepping on a landmine at the border area.