Cambodian officials deny rumours of iconic National Stadium's demolition

The iconic stadium won't make way for new buildings after the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia's site planner denied reports

22-Jun-2012

By Eric Noveanto

Goal.com

Cambodia's Olympic National Stadium, recognised as a Phnom Penh icon, appear set to remain side-by-side with the city's rapid development despite rumours to the contrary.

An official source from Canadia Bank’s Overseas Cambodian Investment Corporation (OCIC) denied the rumours of its despite which arose from the construction plan of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC),

"It would not cause any damage to Cambodian sporting heritage," said Meng Chamroeun, site engineer for OCIC’s proposed constructions around the National Sports Complex told the Phnom Penh Post. "We are currently performing maintenance work on the drainage system of the north side of the National Sports Complex.

You think he is not scared of death? - រឿងអីមិនខ្លាចងាប់ ឪអាវ៉ា?

Members of Prime Minister Hun Sen’s bodyguard unit sweep Olympic Stadium for explosive devices last Friday ahead of a friendly football match scheduled tomorrow between two teams that will be comprised of a mix of Thai and Cambodian politicians and high ranking officials. (Photo: Heng Chivoan, The Phnom Penh Post)

Protest and forced eviction of Olympic Stadium vendors

"I am pleading that when the UN [Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon] arrives in Cambodia on the 26, please take a look at Cambodia, Cambodia is a dictatorship country, Cambodia has no freedom to protest at all!" - Hak Kim Heang, a representative of the evicted vendors

Vendors protest in front of Hun Xen's villa in Phnom Penh

Demolition of the market by government forces

Authorities Move To Evict Stadium Vendors

Vendors tear down their stalls around Phnom Penh's Olympic Stadium on Friday, pushed out by plans to build offices for the National Olympic Committee. (Photo: by Heng Reaksmey)

Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh Friday, 22 October 2010

“In Pol Pot's regime, we had three days to evacuate Phnom Penh. Right now, the Cambodian regime is crueler than Pol Pot.” - Hak Kim Heang, a clothing seller

More than 100 police cleared out vendor stalls surrounding the Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh on Friday, blocking off the main roads and carrying shields and electric batons to push out those reluctant to go.

Some vendors appeared to have little time to carry their goods from the stalls, leaving behind clothes, shoes, belts and other merchandise as they dismantled their metal-roofed shops.

Other vendors shouted at the police, angry because they said they had been given notice only the day before they would have to leave.

“In Pol Pot's regime, we had three days to evacuate Phnom Penh,” said Hak Kim Heang, a clothing seller. “Right now, the Cambodian regime is crueler than Pol Pot.”

City officials say they need to clear the vendors from 10,000 square meters of land in order to build offices for the National Olympic Committee and to build a wall around the stadium.

Pa Socheatvong, deputy governor of Phnom Penh, told VOA Khmer on Friday that the city had made several announcements to vendors.

“This area belongs to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, for the development of sports in Cambodia,” he said.

Vath Chamroen, secretary-general of the Olympic Committee, said the building will provide offices for his agency, as well as the Cambodian Football Federation and other sports organizations.

He urged calm among the vendors and an understanding of Cambodia's policies to develop sport.

But on Friday, calm and understanding were in short supply. Vendors said they were left to clear out the stalls by themselves, and some accused city authorities of keeping roofs and other building materials to sell for recycling.

Yin San, police chief for Prampi Makara district, said police had been deployed to control security only. He denied his police had taken any materials from the vendors.

Market Vendors Protest Eviction

A Cambodian vendor wearing many kinds of glasses on his front shirt, cleans a sun glasses to sell in the Olympic stadium. (Photo: AP)

Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh Monday, 18 October 2010

“If the city authority postpones the removal for two more years, I have a possibility to earn the money to pay back to the bank for my house and land titles.”

Vendors at the Phnom Penh’s Olympic stadium protested on Monday against an eviction plan saying they cannot move yet as they are still in debt to the bank.

Over 300 vendors gathered in front of Prime Minister Hun Sen’s house to ask for a two-year extension before they can move to a new location.

“If the city authority postpones the removal for two more years, I have a possibility to earn the money to pay back to the bank for my house and land titles,” said Sok Sambath, a clothes seller.

Phnom Penh municipality has set October 19 as the deadline for some 1,000 vendors at eastern and northern parts of the stadium to vacate the areas to pave the way for development.

The authority has threatened to pull the stalls down “without responsibility for compensation and damage”, said a notice from the municipality.

“If the city authority pulled down the market, then I will lose my stall. I will lose everything,” said Sok Sambath.

“I do not oppose to the development project,” said Huan Sreymom, another seller. “But, first of all I will not be able to find a new place and secondly, I have loan from the bank. The authority should give me two more years. I will then sell out my goods to return the money to the bank”.

Cambodia promotes special Olympic sports event

PHNOM PENH, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport and Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation with the support from Australian Embassy held the special Olympic sport tournament on Friday at National Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh to promote the sport events in the country.

"This sport is contributing to encourage the disabled people and low intelligent people in the country and we have never abandoned them," Meas Sarin, undersecretary of state for Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport said at the opening ceremony of the fourth national special Olympic tournament.

"It also will help our next generation to promote this sport and push them to contribute their abilities for helping the society," he added. "We have never discriminated for all kinds of people," he noted.

Chap Rotana, senior member of executive committee of the National Special Olympic Committee of Cambodia told Xinhua that this year the country has over 190 special athletes joining the full-day event.

Disabled World Cup for volleyball kicks off in Cambodia

11/24/2007
Agence France-Presse

PHONM PENH -- Cambodia on Saturday kicked off its first international sporting event in more than four decades, opening the World Cup for disabled volleyball players.

More than 400 players and their supporters attended the opening ceremony for the games at Phnom Penh's National Olympic Stadium, considered an architectural monument to the country's pre-war past.

"This is the first event in Cambodia history that gives an opportunity for disabled players to show off their ability and talent," Deputy Prime Minister Sok An said at the opening ceremony.

The games themselves are a tribute to Cambodia's people, who have survived three decades of bloody civil war and the 1970s genocide by the Khmer Rouge, which has left the nation strewn with millions of landmines.

Cambodia's players are largely victims of landmines who compete using locally made prosthetics, rather than the high-tech artificial limbs available in richer countries.

Sheer determination has made the men's team from Cambodia number one in Asia, raising hopes that they will beat out five rival squads from Canada, Germany, India, Poland and Slovakia in the final match on December 2.

None of Cambodia's other sports teams can claim such success, and the country has not hosted an international sports event since the 1960s.

Cambodia's athletic institutions remain largely in disarray since the civil war ended in 1998, but the disabled league was established in 2002 and quickly found popularity in a country with no shortage of amputees.

"Although we are landmine victims, we have to stand up and compete," said 35-year-old volleyball player Phat Yuy, who lost his left leg while fighting the Khmer Rouge near the Thai border.

Despite feverish demining efforts that began in the early 1990s, Cambodia remains littered with millions of landmines and other unexploded munitions that continue to kill or maim an average of two people each day.