11 April 2008By Ung Chansophea and Kang Kallyan
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French by Luc Sâr
At the end of a lottery organized for the distribution of land plots, the beneficiaries were asked not to sell their land immediately.
In the morning of Friday 11 April, a lottery was held for the distribution of land plots promised to the 39 families from the Samaky village who were victims of the riverbank collapse along the Tonle Sap River. For this occasion, Man Chhoeun, the deputy-governor of the city of Phnom Penh, traveled there, and the event took place under a good ambience.
“We are satisfied with this aid which comes right on time, just when we lost everything,” said Sim Sorn who just received the No. 26 land plot. “I am satisfied to own a house now, complete with the land title,” said Sorn’s neighbor who was standing next to a blue tent shelter, located in a school where the families of the victims are currently relocated temporarily. Currently, none of the villagers have yet visited the land plots promised to be granted to them located in Tuol Sambo.
During the lottery, Kim Ratana, the deputy director of the Catholic NGO Caritas, took the opportunity to make some announcements in order to reassure the families about their future. To start with, Caritas promised to provide foods and clothes for the families for one month. Next, Caritas also promised to build one house for each family, as well as water wells. Finally, about 50 children will also receive education material. Later on, Caritas will provide loans to those who want to start their small businesses “because Caritas is aware that this new life in another village will have an impact on the villagers daily life,” Kim Ratana said. “The majority of the villagers work in construction,” said Ouch Tum, a fish seller.
At the conclusion of the lottery, Man Chhoeun warned the beneficiaries by telling them “not to sell their house (immediately) to return back to the same place they lived before.” To add weight to his warning, he asked the 39 families to take an oath at the end of the meeting.
Regarding the landslide, while some still continue to believe that it was from natural causes, others are convinced that it was caused by the nearby sand dredging operations made by private boats. “There were no such incident in the past, but since they started dredging sand, the number of collapses increases,” one villager said.
In the morning of Friday 11 April, a lottery was held for the distribution of land plots promised to the 39 families from the Samaky village who were victims of the riverbank collapse along the Tonle Sap River. For this occasion, Man Chhoeun, the deputy-governor of the city of Phnom Penh, traveled there, and the event took place under a good ambience.
“We are satisfied with this aid which comes right on time, just when we lost everything,” said Sim Sorn who just received the No. 26 land plot. “I am satisfied to own a house now, complete with the land title,” said Sorn’s neighbor who was standing next to a blue tent shelter, located in a school where the families of the victims are currently relocated temporarily. Currently, none of the villagers have yet visited the land plots promised to be granted to them located in Tuol Sambo.
During the lottery, Kim Ratana, the deputy director of the Catholic NGO Caritas, took the opportunity to make some announcements in order to reassure the families about their future. To start with, Caritas promised to provide foods and clothes for the families for one month. Next, Caritas also promised to build one house for each family, as well as water wells. Finally, about 50 children will also receive education material. Later on, Caritas will provide loans to those who want to start their small businesses “because Caritas is aware that this new life in another village will have an impact on the villagers daily life,” Kim Ratana said. “The majority of the villagers work in construction,” said Ouch Tum, a fish seller.
At the conclusion of the lottery, Man Chhoeun warned the beneficiaries by telling them “not to sell their house (immediately) to return back to the same place they lived before.” To add weight to his warning, he asked the 39 families to take an oath at the end of the meeting.
Regarding the landslide, while some still continue to believe that it was from natural causes, others are convinced that it was caused by the nearby sand dredging operations made by private boats. “There were no such incident in the past, but since they started dredging sand, the number of collapses increases,” one villager said.
