Khmer Rouge bastion tourist site

Anlong Veng (Photo: AP)

Mar 5, 2010
AFP

PHNOM PENH - CAMBODIA'S government said on Friday it was designating the final Khmer Rouge rebel stronghold a historic site for international and domestic tourists.

The cabinet approved a sub-decree to 'preserve and develop' Anlong Veng in northern Cambodia, the final centre for the Khmer Rouge before the movement was defeated in 1998, a statement by the government said.

Anlong Veng will be made a 'historic tourism site for national and international guests to visit and understand the last political leadership of the genocidal regime.' Among the anticipated attractions is the spot where late Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot was unceremoniously cremated under a pile of garbage and rubber tires in 1998, after he was purged from the movement.

Other attractions are a munitions warehouse, homes belonging to former Khmer Rouge cadres, and the fenced-off area where Pol Pot spent his last months under house arrest.

Officials have been planning since 2000 to transform Anlong Veng into a showcase of the communist regime's final days. The tourism ministry has picked out some three dozen sites of interest in the isolated hilly area.

Prime Minister Hun Sen also asked cabinet officials to compile a guidebook to the area and his 'win-win policy' to defeat the Khmer Rouge, the statement said.

Tourism: The islands of temptation

04 March 2008
By Ky Soklim
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from Khmer by Luc Sâr

About 10 islands were already leased to private companies for tourist development. The government hopes to attract new visitors in this manner, but the protection of the environment should not be put in the back burner.

Two islands offshore of Sihanoukville were recently leased to private companies. Along with these 2 latest islands, the number of leased Cambodian islands and islets amounted to 11. At the end of 2007, six islands were leased to seven private companies. This phenomenon could accelerate: “the development of islands becomes a catalyst for attracting more tourists,” a communiqué dated 28 February 2008, from the Council of Development of Cambodia (CDC) explained. This communiqué was made public during the signing of the latest lease contracts for the two islands offshore of Sihanoukville. The kingdom – which attracted 2 million visitors in 2007, and 3 million are expected to visit in 2008 – seeks in fact to diversify its tourist attractions which, for the moment, is concentrated mainly on the Angkor Temple.

The Royal Group Co. Ltd. Telephone Company, led by Kith Meng, just obtained the lease of the Koh Rong Island. His project to develop an eco-tourist site extending over 7,826-hectare is estimated to cost several million dollars.

With similar objective, the Koh Russey Resort Co. Ltd. (KRRC) Now has access to 76-hectare of the total of 137-hectare of land on Koh Russey Island. KRRC plans to invest $48 million. The two concessions extend over a period of 99-year. Both of the leases underscore the lack of information regarding the upcoming development plan. None of the two investors want to reveal their plan.

Cambodia counts 55 islands altogether. “They attract millionaires who want to settle there,” said Touch Sieng Tana, a member of the committee for economic and cultural observation of the Council of Ministers. However, tourist development of these islands is not simple. “They require experienced investors.”

Moeung Sonn, Director of the Eurasie Travel agency, said that he is in favor of the diversification of tourist zones, but he reminded that the protection of the environment should not be neglected. “Development and conservation must go hand in hand,” he suggested. The CDC also adopts the same attitude. “The investment zone and the protected zone must be separate from each other, deforestation must be avoided.” Furthermore, these areas should not be filled nor built with concrete everywhere, otherwise, the tourists will flee from these so-called eco-tourist zones.