ព័ត៌មាន

Monks, Land activists, youth and CSOs garthered in front of the National Assembly

2 min read

In the morning of the 18^th of December 2014 at 8 AM, monks, community, land activists, youth and civil society organizations gathered in front of the National Assembly to called for the release of 18 activists currently in jail.

First, the group gathered in front of the National Assembly to request a response on the petition filed on the 14^th of November 2014. This initial petition was presented to the National Assembly for Ministry officials and the president of the Municipal Court to release the 18 activists who include men, women and monks.

Second, the group gathered in front of the Ministry of Justice to deliver a new petition to push the Supreme Court to retrial the 18 activists by taking into consideration the human rights of the activists, ensuring that the proceedings are just.

Finally, the group arrived in front of the Royal Palace to provide another petition to the King to intervene in the release of 8 female land and human rights activists, who part of the 18 activists. These women have been on hunger strike for the past 8 days, and they may face death without intervention as their health is extremely poor.

Update on Hunger Strike in CC2

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On December 15th, the Swedish Ambassador, Ms. Anna Maj Hultgård, met with children of the Boeung Kak female activists. The activists are on hunger strike since the 10th of December. The meeting was also attended by President of LICADHO, Ms. Pung Chhiv Kek, and STT’s Executive Director, Mr. Ee Sarom. After meeting with them, the Ambassador made a pledge to speak with other European Union embassies to urge the government for the release of the activists.

On that day, doctors and NGO workers attended the eight female activists in CC2. The women maintain a strong resolve despite deteriorating health due to the hunger strike, exacerbated by poor prison conditions.

The team of doctors also visited male activists in CC1 who are facing poor health due to substandard prison conditions, including overcrowded cells of nearly 70 inmates.

International Human Rights Day 2014

3 min read

On December 10^th, over 1,000 human rights activists (including Buddhist monks, land communities, students, farmers, union members, indigenous people) rallied in front of the National Assembly to celebrate International Human Rights Day. 5 days ago, several groups of activists began marching towards Phnom Penh from NR 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. On the 9^th of December, all the roads were blocked from entering Phnom Penh by the authorities. After hours of negotiations, the marchers were eventually allowed through. By 9:30am yesterday, all the groups had gathered in front of the National Assembly to deliver a petition to parliament.

The petition called for the government to respect human rights; to immediately ensure the laws protecting the right to peaceful demonstration will be enforced properly by all levels of authority; to allow the courts to act independently; to stop using government police forces and violence against civil and human rights defenders; and to stop forced evictions.

Demonstrators outside the National assembly carried banners saying “Respecting Human Rights Leads to Peace”. They also called for the unconditional release of the 18 activists that were recently arrested for protesting flooding in the Boeung Kak community. Many people held up posters with large pictures of the detained activists. Venerable Luon Sovath was there to show his support as well.

Voice of Democracy (VOD) hosted a live radio show on the ground and had a number of guest speakers including event organizers, indigenous people, land activists, and union leaders. Around 3pm, after the march, they held a talk show with key organizers at the VOD studio.

Ministers of Parliament (MPs) of CNRP and CPP accepted the petition and then made speeches promising to address the issues highlighted on the document. Members of both parties made speeches including Mua Sochua (CNRP), Lok Kheng (CPP), Kem Sokha (CNRP), and Sam Rainsy (CNRP).

ESCR-Net Urges Government to Free Boeung Kak Activists and Their Supporters

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On December 5^th, the International Network for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR-Net) sent a letter to Prime Minister Hun Sen expressing their concerns over the recent detention, conviction, and sentencing of the Boeung Kak Lake activists and their supporters.

Along Road 4, participants hold up a banner that reads "March for Human Rights"

Monks and Civilians March in a Country-Wide International Human Rights Day Campaign. December 5, 2014

5 min read

Date: 5th December 2014

Following yesterday’s kicking off of a large-scale Cambodian human rights campaign in Ratanakiri province, a further 6 groups of marchers have taken to the national roads across the country, aiming to converge in Phnom Penh for the 10^th December.

Along National Road 1, approximately 70 marchers started from Wat Kassa Pak, Prasat village, Prasat commune, Kampong Trabek district. There was no interference from local authorities, and marchers have been able to proceed peacefully.

National Road 2 was more problematic today – the group of approximately 80 people aimed to start from Wat Soam, Soam commune, Kirivong disctrict Takeo province. Local authorities blocked the road, and informed the group that they will not be allowed to go ahead with the peace march unless they obtain permission from the Interior Ministry.

Authorities block marchers along road 2 early this morning

According to Venerable Keo Somaly on the ground, his group decided to remain in Wat Soam there until December 9^th unless the situation resolves itself. Villagers also expressed strong commitment to stay and offered places to stay. Human Rights monitors remain onsite (STT, CLEC and LICADHO).

Marchers praying after being forbidden to walk along National Road 2.

The information for the other roads are:

National Road 3: 53 people have been marching with no interference since 7 a.m this morning, starting from Wat Dey Krahm, Chhouk, Dey Kraham village, Nimol commune, Chhouk district, Kampot province. Local residents along the way have made the group feel welcome.

Along National Road 4, the largest group of marchers (210 people from Kampong Som and surrounding communities) started at 7:30 this morning from Wat Phnom Pichnil, Treng Tra Ying, Phnom Sruch district, Kampong Speu. LICADHO and CLEC are monitoring this group, and local villagers have been warm and welcoming so far.

Along Road 4, participants hold up a banner that reads "March for Human Rights" — Along Road 4, participants hold up a banner that reads “March for Human Rights”

National Road 5 is covered by a group of 94 people (including 54 monks) and started from Wat Utum Por, Svay Chrum commune, Ro Lea Pha Eia district, Kampong Chhnang. Although some police have been deployed along the road, this has so far been for observation, and they have not expressed any antipathy towards the group.

Approximately 70 marchers left at 7 am along National Road 6, starting from Wat Trapeang Preah, Mean commune, Prey Chhor district, Kampong cham province. The previous night, the group was forbidden to stay in the local pagodas, but these were finally opened at 12 midnight.

Ratanakiri Road: following the issues of the 4^th December, whereby monks and civilians were locked out of pagodas in Kon Mom district follwoing the local authorities forbidding them access, the group of marchers decided to stay in Stung Trent overnight, and travel by car to Kampong Cham province to join the marchers along National Road 6.

Ratanakiri March Gets Underway

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Date: 04th, December 2014

The 66th International Human Rights Day (IHRD) officially began this morning for the people of Cambodia. The 5-day event has been split into 7 separate marches that will all converge in Phnom Penh on December 10th where they will submit a petition to the National Assembly.

At 7am this morning, 250 people (including monks, activists, and community members) gathered by La Ern Kren village for the Ratanakiri march—the other 6 marches begin tomorrow. The monks lead the procession to Yeak Laom Lake where they are now resting. At the lake, Venerable Loun Sovath is conducting an open discussion on human rights, land disputes, and Buddhist teachings.

The march will eventually continue on to the Poum Thmey pagoda where they will all be staying the night. Before going to sleep, the monks plan to make more speeches on human rights as well as recite poetry for their fellow activists.

Photos courtesy of Venerable Thour Thea at the march.

Photo Freom Free The 15 blog

Land Grabbing: A Crippling Consequence of Unchecked Economic Development

3 min read

-Nick Jones (November 17^th, 2014)

On November 10^th, seven representatives from the Boeung Kak Lake community were arrested while protesting flooding in their area caused by land grabbing.

“Areas near the site of the former lake have suffered from extreme flooding problems after almost 20,000 people were forcefully evicted from the area in 2008. Following the leasing and filling of the former lake by Shukaku Company, owned by Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) Senator Lao Meng Khin, flooding around the community has worsened, increasing health risks and causing damage to many homes and businesses in the surrounding community.”(STT, Nov. 12^th)

The seven activists were charged for obstructing public traffic (Article 78 of the Traffic Law). By 6pm the next day, they had already been tried in court and received a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a US$500 fine each.

Last month, the Land Research Action Network (LRAN) published a report analyzing the issues that arise from unchecked development, Keeping Land Local: Reclaiming Governance from the Market. The full briefing paper can be viewed here.

An extract from the report reads as follows:

“Over the past two decades, conflicts over land and natural resources have intensified in Cambodia, and they now threaten to turn into violent uprisings. Ruling elites have facilitated a frenzy of land and resource grabbing in both rural and urban areas, creating landlessness, homelessness and destitution on a massive scale. Large tracts of lands continue to be given away by the government to domestic and foreign companies as economic land concessions for industrial agriculture and tree plantations, as well as for mining, tourism and real estate development.”(Pg. 7)

Using economic development as a pretext for exploiting the local—mostly poor—population is obviously not unique to Cambodia. The LRAN report points to a number of other regional examples including Laos where state officials make handsome profits from timber, hydropower, real estate development, and mining. Myanmar’s recent flirtations with democracy have encouraged foreign investment with few safeguards in place to protect locals. In the Philippines, land grabbing is prevalent with long-standing elite families wanting to get involved in the relatively new investment opportunities. Sea gypsy communities in Southern Thailand are being forced out of their ancestral lands to make way for the growing tourism industry there.

A frightening amount of today’s large-scale “development” schemes are actually vehicles for the control and exploitation of the country’s natural resources, labor, and land. The LRAN report explains that this pattern stems from “the dominant development model [which] is market-led and prioritizes rapid economic growth, integration of local and national economies with regional-global markets, trade and investment liberalization, and privatization” (pg. 9). This model, inherently, should stimulate a nation’s economy. However, when weak judicial systems allow senior officials abuse their powers, the local population (particularly the rural poor) gains very little from these emerging markets—many lose their livelihoods and their homes instead.

Governments and investors guilty of practicing this kind of pseudo-development also seem to ignore the fact that the land they seize is profoundly more valuable to the native communities. The LRAN report provides a comprehensive explanation of this notion:

“For hundreds of millions of people around the world, land is much more than an economic asset. Often the sole source of livelihood, land is equally an emblem of rootedness, identity, belonging and stability and widely considered the very basis of social organization. Land, water, forests and their associated ‘resources’ are the foundations of life, culture, knowledge and collective memory in agrarian societies.”(Pg. 10)

This illustrates why citizens, like the seven activists from Boeung Kak Lake, are more than willing to fight for their rightful homes, despite the risks of excessive punishment—such as a year-long prison sentence for a traffic violation. As Cambodia’s development proceeds further down its chosen path, expect more protests and, to the government’s discredit, more examples of summary injustice perpetrated by the courts.

International Human Rights Day 2014

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To celebrate the 2014 International Human Rights Day, scores of people (including students, monks, community representative, and civil society organizations) will participate in a 5-day march to Phnom Penh.

On December 4^th, participants will drive out to the assigned starting points on five separate roads (National Road 1, National Road 4, National Road 5, National Road 7, and Rattanakiri Road) about 100km out from Phnom Penh.

The march will commence the next morning on December 5^th, after which all five groups with will eventually meet in the city on December 10^th where they will submit a petition to the National Assembly.

Staff capacity building storage online

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On 17 November 2014, ICT project of Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT) are organizing the staff capacity building on Cloud (Dropbox, Google Drive, and Sky Drive) at Development Innovation (DI). Staff capacity building aims to provide training and strengthen staff capacity in using cloud for effectively storing data and documents on online, and build a good relationship with STT’s colleagues in order to work closely for achieve the organization goals. There are 11 staffs who came from advocacy program and technical program to participated in the training.

ICT: Catalyst for Inclusive Development

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What is ICT?

]Digital technology has become a key factor to reducing global poverty—mainly because it gives the poor access to vital information, such as weather forecasts and market pricing. This is the main message of the 2010 Information Economy Report from the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), which was published on October 14th.

In the developing world, most users access the Internet on a mobile phone. Thanks to ever-cheaper smartphones, lower rates, and expanding networks, more and more people in the developing world now have Internet access. According to the International Telecommunication Union, 2.3 billion people will have mobile-broadband subscriptions by the end of 2014, with 55% of them in developing countries (ITU, April 2014).

The situation is very different when it comes to personal computers (PCs) and fixed Internet, particularly broadband access. PC use in low-income countries is rare, and almost non-existent in rural areas. “A person in a developed country is on average over 600 times more likely to have access to fixed broadband than somebody living in a least-developed country”, according to the 2010 Information Economy Report (The Economist, Oct. 16^th, 2010).

Information and communications technology (ICT) is the integration of telecommunications, computers, and other tech systems to enable users to access and transmit information. The Internet, which is just one component of ICTs, has played a fundamental role in its rapid progression.

As ICT usage has grown over the years, so has its importance to the developing world. “Information and communications technology is not a luxury but a catalyst for development, members of the International Broadband Commission agreed during the 10th meeting of Broadband Commission for Digital Development on Sunday in New York” (Devex, Sept. 22^nd). The UNESCO Director-General explained, “ICTs are a critical enabler in achieving sustainable development, education, health, and gender and other development challenges…the transformational power of ICTs is immense” (Devex, Sept. 22^nd).

Despite the success of such schemes as M-PESA, Safaricom’s popular mobile payment service in Kenya, there are reasons to be mindful of the barriers created by the use of ITC in poor countries as well. Even where people have access to a PC and the Internet, they often lack the necessary skills, in particular literacy, to use it. In fact, the adoption of ICTs can actually increase the gap between better-resourced enterprises and poorer ones, and can hinder development at a national level.

Skilled programmers in India, for example, can sell IT services around the world despite the low overall level of development of the Indian economy. India has masses of cheap, unskilled labor that ought to be attractive to companies wanting to set up low-cost manufacturing facilities. However, operating them would require at least some skilled workers, and their rising wages (created by trade in ICT services) makes it uneconomic for many manufacturers to hire the necessary talent.

To avoid this, policies to promote the use of ICT in poor countries need to be pro-poor and inclusive. Some NGOs and private companies are helping governments to do this. TechChange—a start-up that promotes the use of technology for development—“has taught more than 600 students in more than 70 countries through their online classroom. Its most popular course to date has been ‘Mobiles for International Development’”. Organizations such as Ushahidi and FrontlineSMS have created software that gives NGOs the ability to collect valuable data via text messages. Furthermore, it is now easier to provide health services to people in remote areas through enterprises such as MedicMobile (The Economist, June 27^th, 2012).

How is STT using ICTs?

STT has made its own strides in the field with its own ICT program. It aims to support community activists by securing their access to computers, the Internet, online tools, and related training while also improving STT’s research methods and evidence-based advocacy.

In July, the ICT team hosted a training seminar for 10 representatives from different communities. With the support of the European Union, STT funded the training course and bought smartphones for use in the session. The purpose of the course was to teach community representatives how to use information technology and the Internet to circulate news regarding the abuse of land rights, human rights, evictions, security, and other urban issues.

Every month, STT hosts a workshop on the uses of social media for urban poor community activists in the computer lab. By encouraging community members to use social media for advocacy, STT hopes to increase participation and awareness of urban issues in Cambodia. STT has also focused on building staff capacity with ICTs: back in August, 25 employees participated in a workshop on Internet security.

International development is no longer monopolized by Western governments fixated on building schools and hydroelectric dams. The rapid evolution of ICTs has allowed for a vast assortment of start-ups, NGOs, and entrepreneurs to provide progressive and inclusive development services around the world.

By –Nick Jones (November 14^th, 2014)

Roadblock during 2014 Water Festival

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After fatalities on the Koch Pich Bridge during the Water Festival celebration in 2010, the Water Festival was cancelled for three years. This year, Phnom Penh will host its first Water Festival since that tragic day. The event will last for three days from November 5^th – 7^th.

During the Water Festival, each province will send boats to compete in the boat races in front of the Royal Palace, bringing more than a million of people from the provinces to visit Phnom Penh. They will usually also spend time at the national parking, Dream Land, and Koch Pich.

Due to the growing of crowds of people in the city during the Water Festival, a few streets will probably be blocked from traffic such as the ones around the Night Market, Royal Palace, Chaktomuk Conference Hall, Cambodiana, and Naga World. However, you should still be allowed to walk along those streets.

Photo get from Facebook

OCIC: The Quiet Giant

3 min read

In the Chroy Changva district, the Overseas Cambodian Investment Corporation (OCIC) has been pumping sand from the Tonle Sap onto the nearby wetlands after receiving a 99-year lease from the government. The $3-billion real estate project, known as “Chroy Changva City, City of the Future,” has forced villagers in the surrounding area to relocate because the resultant flooding was destroying their homes. Nan Ony, a legal officer from the Housing Rights Task Force, believes that “this is a serious violation of housing rights” (Cambodia Daily, June 13^th). It is not the first time this company has been involved in a disputed land issue, but who are they?

The OCIC is a private firm that has a record of financing immense development ventures. In Phnom Penh alone, it has funded the construction of major buildings in the financial sector (Canadia Bank), commercial sector (Sorya Shopping Center), and residential sector (Rose Garden Condo).

Koh Pich, known as Diamond Island in English, is a 100-hectare manmade island in the Bassac River. Eight years ago, the entire island was handed over to the Overseas Cambodia Investment Corporation and “will be home to more than 1,000 condominiums, hundreds of villas, two international schools, a replica of the Arc de Triomphe, a near-clone of Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands Hotel, and one of the world’s tallest buildings” (New York Times, May 6^th). The OCIC is undoubtedly one of the biggest companies in Cambodia, and yet…

If you ever feel inclined to Google the company’s name, you will find that there is a disturbing lack of literature on it. The New York Times made the same worrying observation, stating “there is no public information available about the corporation.” Even the OCIC website is just a glorified photo gallery of their building projects (http://www.ocic.com.kh/en/). So why all the secrecy?

It is important to note that OCIC has the same owner as the Canadia Bank (Phnom Penh Post, July 1^st, 2010), Mr. Pung Kheav Se. In 2007, WikiLeaks—an international organization renowned for publishing confidential information—released a document titled “Cambodia’s Top Ten Tycoons”.

Number 10 on the list is our friend Pung Kheav Se. Apparently, Canadia Bank is the largest bank in the country and, as a result, he controls one-fourth of the nation’s bank deposits. He was also (as of 2007) the chairman of Cambodia’s Foreign Trade Bank and the Association of Banks in Cambodia, an advisory member of the Cambodian Chamber of Commerce, and a close advisor to the Prime Minister.

An extract from the article reads as follows:

Prime Minister Hun Sen is making efforts to bridge the gap between the political and private sector by cultivating mutually beneficial relationships with the country’s most prominent business tycoons. These business leaders contribute money to the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) and Hun Sen can call on them to fund charities and public works projects and to attract foreign investment, achievements for which the CPP can claim credit. In return, the business tycoons enjoy the added credibility and legitimacy of having the Prime Minister’s support. These symbiotic relationships illustrate the networks of business tycoons, political figures, and government officials that have formed in Cambodia, which reinforce the culture of impunity and limit progress on reforms such as Hun Sen’s self-declared “war on corruption.” (WikiLeaks, August 9^th, 2007)

Another interesting fact from the WikiLeaks document is that most of the people on the list serve on the board of the Cambodian Red Cross. The president of the Cambodian Red Cross also happens to be Prime Minister Hun Sen’s wife, Bun Rany. It is comforting to know that Cambodia’s business leaders all have charity in their hearts.

City Bus Lines and Stops

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Due to increase of cars and motorcycles (about 300,000 cars and 1,000,000 motorcycles in Phnom Penh today), City Hall has launched three bus lines. The bus is a more sustainable form of transport for the city because it reduces traffic accidents, congestion, and environmental pollution. The three city bus lines are: Read More

World Habitat Day March

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On October 6^th, more than 1,500 people—community members, monks, students, tuk-tuk drivers, CSOs, and other civilians—gathered near the former Dey Krahorm neighborhood for the World Habitat Day March. At 10am, the procession headed for the National Assembly to deliver a petition calling for the government to stop land and housing evictions and properly compensate those who have already been evicted. At 12:30pm the demonstration moved on to deliver the second petition in front of Wat Botum. At 2:30pm, a meeting was held at the CLEC office to reflect on the event.

Flooding in Phnom Penh City

2 min read

Flooding is a common occurrence during the rainy season in Cambodia—Phnom Penh City is no different. But why is a major city with so much urban infrastructure still flood?

Phnom Penh is seeing rapid population growth. In last 10 years, the biggest reason for the increasing population is the migration of people from rural areas who come to Phnom Penh in search of economic and education opportunities. In 2012, there were over 2,300,000 people living in the city.

The lack of a master plan is a serious factor that has led to flooding in the city. For instance, there are no required flood mitigation regulations for individual buildings in the city. While in the surrounding provinces, buildings are being built in response to the flood—raised, floating, and stilted homes—such constructions have nearly disappeared in Phnom Penh. As the city develops, many residents are left vulnerable without a master plan. About ten percent of Phnom Penh’s population have been displaced in the past twenty years. The drainage systems have to be changed frequently in order to cope with the flooding water caused by the poor urban planning.

Furthermore, filling the lakes around the city is a major cause of flooding. Lakes, such as Boeung Kak, are being filled with sand to create land for big development firms. This process raises controversial human rights and environmental concerns. For example, Boeung Kak Lake has been granted to Shukaku Incorporated Company for development, which covers nearly 90 hectares. The company has filled the lake completely, which blocked the waterways.

Compounding the issues of flooding is the lack of park space or open spaces to absorb rainy season waters. The inner Khans are home to a series of formal parks and gardens but they are often hardscape, formally planted and home to decorative, rather than functional water features.

We observed that, although flooding in the city is rarely a direct cause of death, it often damages people’s businesses, which they depend on to make a living. Some cannot work for an entire day when there is heavy rain. In addition, some people’s houses get flooded while some students miss their classes because it is impossible to drive to school.

City Hall has said they are prepared to help residents with this issue. They have installed equipment to pump the water out of the city. In addition, they have ordered authorities in each district to clean the drainage systems in their local areas.

However, authorities tend to use poor quality materials when building drainage systems. This combined with filling the lakes, and the lack of green parks has only aggravated the situation.

We would like to see the Royal Government of Cambodia to discuss this problem with all relevant agencies to find the proper solution to the intolerable levels of flooding in Phnom Penh.

Reference:

Shelby Doyle (2012), Phnom Penh City of Water, Phnom Penh (Sahmakum Teang Tnaut)

http://www.postkhmer.com/

https://urbanvoicecambodia.net/

Evictions and Architecture

5 min read

Vann Molyvann is the most celebrated architect in Cambodian history. He designed a number of Phnom Penh’s most iconic landmarks such as Olympic Stadium. He is also responsible for some of the major housing structures around the city.

Borei Keila is one such structure, but its residents have had to endure shocking conditions over the last couple of years. On January 3^rd, 2012, hundreds of families from the Borei Keila community were forcibly—and violently—evicted from their homes without warning. Police and military personnel used tear gas and electric batons leaving some people injured while others were arrested. Over 300 families lost their homes that day (The Cambodia Daily, Jan. 4^th). So why did this happen?

Phan Imex, a firm owned by well-connected businesswoman Suy Sophan, claimed to have bought the development rights to the area. They are also said to have signed a contract in 2003 pledging to build ten high-rise housing structures for more than 1,700 families. The firm ended up only building eight, which left hundreds of former residents homeless (Phnom Penh Post, Mar. 21^st).

In 2014, after two years of broken promises and demonstrations, 50 families chose to accept the government’s assurance of compensatory shelters. One of the evictees said “I think that now I need a safe home to live in temporarily, because I can’t put up with living on the pile of garbage and sewage” (Phnom Penh Post, Mar. 21^st). Sadly, things only got worse for the Borei Keila community. Officials began marking out plots in February and families were outraged when they learned that “each one measured only three-by-four metres—half the size of the four-by-six metre plots promised” (Phnom Penh Post, Mar. 21^st).

On February 14^th, tensions between the community and authorities came to a brutal climax. A small group of Borei Keila community members had occupied an unfinished apartment building to protest the inadequate replacement housing. A government security force was sent to remove them, leaving 19 people injured and two women in the hospital. Pich Limkhuon, a community representative, said that “the two badly injured women included Hath Sokchenda, 35, who is seven months pregnant and was kicked by authorities and shocked with an electric baton. Chhai Kimhorn, 35, was also kicked by police and lost consciousness” (The Cambodia Daily, Feb. 17^th).

Sam Sovann is the governor of the Prampi Makara district, whose security guards evicted the villagers along with city riot police. He vehemently disputed Mr. Limkhuon’s portrayal of the clash and insisted that the police were provoked. “We did nothing like what they accused us of. After authorities forced them to leave, a group of people incited Borei Keila people to throw rocks at our authorities, then authorities responded.” Mr. Sovann denied that the security force had anything to do with the 19 wounded people at the scene. He was then asked how the evictees had been injured. His response: “I don’t know” (The Cambodia Daily, Feb. 17^th).

If you would like to see what has become of Borei Keila, Luc Forsyth, a photojournalist, has put together a striking collection of pictures he took during a visit to the site. Here is the link: http://lucforsyth.com/evicted/

The White Building is another example of Vann Molyvann’s work. The historic structure was built as a low-cost housing project in 1963 and is now home to more than 600 families. But it is now under threat of being demolished and its tenants are in danger of being evicted.

On Tuesday, September 2^nd, Phnom Penh Governor Pa Socheatvong announced that the apartment block was condemned and would be torn down. Apparently, government officials inspected the building and deemed it unsafe to live in. On Wednesday, City Hall spokesman, Long Dimanche, said that they had informed the residents on the situation but he declined to elaborate on any of the details of the inspection. There was further mystery when Mol Narin, Deputy Director of the Municipal Land Management Department, who supposedly had conducted the inspections, said “there was an inspection in the past, but I can’t remember clearly” (The Cambodia Daily, Sept. 4^th).

Naturally, this sparked an immediate response from disgruntled tenants and supporting NGOs who are pushing for renovations rather than demolition of the famous site. On Thursday, a group of nine civil-society organizations released a statement demanding evidence of the inspection as well as for residents to be included in discussions on the building’s future. Licadho director Naly Pilorge said, “the government has an obligation to consult with both residents and civil society on development of its city” (The Cambodia Daily, Sept. 5^th).

On that same day, City Hall essentially U-turned on its resolve to demolish the White Building having considered the rapidly growing public campaign for renovations. Mr. Dimanche explained, “the objective of the city governor is not to [demolish the building]…[he] merely explained that OCIC has a satellite project at Chroy Changva [district] where there are proper homes for living in. All the apartments [in the White Building] are corrupted and could collapse” (The Cambodia Daily, Sept. 5^th). Despite these claims, the government has yet to provide any details of their investigation, leaving many to ponder its authenticity.

Admittedly, after decades of neglect, the White Building is extraordinarily dirty. But has the government considered retaining its potential as low-cost social housing? The idea of a city development plan that includes low cost housing schemes in the city, similar to those that can be found around Europe (a form of less isolated Habitation à Loyer Modéré, or HLM, found in France and Switzerland for example), integrating questions of social welfare into urban development, seem uncomfortably far from the Municipality’s concerns.

Of course, I cannot speak to the White Building’s structural stability, as I am not an expert, nor pretend to be one. Hopefully, an independent panel of engineers will be permitted to make that assessment themselves and present a report to the public. Nevertheless, this building remains a symbol of Phnom Penh’s architectural resurgence in the 1960s and is still considered one of the city’s most iconic landmarks. Anne Lemaistre, the country director of UNESCO, which works to preserve culture and tradition, believes that “every time a building belonging to this creative period is destroyed, we are erasing part of the Cambodian genius and memory” (The Cambodia Daily, Sept. 4^th).

Though the deterioration of Cambodia’s architectural heritage should not be dismissed lightly, our attention should be focused on the people living in those places. If hundreds of families from Borei Keila are still waiting for adequate compensation after losing their homes, should the residents of the White Building expect similar treatment if their apartment block is torn down?

Nick Jones (September 26^th, 2014)
- Phone: +855 17 39 12 67
- Email: vols1@teangtnaut.com

4th Flyover Bridge and Subway Development in Phnom Penh City

1 min read

Expansion and development of flyovers in Phnom Penh is a government strategy to reduce traffic jam in the city. In the past few years, the Royal Government of Cambodia has built three flyover bridges, excluding the subway at Stung Meanchey. The first was the Monivong flyover bridge, the second was the 7 Makara flyover bridge, and the third was the Stung Meanchey flyover and subway.

In early August 2014, government officials attended the launch ceremony of the Stung Meanchey flyover bridge. We observed that the people who frequently use the Stung Meanchey flyover were very satisfied with the reduced traffic.

However, only a small part of the city-wide traffic congestion has been eradicated. Recently, Phnom Penh City Hall announced plans to construct another flyover bridge near the Toul Kork Monument approach to the Institute of Technology of Cambodia (ITC) and the Department of Taxation on Russian Blvd.

The 4^th flyover bridge and subway began construction on 9^th of September 2014. The Overseas Cambodia Investment Corporation (OCIC) will be building it under the technical supervision of the Ministry of Public Work and Transport. The bridge will be 382 meters long and 15.8 meters across. The subway will be 356 meters long, and 6 to 8 meters across. The project is expected to be complete in 16 months, on the 9^th of January 2016 and will cost USD 14.5 million.

http://thmeythmey.com/index.php?page=detail&ctype=article&id=18095&lg=kh&#detail_block_read

http://kohsantepheapdaily.com.kh/article/104615.html

Waiting for the next bus

8 min read

A bus ticket in Phnom Penh typically costs 1,500 riel, which is roughly $0.40. That sounds like a great deal right? Using public transportation also helps the environment and reduces traffic congestion by reducing the number of private vehicles on the road. So why don’t more people take the bus instead of taking on the added risk of driving their motorbikes and cars through this busy city?

The answer is quite simple actually: they don’t have a choice. At the moment, Phnom Penh City only has one bus line which runs along Monivong Boulevard. If you live and work on that route, you have nothing to worry about. However, everyone else (the vast majority of residents and tourists) must find their own means of getting to where they need to go.

Thankfully, the government has recently made an effort to resolve this issue. On Monday (September 1^st, 2014), City Hall announced a significant expansion of the bus route. “Bus Line 1 – the current route, which operates from 5:30am to 8:30pm – will now run a total of 67 stops, starting from Monivong Boulevard’s Kilometre 9 near the Japanese Friendship Bridge and going south to Chbar Ampov district along National Road 1, then back up again” (Phnom Penh Post, September 2^nd).

City Hall spokesman, Long Dimanche, also confirmed that two more bus routes are to be made operational within the month. “Line 2, which will run from Phnom Penh’s night market to Takhmao town, is to begin operation on September 7. Line 3, which is to run from the night market to Choam Chao commune, is to open a week later” (Phnom Penh Post, September 2^nd). The long-term goal is to have 18 lines up and running by 2035.

There is no doubt that this is a worthy undertaking but, as to be expected with any major urban development project, you are bound to run into problems. Some problems arise before the project even gets underway. In April of this year, 17 bus drivers who worked for the Phnom Penh Sorya Transportation Company were fired for attempting to form a union.

An Arbitration Council later ruled in favor of the bus drivers and ordered the company to reinstate 15 of them and pay compensation for the other two former employees. The Sorya Transportation Company chose to ignore this decision.

On Monday, August 26^th, over 50 people from three other unions (including the aggrieved bus drivers) protested in front of the company’s offices. This demonstration blocked traffic and also prevented any buses from leaving the premises.

“Sorya Transportation general manager Chan Sophanna said yesterday that he was preparing to file a complaint with the Phnom Penh Municipal Court today or Wednesday over the protesters’ actions. ‘I think they used their right [to protest] to cross a line…they have rights, but they cannot block and interrupt my business. What they are doing is illegal’” (Phnom Penh Post, August 26^th).

Mr. Sophanna also claimed that the reason they refused to comply with the Arbitration Council decision was because there were no jobs available. Both parties seem to have arrived at a stalemate. Perhaps the additional bus lines will help alleviate this tension, though City Hall has not yet chosen which private firm will operate the new routes.

But I would like to end on a more positive note—one that looks to the future. Remember the city’s long-term goal to have 18 bus lines by 2035? Well maybe you won’t have to wait that long.

“As part of its multibillion-dollar Urban Transport Master Plan, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) unveiled a modern rail system for Phnom Penh yesterday [August 27^th, 2014] that could begin operation as soon as 2023” (Phnom Penh Post, August 28^th). Ok, so maybe that is still a very long time from now. But still, a modern train system in Phnom Penh!

“The first part of the proposed rail system would run in an east-west loop from the airport to the city centre, with the route likely to cost a total of $1.35 billion, according to the project’s own assessment…the Master Plan proposes a network of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), rail and freight routes estimated to cost $4.5 billion over 20 years – a massive sum that would be raised through donors, the city government and the private sector” (Phnom Penh Post, August 28^th).

This is a tremendously ambitious project, but it is still something Phnom Penh desperately needs when you consider this city’s constant urbanization and population growth. At the same time, it would be detrimental to overlook the people that this project may displace. Everyone involved in the last railway-related project (I am of course referring to ADB’s Cambodia Railway Rehabilitation Project) is still painfully aware of the consequences that will arise if it is not handled properly and any evictees are not sufficiently compensated. All eyes will be on the government as this plan develops and I sincerely hope they have learned from past mistakes.

Nick Jones
- Phone: +855 17 39 12 67
- Email: vols1@teangtnaut.com

Design Intervention for Urban poor community Workshop

0 min read

From the 22nd August, STT will be conducting a 3 day Urban Poor Community Design Intervention Workshop at Niroth Boeung Chhouk Community. Approximately 30 students of architecture, urban planning, engineering and other young people will take part. They will gain knowledge and skills in poor urban planning design and relocation sites, and the effects of forced eviction.

The community enumeration and mapping workshop

1 min read

On August 21, 2014 the Human Rights Based Spatial Planning project provided training to residents at Chreang Chamres I in Village2 and Village 3. The purpose of the training was for community members to understand about the advantages of community mapping, and to train them in basic map-sketching skills.The project is implemented by STT and PIN called EIDHR funded by European Union and the Czech Development Agency.

People In Need

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Design Intervention For Urban Poor Community Workshop

1 min read

Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT) presents: Urban Poor Community Design Intervention Workshop. This workshop will be held over 3 days (Friday, Saturday & Sunday) on the 22^nd, 23^rd & 24^th of August 2014. This workshop is offered to Architecture, Urban Planning, Engineering students and youth from local communities.

The workshop will focus on the community of Niroth Boeung Chhouk, which is currently an extremely poorly planned and maintained urban community in Phnom Penh. Participants will gain knowledge and skills in the following areas; poor urban planning design, relocation sites, urban development issues, and the effect of the forced eviction.

The outcome of this workshop will be that participants contribute to proposing improved urban design intervention for this community. This workshop will not only help the students professionally but will be highly beneficial to the future development of Niroth Boeung Chhock Community.

Participants are to meet at the STT office each morning at 8.00am to be transported by mini bus to Phum Boeung Chhouk,Sangkat Niroth, Khan Meanchey, where the workshop will be held.

Please email Khorn Sokkheang at kheang@teangtnaut.org

or call on 089 666 037/ 070 463454 for more information and to participate.

Public Forum On “Consultations on housing issues with community residents remaining Borey Keila”

2 min read

In early 2003, a “land-sharing” arrangement was proposed for Borei Keila, which allowed the well-connected construction company, Phanimex, to develop part of the area for commercial purposes while providing housing to the residents on the remaining land. Phanimex was obligated to build 10 apartment buildings on two hectares of land for the villagers in return for obtaining ownership of an additional 2.6 hectares for commercial development. In April 2010, Phanimex unilaterally reneged on the agreement, however – with the approval of the government – and only constructed eight buildings. The 300 Borei Keila families excluded from the original agreement had their houses demolished by Phanimex (eight community representatives were arrested at the time), and have been living on the site since then. In January 2012, the remaining community members who were waiting for the two promised buildings to be constructed had their shelters bulldozed by the company and supported by local authorities and were forced to leave the site. On August 12, 2014, the Phnom Penh Municipality organized a public forum to find a solution to this ongoing Borey Keila housing crisis at Chenla Theatre. The program was open to public participation from residents, civil society, and other relevant organizations that depend on the City Hall set up under Mr. Khoung Sreng, Deputy Governor of Phnom Penh.To keep order there, a team of City Hall officials arrived one hour before the program opened at Chenla Theatre. Approximately 300 people participated in the forum, which was chaired by deputy of Phnom Penh Governor Mr. Khoung Sreng. However, this forum was just the platform for collecting the relevant documents to be used as evidences for a final resolution in the near future. Mr. Khoung Sreng confirmed that City Hall has the resources to provide compensation to the remaining residents. He also stated that this program will be offered to citizens who present verification that they own the land to the City Hall team. There are many documents that applicants need to provide such as: grid, national list, voting card, family book, doctor certificate, and identity card. The City Hall team also recorded evidence and people’s thumbprints to confirm that they provided the necessary. Before closing, Khoung Sreng said that the purpose of this program it just to collect and verify evidence for the Borey Keila case. At the end, he also said that Phnom Penh will help the residents of Borey Keila and will strive to solve all of their problems as soon as possible.

Urban Voice for Urban Development Workshop

2 min read

On July 31, 2014, from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm, STT (under a media project of Urban Voice) organized a workshop on “The Urban Voice for Urban Development”. Mr. Ee Sarom, acting president of STT, opened the program by welcoming the participation of students, community representatives, civil society,and other related organizations. The purpose of the program was to provide opportunities for participants to post comments and exchange ideas and experiences that they have encountered in the region.

Through the Sahmakum Teang Tnaut organization, this workshop provided a valuable learning experience and an active debate forum for finding solutions to problems that the participants had encountered. Under Mr. My Sovann’s guidance, the workshop followed a pre-arranged plan to make participants aware of many other challenges that occur in the city. After the debate, STT also organized games that asked participants to use simple patterns and work together to solve hypothetical problems.

Participants and organizers all had lunch together. This included a special activity in which participants had to debate and find a way to solve different problems. After a timeout, the seminar resumed and the organizers distributed the participants into separate groups in which they shared advice on the continuing development of the city and also explained some of the lessons from the workshop.

It took nearly a full day, but the workshop was very beneficial for the participants and organizers who were all able to learn from each other. They all picked up important pieces of experience and knowledge and, moreover, participants were given the opportunity to solve problems that regularly occur in Cambodian society. Although this workshop only lasted for a day, it made everyone more conscious of the contributions they can make to this city’s social development, which is a big step in the right direction.

At the end of the program, everyone had a better understanding of the problems that occur in society and how to solve them through participation and future development. STT was delighted to provide more understanding and awareness of urban development challenges and to promote collaboration to solve issues and help people living in Phnom Penh.

Social Media Training on Email

2 min read

On 30 July, 2014, STT hosted a training seminar for 10 representatives from different communities. With the support of the European Union, STT funded the training course and bought smart phones for use in the session. The course started at 7:30am and finished at 5:00pm, and included a morning snack, lunch, and an afternoon snack.

The purpose of the course was to teach community representatives how to use information technology and the Internet to circulate news regarding the abuse of land rights, human rights, evictions, security, and other issues. Through the guidance of Mr. Nget Vanna, the program focused on helping representatives better serve their communities. The training also included a game, which used a model community to illustrate the importance of social media networks and benefits of it. Mr. Nget Vanna explained the theory with a slide show, making the information more digestible.

After almost a full day of training, it was wonderful to see the participants gain valuable knowledge through on-site testing. This exercise showed that the representatives from those communities have the capacity to teach fellow community members how to solve some their daily challenges. At the end of the program, the representatives were happy with the knowledge that they had acquired and made a commitment to solving issues in society together.

Absence of some community representatives because of participation with other Organizations,

Some of the community representative who were invited to the training seminar were absent because they had to attend meetings with other organizations. Of the the 10 community represetatives, there were 2 people who missed STT’s seminar because they were busy meeting with the Women for Peace and the Human Right organization at Sithi Hub. Even though they were absent on the 30^th, STT still trained them on August 4, 2014.The community representatives who attended were also provided with snacks, lunch, and some money for their travels.

Their training was no different from those who participated on the 30th. In the end, they received the same course and they were very pleased with the knowledge they gained. A lot of the information was new to them and so was the technology, especially regarding the use of social media.

Our final conclusion was that training for 10 representatives was extremely successful and followed the planning of the organization set up under the ICT project.