job announcement Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT)

ODK Training for White Building

1 min read

The Technical Program at STT is currently planning to conduct research on The White Building, located at Phum1 and 2 village in the Tonle Bassac commune of the Chamkar Morn district in Phnom Penh. A training was held today at STT, where 3 staff members along with 3 interns from the Human Rights Based Spatial Planning (HRBSP) project were taught how to use the Open Data Kit (ODK) system in order to collect data from the White Building using mobile technology. By using the ODK system, members of the training will be able to build a data collection survey, collect data on a mobile device and send it to a server, as well as aggregate the collected data.

Data on the White Building is being collected in order to be able to conduct feasibility studies and infrastructure upgrades. Currently the building has cracks and fissures, rooftop leaking, and blockage in the existing draining. Residents of the community also wish to improve the outward appearance of the building.

Hands on training at the STT computer lab

ICT Training Project Begins

1 min read

Yesterday, on March 18^th, 2015 STT conducted their first training session as part of the ICT Community Training Project. Ten community activists arrived at the STT computer lab in order to receive training on basic technological skills such as how to use standard computer programs. Future sessions will include how to use smartphones and different social media applications. The project will occur regularly each month until December of this year.

The purpose of conducting these sessions is to facilitate access to 3G+ devices for members in urban poor communities, which will allow their voices and opinions to be heard through social media. In the long run, the objective of the trainings sessions is to enable human rights defenders and community activists to use the best communication technology to report promptly, safely, and accurately. Through the mechanisms and strategies taught throughout the program, participants have the knowledge and means to raise any alerts when confronted by human rights violations in Cambodia.

Hands on training at the STT computer lab

ICT gives activists computer trainging — ICT gives activists computer training

Get photo from the Cambodia Daily

Joint Media Statement: “Stop Destroying Our City”

6 min read

4th September 2014

On September 02 ,2014, the Phnom Penh municipal Governor Pa Socheatvong called for the condemnation and demolition of the White Building, based on concerns about the safety of the building, stating that negotiations are underway for the resettlement of residents to the Chroy Changva district.

We, the undersigned groups, call for a full independent building safety audit assessment, with results to be made available to the affected families and civil society. The results of this assessment should inform a public consultation with the White Building residents and civil society regarding a development plan for the site.

We also call for the reconsideration of the demolition of the building and resettlement of affected families, urging the Phnom Penh Municipality to consider onsite upgrading as the priority option for the White Building. The site is home to approximately 600 families, some of which have been living there since the re-settlement of Phnom Penh in 1979. To this end, Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT) and residents of the White Building have already been carrying out upgrading works – including safety upgrading to the stairwells, roof reparation, and painting of the interior communal areas.

“The Municipality must carry out onsite upgrading instead of demolishing the White Building. Phnom Penh’s heritage belongs to our capital’s residents. The City Hall should respect the residents’ right to the city.” Ee Sarom, Acting Executive Director, Sahmakum Teang Tnaut.

We hereby wish to highlight that the resettlement site under negotiation in Chroy Changva district is located in the outskirts of Phnom Penh, and the relocation of families will undoubtedly affect their livelihoods due to the decrease of income generation opportunities andseperation from essential services in the city (health and education facilities). In the undesirable case that resettlement is decided upon, we call for the Phnom Penh Municipality to follow international human rights conventions on resettlement, such as the United Nations Right to Adequate Housing.

“Without adequate housing, residents of the White Building including children, will not be able to live in decent manner. The government has an obligation to consult with both residents and civil society on development of its city.” Naly Pilorge, Director, LICAHDO

While the municipal Governor is making statements affecting 600 families, we wish to highlight that important stakeholders such as residents of the White Building community and civil society have not been consulted about this condemnation and resettlement plan. Historically, matters concerning the White Building have not been transparent – as shown by the site’s exclusion from the adjudication area for preparation of the Systematic Land Registration Process carried out in 2011 (as well as 6 communities from Tonle Bassac commune).

The situation for families’ remains uncertain as the municipality is not sharing any information. White Building resident, Keo OrRyroth, expressed the concerns of those affected: “I first heard about this decision to demolish our homes on Hangmeas TV on September 1, not through the government. I have never seen or heard of anyone coming to carry out safety checks, and I am very worried about us all having to move from here. I have lived here since 1979 and I don’t want to move – especially as the roof is fixed now and the leaks have stopped. If the majority of residents decide to leave, I will have to as well – but only with appropriate compensation allowing us to buy a new property in the city centre.”

For more information, please contact:

Mr Ee Sarom, Acting Executive Director (Sahmakum Teang Tnaut), Phone: (+855) 89 666 036, Email: sarom@teangtnaut.org (Khmer and English)

List of civil society groups who endorse the joint statement:

Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO)
Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT)
Housing Rights Task Force (HRTF)
Community Peace building Network (CPN)
Community Legal Education Center (CLEC)
Equitable Cambodia (EC)
People In Need (PIN)
Cambodian Youth Network (CYN)
Cambodian Food and Service Worker Federation (CFSWF)
Coalition of Cambodian Farmer Community (CCFC)
Independent Democracy of Informal Economy Association (IDEA)
Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR)
Building Community Voice (BCV)

You also can find the original statement here (Khmer version and English version)

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.

What is Open street map

OSM Workshop at Development Innovation Cambodia

1 min read

On 05-06, July 2014, there are around 25 participants come from different universities are attending the Open Street Map at Development Innovation which organized by Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT).

The goal of the workshop is to train university students to know how to update OSM and to build commitment among them to further update the urban poor community map in Phnom Penh to become increasingly visible on OSM.

The first day of workshop provided the great opportunity for participants to learn about theory and practice on OSM and GIS. In addition, the participants have a chance outreach to poor community for tracking data, which related to poor community housing and street under the coordinated by workshop organizers.

On the second day, participants will take the data from community in order to upload it into OSM to make a community map. We, workshop organizer expected that participants would learn about GIS, OSM, and increase more interest on OSM. In addition, the human resources on OSM and the data on map will increase; especially the data on urban poor communities have been demonstrated on the OSM to enhance the land secure in the urban poor communities.

Mam Sonando and His Supporters Expel

1 min read

On January 27, 2014 at 8:00 am, director of the independent broadcast Radio Beehive, Mr. Mam Sonando and his supporters approximately 2,000 gathered and rallied at Dragon Bridge nearby Freedom Park, requesting for the Ministry of Information to allow Radio Beehive to have its own TV station and nationwide broadcasts.

At 9:40am, Mr. Mam Sonando led his supporters to march to the Ministry of Information in order to submit a petition asking to set up the relay for Radio Beehive broadcasting and a new TV station. Thousands of his supporters and other people joined the march around Wat Phnom, past the US Embassy to the Ministry of Information. The protesters were blocked by military police and security guards during their march past the US Embassy, but the protesters pushed forward.

At about 9:40am, Sonando and his supporters reached the Ministry of Information—and the rally continued even though the Ministry did not come to receive the petition from Mr. Mam Sonando.

After that, about 10:00am, almost a thousand riots police, military police and security guards equipped with shields and electric batons stood in line and gathered with police shields. This mix of police used smoke-grenades and beat protesters, which made people run away to escape from the smoke and beating. Fortunately, Mr. Mam Sonando was evacuated without being injured.

The Ministry of Information did not receive the petition. At least 10 people were injured after having been beaten. Some people were immediately sent to the hospital. Media and human rights observers were onsite.

Marching for Peace in Cambodia

0 min read

On December 09, STT staff monitored the marching for peace on national road number 3. There were about 80 participants, including Buddhist monks gathered on the street, walking directly to Steoung Meanchey district. Finally, they arrived Steoung Meanchey at 5:00 pm and stayed in a pagoda overnight.

Noticeably, the march came from Kompot province for the last few days toward to Phnom Penh.

During the march, people were holding Buddhist and Cambodian national flags, while others were holding banners, demanding for respect human rights.

Here are some pictures of marching activities:

Student Workshop: Design as Activism – Apply Now!

1 min read

Design as Activism: Community Upgrading
Workshop and Design Competition
18-20 October 2013

Sahmakum Teang Tnaut invites Architecture Students from public and private universities in Cambodia to participate in a workshop focused on finding community-driven solutions to adequate housing and sustainable development. The workshop will expose participants to the reality of life in urban poor communities and encourage them to use their skills address challenges identified.

The workshop will feature a combination of lectures, field visits, and group work led by STT staff and guest lecturers. Students will work directly with representatives of urban poor communities to identify challenges faced by the communities, and develop design proposals to address the issues. Following the 3-day workshop, participants are expected to develop their proposal for final submission on Nov. 15. The three best designs will subsequently be awarded and all submissions will feature in an exhibition in January 2014.

To apply, please e-mail kheang@teangtnaut.org with your CV and letter of motivation. Further information can also be obtained by calling 089 666 037/ 070 46 34 54.

Applications close Oct. 15, 2013.

Note: The workshop is free of charge but spaces are limited. STT will cover all costs related to the workshop.

Social Media Training Kicks Off

1 min read

The first in a series of four workshops on the use of social media for community activists and youth took place on Aug. 2 at the Phnom Penh Institute of Technology. The first workshop covered the basics of the internet – what it is and how it can be used – as well as how to set up e-mail accounts with secure passwords. Although the workshop experienced one of the many challenges to accessing the internet in Cambodia – a power cut – all participants said they learnt something new and were keen to attend the next workshop (and do their homework in between!).

End of the Line

0 min read

End of the Line: Impacts of Resettlement Under the Railways Project in Phnom Penh, a new report by Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT), reveals Phnom Penh Households relocated as part of the ADB- and AusAID-funded railways rehabilitation project have been harmed. Using resettlement expert Michael Cernea’s theoretical framework, the report shows how Project partners failed to mitigate well-established risks associated with resettlement, to the detriment of the living standards of the people affected.. You can access the media statement released in conjunction with the report’s publication on Jul. 4, 2013 here.

Download the report here: High resolution version (12.6MB) / Low resolution version (2MB)

Media Statement: The Boeung Kak concession should be a solution for all remaining residents

3 min read

The Boeung Kak community and the undersigned civil society groups call for the inclusion of all remaining families into the 12.44ha concession area by the former lake. A new plan unveiled today by the community shows in detail how this could be achieved in a just and equitable fashion.

On Aug. 11, 2011, Prime Minister Hun Sen signed Sub-Decree No. 183, awarding 12.44ha of the Boeung Kak lake area to the community, which since 2007 has been involved in a land dispute with Shukaku Inc., owned by CPP Senator Lao Meng Khin. Since then, 631 families have received titles for their land. However, over 70 families, whose homes are not located within the confines of the concession zone as outlined in the Sub-Decree, have been excluded.

Today the Boeung Kak community is launching a detailed plan for the inclusion of all the excluded families. Following cooperation with local urban NGO Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT) in 2012, it has been established that over 400 plots, covering more than 2ha, are vacant within the concession zone. STT’s June 2012 report Outside the Lines thus makes the case for solving the years’ long land dispute by giving each excluded household a plot within the 12.44ha area.

Since publication of the report, the Boeung Kak community has continued to work with STT to develop a more detailed plan for the inclusion of the excluded families. The plan unveiled today illustrates how excluded households with different sized plots could all be accommodated within the 12.44ha concession. The plan outlines how each excluded household in Villages 1, 6, 22, and 24 can be awarded one 64m² plot, and identifies 30 unassigned plots that can be further distributed to households who currently have larger plots and therefore require more than one plot within the concession zone. The plan also distributes a number of larger plots to 13 households from Village 1, who owned large plots of land prior to their entire village being covered in sand in 2010.

As an alternative solution, the plan also shows how the inclusion of an additional 1ha area in Village 22 to the concession would allow 18 households to stay at their current location, while housing for a further 56 households could be built in the area.

“We believe this plan presents a win-win solution,” said Chan Putisak, representative of the excluded households. “We believe the Prime Minister intended Sub-Decree No. 183 as a solution for all the remaining residents in Boeung Kak; we have now pro-actively developed this plan to make that vision reality.”

“Forty-eight of the excluded households agree with this plan; we are hereby asking the Municipality of Phnom Penh and the Royal Government of Cambodia to engage with us so that it can be implemented,” said Phann Chunreth, Representative of Village 22.

“This land dispute will be ongoing until a solution is found for all the households,” said Khek Chanraksmey, Representative of Village 21. “The households who already have titles in the concession zone fully endorse this plan, as we want to see an end to the land dispute and return to peacefully develop our community.”

Civil society actors also hope the publication of the plan will encourage all parties to negotiate for a solution.

“While this plan does not solve the problems faced by the 3,500 families already evicted from Boeung Kak, it is an eminently viable and practical solution for the excluded households,” said Ee Sarom, Programmes Coordinator at STT. “Of course there will still need to be negotiations and further development of the plan, but we hope all parties can see this as a starting point for concrete dialogue.”

“This is a no-brainer; a straight-forward solution to a long-running land dispute,” said Eang Vuthy, Executive Director of Equitable Cambodia. “Moving forward on this plan would really demonstrate the government’s commitment to solving the problems affecting its citizens.”

League of Boeung Kak Women Struggling for Housing Rights

Cambodian Food and Service Workers’ Federation (CFSWF)
Cambodian Independent of Civil-Servant Association (CICA)
Cambodian League for the Promotion & Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO)
Cambodian Workers’ Center for Development (CWCD)
Cambodian Youth Network (CYN)
Coalition of Cambodian Farmers’ Community (CCFC)
Community Legal Education Center (CLEC)
Equitable Cambodia (EC)
Housing Rights Task Force (HRTF)
Independent Democracy of Informal Economy Association (IDEA)
People’s Action for Change (PAC)
Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT)
Social Action for Change (SAC)

Media Contacts:

Chan Putisak, Representative of Village 1. Tel: 012 910 023
Tep Vanny, Representative of Village 22: Tel: 012 604 648
Ee Sarom, Programmes Coordinator, Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT), Tel: 012 836 533
Yeng Virak, Executive Director, Community Legal Education Center (CLEC), Tel: 066 777 000
Eang Vuthy, Executive Director, Equitable Cambodia Tel: 012 791 700

New research calls for more inclusive urban growth and development

4 min read

Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT) has released two new reports examining the development of Phnom Penh; ‘A Tale of Two Cities; review of the development paradigm in Phnom Penh’ and ‘Resettling Phnom Penh: 54 – And Counting?’. Read More

Tale of Two Cities | Resettling Phnom Penh

0 min read

Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT) has released two new reports examining the development of Phnom Penh; A Tale of Two Cities: review of the development paradigm in Phnom Penh and Resettling Phnom Penh: 54 – And Counting?

Phnom Penh as a metropolis and the capital of Cambodia abounds in opportunities and challenges. Amidst a booming economy and rapid urbanization, a sobering addendum is the increasing spatial and economic inequality inherent in the city’s development process. ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ and ‘Resettling Phnom Penh’ explore different facets of that inequality and its implications for the long-term liveability of Phnom Penh.

Outside the Lines

0 min read

Outside the Lines, a new report by local urban NGO Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT), proposes a viable and practical solution for the households excluded from the 12.44Ha concession in Boeung Kak. The report shows that the households arbitrarily excluded from the 12.44Ha concession could easily be included in the concession zone, by allowing some households to move inside the area as well as through a small revision of the concession’s boundaries.

Losing the Plot

0 min read

Local urban NGO Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT) has released a new report entitled Losing the Plot: Rapid Assessment of Household Debt in Trapeang Anhchanh. Based on interviews with 12 households relocated to Trapeang Anhchanh site as part of the ADB and AusAID-funded railways rehabilitation, the report sheds light on one of the most tragic outcomes of what has been presented as an aid project: the unmanageable debts taken on by relocated households.

Outside the Lines

9 min read

Railways Relocation: Six Women Tell Their Stories

0 min read

STT’s latest Facts and Figures publication, entitled Railways Relocation in Phnom Penh: Six Women Tell Their Stories has now been published. The publication features several widows’ direct narratives about how relocation to the project’s Phnom Penh relocation site Trapeang Anchang, some 20-25km outside the city, has affected their lives.

In the meantime, the ADB has claimed that compensation rates – defined in 2006 – reflect current market rates and that “[a]t every relocation site, households are also provided with individual lots equipped with sanitation facilities, as well as electricity and water supply connections.”

You can find Facts and Figures in PDF

Rehabilitation of Cambodia’s Railways: Comparison of Field Data

0 min read

Jul. 4, 2011, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Local urban NGO Sahmakum Teang Tnaut has released a new report entitled Rehabilitation of Cambodia’s Railways: Comparison of Field Data. The report, which is a final draft pending possible expansion of its scope, compares independently gathered household data from four communities located along the tracks in Phnom Penh to data gathered by the Inter-Ministerial Resettlement Committee (IRC) in charge of the resettlement of households along the railways.

Based on comparative data from 70 households, the report finds significant and widespread anomalies in the data gathered by the IRC. In the majority of cases, data collected by STT shows households are eligible to receive higher rates of compensation than those proffered by the IRC. Main findings include systematic downgrading of structure types leading to lower compensation rates, a higher number of affected households than the IRC, and discrepancies in living allowances proffered by the IRC.

Independent report raises questions about railways compensation

6 min read