Last days at the lake?

Nov. 29, 2010. As sand continues destroying homes in Boeung Kak’s Village 1, residents of Village 22 are facing increased pressure by authorities to accept the compensation offered and leave the area. Previously, villagers have reportedly received a notice, signed by Khan Governor Sok Sambath, urging them to accept compensation within seven days from Nov. 17 or face “strict measures”. While that deadline has come and gone, and several residents have accepted compensation in the meantime, remaining residents now say company representatives together with local authorities are visiting residents’ homes and photographing them in front of their houses, ostensibly to verify that they have not built new structures since a 2005 survey conducted by the local authorities.

According to an amateur translation of the Nov. 17 notice #1014:

“The District Governor of Daun Penh would like to inform the residents who living in village 22 (in BKL development) in Srah Chork commune that:

The Government of Cambodia has permitted policy to the City Hall of Phnom Penh and Shukaku Inc company to resolved the residents who impact from the Development of Beoung Kak Lake by the last the committer has resolved to two villages Phum 2 and Phum 4 already.

The District office, therefore, to fast to resolve by the policy the Government of Cambodia and the City Hall of Phnom Penh and to defend to destroy, ruin, or lost of property and avoid the accident to the living of the resident the Governor of Daun Penh request the resident in Phum 22 hurry to communication the policy of committee at office in Srah Chork commune, Khan Daun Penh, Phnom Penh central in time work within 07 days commencing the date of this notice.

The Governor District of Daun Penh strict measures will be taken by the authority who won’t beresponsible for damages or lost of property.

The Governor District of Daun Penh hope that your spirit, (brothers and sisters) are willing to take part in the planning of development in order to reserve to public and carrying out this notification.”

In the meantime, 24 families living along the railway in Village 1 are in limbo. Shukaku Inc. is refusing to pay them compensation, referring them instead to Toll Royal Railways, the Australian-Cambodian joint venture that has a 30 year concession for the Kingdom’s railways. It remains unclear who the families should turn to. You can read the Phnom Penh Post’s coverage of the issue here.

Lakeside Families Rebuff Offer

Nov. 25, 2010. The Phnom Penh Post reported:

“Representatives of 12 families set to be evicted from the Boeung Kak lakeside’s Village 22 rejected a compensation offer yesterday from developer Shukaku Inc, complaining their village chief had intentionally withheld a letter outlining a deadline for a settlement to pressure negotiations.

The representatives said they rushed to the office of the Boeung Kak Development Committee yesterday after a letter dated November 17 from Daun Penh governor Sok Sambath giving them one week to negotiate compensation was delivered to them just one day before the due date by village chief Men Sokha.

The group, representing 80 families, has consistently said they do not want to negotiate a resettlement package unless an existing cash compensation offer of US$8,500 was substantially increased.

“However, our discussion was not successful because the committee did not agree with our request. They tried to force us to receive compensation of $8,500 to leave our homes,” village representative Sok Tongheng said.

Another representative Ros Sovan said the Boeung Kak Development Committee had previously assured him that a resettlement agreement could be negotiated over a longer time frame provided he agreed to move into temporary accommodations.

“We were very worried when we received this letter,” he said, adding that he had told authorities he was willing to wait as long as it took to negotiate a resettlement offer.

According the group, the letter states that the villagers must come to a compensation agreement by November 24 or “the authorities will take legal action and will not responsible for loss of or damage to any of your belongings, if you do not follow this notification”.

Men Sokha, chief of Village 22, denied he had deliberately withheld the letter yesterday.

“I also had just received this letter from Srah Chork commune authorities on November 23 as well. I immediately distributed it to the villagers,” he said.

But In Sophorn, Srah Chork deputy commune chief, said that she had sent the letter to local authorities on Tuesday of last week.

“If they want to cooperate we will extend the deadline.”

She confirmed authorities were willing to house the villagers in temporary accommodation while negotiations took place over a possible resettlement offer, but declined to specify where they would be temporarily relocated.

“This time we want them to discuss with us at the office on Friday in order to find a way to solve the issue together,” she said.

Government: “it’s normal that development affects people..’”

The Phnom Penh Post wrote on 8th November 2010 that local residents feared a developer was set to resume sand pumping on at the Boeung Kak lakeside that has submerged dozens of homes since last week, with homeowners held off at gunpoint. Ty Pisey, a resident of the lakeside’s Village 1 in Daun Penh district, said company representatives had halted pumping and told villagers they had three days to collect their belongings. Last week, according to local rights group Adhoc, roughly 40 homes were submerged over three days of pumping by Shukaku Inc, a firm developing the lakeside that is owned by Cambodian People’s Party Senator Lao Meng Khin. “I am not sure when they will start pumping again,” Ty Pisey said. “The deputy district governor asked us to meet with the company and the municipality, but they always turn us away and tell us to talk to other people.” Daun Penh district deputy governor Sok Penh Vuth said he had no authority to intervene in the matter.
“The company has the right to invest,” he said. “It is normal that development affects people, so they should take the compensation.” http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2010110844555/National-news/boeung-kak-homes-lost-under-sand.html

Flooding Continues

Nov. 3, 2010. Boeung Kak residents met at the sand pipe which continues spewing sludge into Village 1 to protest against the ongoing violation of their rights and to call for a halt to the pumping.

In what has become a standard response, police soon arrived at the scene. More unusually, a nephew of Yay Phou also made an appearance on behalf of Shukaku Inc. In discussions with the residents he however stated he was unable to bring the pumping to a halt and that they would have to take their complaint to the chief of the company.

In other news, residents report Shukaku has now moved its office to a more central location in the community, where it continues to pressure residents to accept compensation. Residents say they have been threatened with receiving no compensation whatsoever if they do not agree to Shukaku’s current offers.