Cambodia Calling: Boeng Kak Lake Forced Evictions

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Boeng Kak Lake Forced Evictions

I should have posted this on the blog long ago. This is typical in Cambodia- forced evictions for the profit of powerful individuals. An estimated 3000 to 4000 families will be affected in what Amnesty International
says may be the biggest forced eviction in post-war Cambodia.

I had signed the petition to save Phnom Penh's Boeung Kak lake 3 weeks ago and was recently reminded of it by a friend who read my comment and asked me to be careful because this is a country which does not tolerate dissent. Here is my comment, which I thought rational and based on facts.

Diana Saw: Please consider your image in front of the international community with this forced eviction. Who would want to patronise the resort if they knew its history? "Although little known, Shukaku Inc has been linked in the Cambodian press to Pheapimex, a giant land company owned by ruling party senator Lau Meng Khin". (Andrew Nette, IPS)

Still, I know Beong Kak's history will not make a difference to the resort's future patrons. At the risk of giving Pheapmex and others an excuse to continue with their plundering, I should point out--because it would be dishonest not to--entire countries have been built on landgrabbing - such as the USA and Australia which has displaced and replaced the original population. Do people not patronise, work with or holiday in these places? Of course they do. So how do you remain unhypocritical? If you really wanted to boycott places that have a shameful history, there are many places you'd have to rule out.

Anyway, if you'd like to find out more about the Boeung Kak Lake situation, go to Save Boeung Kak.

1 comment:

Justin said...: Yeah I have been looking for a bit more info about this since I was in Cambodia a couple of years ago. I even wrote to my local student rag about it.
good to see some people are still on it.
cheers
Justin

http://digital.library.adelaide.edu.au/dspace/bitstream/2440/53085/2/OnDit2008V76N2_Part1.pdf

justin.kentish@gmail.com; 11:29 am

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