Community residents regain land in Phnom Penh

After years of struggling the residents in Boeung Kak Lake won some of their land back. It was a great victory. However, 94 families were left out of the deal. “But we are stronger now; we understand our force when we stand together. We will continue to stand together; there is still a long battle ahead”, says Heng Mom, a woman activist in the community, one of those who did not yet regain her property.

23.01.2013

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In 2007, the Government of Cambodia agreed to lease Boeung Kak Lake for development to a private company called Shukaku Inc., owned by ruling party (CPP) Senator Lao Menh Khing.

The decision led to thousands of families being threatened by forced evictions. The families affected were offered 8,500 USD or a flat located 25 km from the center of Phnom Penh in compensation. Many protests were organized by the lakeside residents against the local authorities. Protesters mainly women, elderly, boys and girls were beaten, arrested, and detained in the police station. Many thought it was a struggle they were doomed to lose, but they soon proved what an organized, empowered and determined community was capable of achieving.

In September 2009 community representatives, assisted by some NPA partners working against forced eviction (HRTF, STT, and BABC), filed a complaint to the World Bank’s Inspection Panel, arguing that the 4,000 families facing eviction from their homes had been unfairly excluded from a Bank-funded land-titling project in 2007. The families were denied the protection of World Bank safeguard policies when their land was illegally leased to a private company. After a thorough investigation the Inspection panel found that the Boeung Kak residents’ claims were valid. The Panel concluded that the World Bank’s failure to properly supervise the titling project made the Boeung Kak lake families more vulnerable to forced eviction.

World Bank President Robert Zoellick used the full extent of the Bank’s leverage to compel the Cambodian government to respect the rights of the Boeung Kak residents. Finally, after ignoring the community’s plight for years, Prime Minister Hun Sen on August 17, 2011 issued a sub-decree carving 12.44 hectares out of the development zone to be assigned to the remaining 800 families. However, it was later known that 94 families were left out of the deal.

Heng Mom, one of the women activists, has been living with her family in Boeung Kak since 1993. The controversial development of Boeung Kak has affected her life.

“There was no consultation with the affected families”, she says, “and the compensation was imposed to all”. Like the other residents she was offered 8,500 USD or a flat 25 km away from Phnom Penh. Together with her husband she decided to join the other residents in their protests. 

“I keep struggling to live on my land, in my house, and to keep my small grocery business in the city”, Heng Mom continues. “Otherwise my family will drown in poverty. 

As a result of her struggle, her husband lost his job as a policeman.

“I am happy to see that most of the families protesting have got their land back, but I am still left out of the deal. I want to know why some of us were excluded. I have all the required documents, including my ID card and wedding card, but still they deny my rights as a resident of Boeung Kak Lake”, Heng Mom continues.

“During the 2008 national elections the local authorities promised that if the CPP won nobody would be evicted, but after the election they forgot their promise. We have learned a lesson, but we are stronger now, we understand our force when we stand together. We will continue to stand up together, there is still a long battle ahead.”