Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Tonle Sap Vietnamese to stay on river for now

Tonle Sap Vietnamese to stay on river for now

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
Ethnic Vietnamese families live on the Tonle Sap river in Kampong Chhnang town. Pha Lina

Tonle Sap Vietnamese to stay on river for now

Kampong Chhnang provincial authorities announced they have allowed 750 ethnic Vietnamese families living on the Tonle Sap river to stay until July, after more than 3,000 other Vietnamese families voluntarily relocated to designated areas on higher ground.

Provincial governor Chhour Chandoeun said authorities made the decision after carefully considering the impact of relocation on the families’ livelihoods.

“We constantly think about the people’s livelihood. In this case, they have been doing cage fish farming, so if we move the cages onto land, the fish will die. So we let them keep their homes and cage fish farm temporarily,” he said.

Chandoeun added that authorities are preparing for their mandatory relocation within the next six months.

“They need to settle on land. They can keep their cage fish farm but can’t live in the area permanently,” he said.

Provincial deputy governor Sun Sovannarith echoed Chandoeun’s statement, saying: “We want them to have enough time to prepare. We will relocate them, but not their fish cages. The remaining 750 families are living in six different locations [on the Tonle Sap]. In Kampong Chhnang town alone, there are 490 families,” he said.

Sovannarith said the relocation plan will be carried out in two phases.

“First, the authority is building suitable infrastructure for those who have already relocated and who do not own any caged fish farms. The remaining families who own caged fish farms will also have to move further inland in July, but the fish farms will be maintained,” he said.

In the second phase, Sovannarith said the authority is working in conjunction with private firms to standardise the fish farms before turning them into a tourist attraction.

“We want them to remain in this place so we can study the area and their fish farming, before turning it into a tourism community where we can generate revenues from ticket sales to tourists,” he said.

Spokesman for rights group Adhoc Soeung Sen Karuna took issue with the authority’s seven-month timeline. He said those who have already relocated might protest the decision.

“For the families who agreed to relocate voluntarily, the authority needs to demonstrate why they had to move while better-off families who own fish farms remain."

“I’m worried that they may protest the unequal treatment. This is an issue that needs to be addressed. We want to see [the authority] enforce the law on an equal basis so the authority needs to explain to those who have relocated why they let better-off families stay,” he said.

Sovannarith said those who have been relocated – including ethnic Vietnamese and Muslims – are living on designated land where authorities are building infrastructure in conjunction with relevant NGOs in the country. The infrastructure projects include new roads, schools, health centres, clean water and electricity supplies.

MOST VIEWED

  • 12th Cambodia int’l film festival to see return of Hollywood star

    Phnom Penh is set to come alive with the magic of cinema as the highly anticipated 12th Cambodia International Film Festival (CIFF) takes centre stage. Boasting an impressive line-up of 188 films from 23 countries, including captivating shorts, feature films, documentaries and animation, the festival promises an

  • Brawl marrs football final as Indonesian take gold in seven goal thriller

    The Indonesian men's U22 men national football team were crowned champions of the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia, defeating Thailand 5-2 in extra time on May 16 at Olympic National Stadium in Phnom Penh. The match was marred by an ugly incident that occured in the 91

  • Bareknuckle champion wants Kun Khmer fighter

    Dave Leduc, who is the current openweight Lethwei boxing champion in Myanmar, has announced that he will travel to Cambodia this year to challenge SEA Games gold medallist Prum Samnang any time that is convenient, after their planned match later this month in Slovakia was

  • Candlelight Party disqualified from July general election

    The National Election Committee (NEC) has disqualified the Candlelight Party (CP) from contesting the upcoming general election, citing a lack of valid documentation. NEC spokesman Khorn Keomono said the CP failed to fulfil one of the three main requirements: including original documentation proving their registration

  • Thong Khon calls for orderly SEA Games closing ceremony

    Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism and permanent vice-president of the Cambodia SEA Games Organising Committee (CAMSOC), calls on all people who have received tickets to the May 17 closing ceremony of the biennial multi-sports extravaganza at the Morodok Techo National Stadium to ensure that the event

  • 1.4 billion dollar Phnom Penh-Bavet expressway due in four years

    The Government, through the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, has officially signed a public-private partnership agreement with a private company for the construction of a Phnom Penh-Bavet Expressway project that will connect the capital to Svay Rieng province. The budget for the project is