You Can Take My Lake, But Not My SpiritMr. Ee Sarom, August 2012

The Lake

The People

Some 4,200 Boeung Kak families live in nine villages around the lake before 2007

The Company

• Name: Shukaku Inc. • Contract: 99-year lease for

133 hectares around Boeung Kak

• Price: US$79 million• Owner: ruling CPP party

Senator Lao Meng Khin • Chinese link: State-owned

Erdos Hung Jun Investment Co., also invested

The Royal Cambodian Government

• The Government rubber stamps the lease by changing the status of the land to legalise the contract with Shukaku

• Adequate reasons for change of status are not provided

• In fact, the change renders the Shukaku lease null and void.

The Options

• Cash compensation of US $8,500 (market value is more than 99%)

• Plot 25 km outside Phnom Penh (no infrastructure, no schools, no hospitals, no employment)

• “On- site re-development”, but only after five years of temporary residence in a relocation site.

The Struggle

• Legal appeals are denied• Peaceful demonstration are met with violence

and legal threats • The homes of those who refuse to leave are

flooded and destroyed

The Bank

• In September 2009, community representatives submitted a complaint to the World Bank Inspection Panel

• The World Bank Inspection Panel found in favour of the residents

• Following government inaction to address the issue, the World Bank froze new lending to Cambodia in early 2011

The Plan • No plans for onsite development were presented to

the community• With STT’s help, in late 2010 the community

developed its own plan, calling for 15 ha of the area to be given to the community

The Result• On Aug. 11 2011, Prime Minister Hun Sen signed

Sub-Decree No. 183, awarding 12.44ha of the Boeung Kak lake area to the remaining community, some 650 families

• But over 90 households are excluded

The Jailing

• The excluded households demand to be included

• The community – including families who already have land titles – support them

• 15 activists are arrested• 13 jailed and convicted to 2.5 years in prison• A massive local and international campaign

launches starting May 22

The Release

• Throughout the campaign, STT works with the community to map out the 12.44 ha concession and vacant plots inside it

• The land survey shows there is a vast number of vacated plots inside the concession

• This means the excluded households could easily move inside the concession

The End?