Rainsy called out on Areng
Activists protesting against the impending construction of the
Stung Cheay Areng Hydropower Dam in Koh Kong province have given
opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party president Sam Rainsy an
ultimatum: show us proof the project will not proceed or we will take to
the streets of Phnom Penh.
Rainsy told reporters in October, following a meeting with Prime
Minister Hun Sen, that the premier had assured him the controversial
project could be “postponed to the next term to let the next generation
decide”.
“Sam Rainsy has to show the written evidence. He has to confirm with
Prime Minister Hun Sen again, in writing,” Heng Samnang, an activist
with the Khmer Youth Empire, said during a press conference in Phnom
Penh yesterday. “The two party leaders said they would not build the dam
in this mandate, but [Minister of Mines and Energy] Suy Sem and the Koh
Kong provincial authorities did not follow this and they still continue
[to move ahead with the project].”
On Tuesday, two representatives of Sawac Consultants for Development,
a firm contracted to carry out the environmental assessment in Areng,
tried to reach the isolated valley along with several soldiers, but were
blocked by villagers.
This week’s standoff was the latest in a series of escalated actions
carried out by activists and local villagers – which began with a road
blockade in March – to stop representatives of Chinese state-owned
engineering firm Sinohydro Group and its contractors from conducting
feasibility studies of the dam’s potential impact.
The dam would displace about 1,300 ethnic Chorng people, according to
government figures released in October. The local affiliate of
Sinohydro has two of the country’s most influential tycoons on its board
of directors, including ruling Cambodian People’s Party Senator Lao
Meng Khin.
Ven Vorn, an ethnic Chorng community representative from Koh Kong
province, called on the government to order soldiers who have been
posted to the valley to leave and for the project to be officially
scrapped.
“They deploy soldiers in the area to protect the company and transport logs out illegally and they threaten people,” he said.
Samnang of the Khmer Youth Empire said that the community would wait
for four days for Rainsy to respond to their request before beginning
street demonstrations “as a last resort”.
“We would like [Rainsy] to answer our questions by Sunday. If there
is no resolution, we will commence the demonstrations,” Samnang said.
Nhem Punharith, a CNRP spokesman, declined to comment. Rainsy and
other party representatives, who are currently abroad, did not respond
to an emailed request for comment by press time.
Ith Praing, a secretary of state at the Ministry of Mines and Energy,
declined to comment yesterday, but in a September 30 press conference
said the project would proceed if the feasibility studies produced
positive results.
Two other Chinese companies – China Southern Power Grid and China
Guodian – backed out of the project after completing environmental and
social impact assessments.
China Guodian wrote in its annual report for 2013 that it had
cancelled the investment because it found the project would not be
“economically viable”.
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