Despite the Funan Techno Canal groundbreaking in a month, villagers remain in the dark about compensation and livelihoods.
KANDAL, CAMBODIA — With the groundbreaking ceremony for the controversial Funan Techno Canal project scheduled for next month, residents living in the project area said they had not received any notifications on resettlement or compensation, leaving them with an uncertain future.
Rumors have been spreading among villagers living on the banks of the Prek Takeo stream in Kien Svay district in Kandal Province, which will be part of the controversial Funan Techo Canal project.
Commune members believe their houses will soon be wiped off the map to make way for the canal and they may be left with nowhere to go. This has made some villagers reluctant to support the project.
Choum*, 31, is one of those. Her family has lived on the quiet banks of the Prek Takeo stream for three generations.
Recently she has noticed authorities and foreigners frequently visiting her commune. It has becoming increasingly apparent that they came to study her area. But she has never received any explanations about what they are doing there.
“[We] don’t know when and how they will do it [construct the canal],” she said, fearing she would lose her home and her small bakery business.
Inadequate public consultation and a complete lack of on-ground information have not only sparked panic among locals about losing their homes and livelihoods, but also undermined the project’s reputation, despite the Cambodian government’s efforts to promote the canal as a new economic engine.
Continue reading on: Residents demand fair compensation for Cambodia’s canal project | Mekong Eye (mekongeye.com)
*Note: Pseudonyms were used for villagers who gave interviews to the author due to safety concerns.
This article was originally published in the Mekong Eye, authored by Sameang Chea, a fellow in the Mekong Thought Leadership and Think Tanks Program.
*Photo: A fisherman and his family guide their boat towards their home in Prek Toal community in Cambodia’s Tonle Sap. Photo: Sameang Chea.
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