Cost of the wooden bridge : $13,605.00
PAC team while on their destination to survey a case of last year fire destruction that brought a great number of families homeless, met a resident victim, Kim Song living in a slum area in Boeung Chhouk village, Tuk Thla Commune, Sen Sok District, where their temporary shelters were allowed to settle, said “ At the end of October 2009, the land owner who has allowed all the fire victims to settle down on his land, due to his generosity, said he would like to develop his land and not allow us to stay here any longer.”
It is noted that the village houses were built on the swampy ponds where wooden bridges from bloc to bloc of houses linked together burnt down in April 2008. Some of their belongings were destroyed and one child was killed. There was no street that would allow fire tanks to access for assistance. The fire was in full swing.
All the families moved to the near-by free land and started to build temporary shelters waiting the government’s assistance. Until now there is no news from the government, especially from the Phnom Penh municipality. Mr. Chum Phanit, Representative of 450 families has appeal to any non-governmental organizations to help them build the wooden bridges in order that all villagers are able to return to their land and build their houses themselves again.
Now more than a year after the fire destroyed their homes since April 2008, the villagers have no other alternative to leave but continue to stay on the private property until the bridges are built. On the other hand they are in fear of eventual eviction made by the land owner.
PAC team this Sunday 9 August 2009 visited a slum area located at Boeung Chhouk village, Tuk Thla commune, Sen Sok district, Phnom Penh. This village is in the center of Phnom Penh city near Pheah Kossamak Hospital. All the villagers were allowed to settle here in a private land after the fire destroyed their homes on 11 April 2008, 2 days ahead of Khmer New Year. Hence more than one year, the land owner needs them to leave, because they need to develop the land.
At that time we were invited to meet a lady with a breast cancer. She is lying in her only bamboo bed in a tiny cottage. She can only sleep on her back, cannot turn left or right, but her arms can do. She speak with us gently. She told us that she is 52 years old. Her husband was killed by street accident. She has 2 children. The elder son, Narin is 17 years old and the youngest one, Nara, 13. Narin is taking care of her and Nara collects waste everyday to support the family. Villagers in the surrounding contribute some money for her living. She needs good food and financial assistance before she dies.
In recent years, many communities in Phnom Penh and other parts of the country have been affected by forced evictions. Thousands of people have been recently uprooted by development projects such as large scale evictions of the communities at Dey Kraham (2009), Boeung Kak lake, the threatened evictions of HIV affected families in Borei Leila and those group 78 community in Phnom Penh.
The evicted people from Dey Kraham, Sambok Chap, Boeung Kak, Borei Keila, Community 78 are needing the government and NGOs’ assistance, whatever assistance they can be provided. PAC has focused its much concern over their suffering, their daily difficulties in life. PAC commits to Help Evicted Residents with vocational skills training such as sewing and hairdressing.
To enhance the quality of life, moral, social and human values are the ultimate and much-needed remedy. The Rehabilitation and Vocational Skills Training is PAC objectives to rehabilitate human dignity and national values by providing them with a diversity of skills training.
The right to protection against forced evictions is part of a broader right to housing and a range of related rights. According to international law, forced eviction is a gross violation of human rights, depriving women, men and children of the human right to adequate housing.
In May 2006 over 1300 families from the neighboring Sambok Chap village and in January 2009 over 400 families in the neighboring Dey Krahorm village were evicted from their homes. 20 families with HIV-positive members have been evicted from their homes and moved outside of the city. They complained that they would be without basic services, have no means of income and lose access to medical treatment at the new location.
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The Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted by the UN in 1989 and in its The convention, in its 28 |
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preamble it has stated that children should receive special care and support in order that they can take full responsibility in the communities. Many children are living in extreme vulnerability and should be taken special care. 