Riverside Refugees
Due to the devastating flood in 2011, Cambodian government decided to start the Siem Reap river widening project for cleaning the rubbish and building a sewage disposal system. However, This project affected villagers who lived along the riverside since Khmer Rogue regime. They have to move out from their homeland to the Som Boun village, a relocation site located 4 km from the river. Although having the money and 7 x 15 meter plots of land for compensation, many families don’t want to move to the new faraway home which lack of facilities such as school or hospital.
About 600 families have already move to Som Boun village in April 2012. Furthermore, 300 or 400 families will be relocated in the future before the finish of the project in November 2014.
About 600 families have already move to Som Boun village in April 2012. Furthermore, 300 or 400 families will be relocated in the future before the finish of the project in November 2014.
The village in the south of Siem Reap river which will be the next target to move out. One of the families said that they don’t want to relocated to the new place because they have the motorcycle repairing shop here which hard to find the customers in the new village.
A villager is fishing for his dinner in the south of Siem Reap river. Relocated to the relocation site, not only leaving from their familiar atmosphere since they were young, but people who live with the river entirely of their lives also have to change their lifestyle, living without the place where easily to find the food such as fish.
Villagers gather in the coffee shop for talking and having breakfast in the morning. This lively scene can be seen along side the river. The strong living community is one of the things that may be washed out when they must moving out from their old place.
An old lady sitting in her house near the Siem Reap river. She is one of the many villagers who decided not to migrated to the new place. So, she spent the compensation money from government to buy the new house. Even though people can living near the riverside after the eviction, difficult to finding the place and the expensive cost to build the house are the obstacles for the one who don’t want to go out from the city.
The demolition of the village shown in a mobile phone from a illager. In late March 2011, the government came to clear out the Aranh Sakor village located along the riverbank. People have to move out without notice before, while the deadline for eciction is April 1, 2012. “We really pleased for moving out but prematurely pulling down our houses is not the good way”, a women who shown the picture said.
A women is taking a bath from the pump in the riverbank construction site. The project is still under the way for widen the river from the north to the south of Siem Reap river.
The land that already cleared out for the project, waiting for the excavators to craving the bank of the river for widening the way for water and getting rid of the rubbish which came from the houses.
The Som Boun village, a relocation site for people who move from the city. Living in the unaccustomed conditions is the hardest part for villagers to adapt their lives, for example, no river for fishing or lack of social atmosphere.
A boy on the street of Som Boun village. Isolation is the living condition which villagers have to face. Besides, faraway from the heart of the city which difficult to travel to, the most of the people who moved out from the river are not living in this place. So, for the people who have no choice have to stay in this lonely circumstance.
Many houses in Som Boun village were built separately from the other one. Instead of living in jobless in the city, some people happy to move to the new village with compensation money and free land from the government.
Abandoned houses can be seen everywhere in the village. Because of lacking place for work, many people decided to leave their houses to another city for finding jobs. The another reason is the houses were built for sale, while the owner is still living in the city.
The land which prepared for the people who will move to the village in the future. About 300 - 400 families that lived along from the south of the river to Tonle Sap will be relocated to this village in the early of 2013, depend on the progress of the river widening project of Cambodian government. This project will be finished in November 2014.