REPORTER: David O’Shea
These are some of the 4,000 families literally being flooded out of their lakeside homes because a developer wants their land to build high-rise.
WOMAN (Translation): Instead of evicting us they pump in water and flood us. - Yes, that's correct. We can't stand it so we leave.
Over 1,000 families have already left - if not flooded out, then because of the threats and intimidation. But a recent change in mood amongst the residents has taken observers by surprise.
DAVID PRED, BRIDGES ACROSS BORDERS – CAMBODIA: I am not sure what the spark was but for the last two years the entire community has been gripped in fear and they've been scared to stand up for their rights in big numbers. All of a sudden - really in the last couple of weeks - you have this groundswell of momentum and many, many, many people are coming out.
They are asking the company to grant them a part of the 133 hectare site to build new houses.
MAN (Translation): We don't want anything, just 15 hectares of land and decent houses with title deeds.
The authorities hold a dim view of this grassroots activism and broke up their meeting, held two weeks ago, to discuss the evictions. The residents took to the streets in spontaneous protest.
PROTESTOR (Translation): We are the victims of oppression. Our country has signed a convention on economic, social and cultural rights. Our country has to implement it but the government, armed forces and other authorities have violated the spirit of that convention.
SOLDIERS (Translation): Advance! Push them out of there!
Everyone knows how heavy handed the government and developers can be. In this eviction last year, before negotiations for compensation were even finished, they sent in the thugs. The residents fought back, but it was no use.
WOMAN (Translation): We paid money for these blocks, thousand of dollars, look what they have done to us by bulldozing these homes. Some were still asleep, got hurt and were hospitalised.
Over 200 families ended up being dumped on this patch of barren land. There's no power, water or sanitation, and employment opportunities, schools, hospitals and other services are miles away.
WOMAN (Translation): They give our land to the rich, so they get richer, and evict us, so we get poorer.
Their new homes, if you can call them that, are set in a depression and the whole area floods to knee-height when it rains. Land rights activist David Pred, who urged them to fight the eviction, is outraged.
DAVID PRED: I said it's criminal. They've just dug the place out. They took all the top soil off before they dumped people here. It's literally just dumping people in a ditch.
They are now making their own documents, hoping that might give them some claim to title of this piece of degraded land.
DAVID PRED: These are people that have been evicted twice in one year and they have no security that they won't be evicted again.
REPORTER: Why would they be evicted again from here? There is nothing.
DAVID PRED: You never know. It seems like all the land is up for grabs in Cambodia today.
The developer - 7NG - has left a trail of destruction in its wake and perversely, it has an incentive to continue evicting people. 7NG is also building this sprawling satellite town which needs to be filled with people, but those who have taken a house here as compensation for eviction, soon regretted the decision. This man slept only one night here before moving back to Phnom Penh with relatives. There is still no running water and the integrity of the structure is questionable.
MAN: So the company spend very, very cheap to build a house for residents of Deh Krahorm.
Out the back, raw sewage seeps into a field.
WOMAN (Translation): This one's been sold. That one's been sold. And this one.
MAN (Translation): I want to sell too.
Prices are well below what 7NG told them the houses were worth.
WOMAN (Translation): I'm alone and sick and can't go anywhere. If I sell for $5000 I won't be able to buy in the city. I have no choice but to stay. I cry all day and all night. This life is very miserable. I'll remember for the rest of my life how badly 7NG has treated us.
Just around the corner, there's a third group of eviction victims still camped out in a crude shelter. They were mostly just renting in Deh Krahorm but say they were promised land for their help dividing the community. 7NG enlisted some of them on eviction day, turning them against their former neighbours, who were holding out for a better deal. But for all their efforts, they've received nothing.
MAN (Translation): They cheated us and dumped us here, they told us to wait until the others were brought here. Once everyone was here, they ignored us.
REPORTER (Translation): The community leaders say "Talk to the company." The company says "Talk to the community."
Obviously, the community leaders find it an uncomfortable subject.
WOMAN (Translation): I don't want to comment. People have different opinions.
MAN (Translation): Mr Yan knows the story. They have land to live on now.
When I find Mr Yan, and ask him, he doesn't want to talk about them.
MR YAN (Translation): I don’t know.
REPORTER: The 58 families over there, what can you tell me about them?
MR YAN (Translation): I can’t explain, I don’t know.
REPORTER: But didn't you make a deal with them?
MR YAN (Translation): Bring me the contract papers. Show me the deal.
Mr Yan, a former motorbike taxi driver, has done well out of the company. His house is one of the biggest here and there is clearly no problem with running water at his place. The Cambodian Government knows how to treat its international visitors. They are very aware that donor countries contribute billions of dollars in development aid, including $28 million for a land titling project run byFinland, Canada and Germany. Like other major donors, these countries have a big stick to wield to ensure ethical development, but they choose not to.
DAVID PRED: They should be demanding basic environmental and social safeguards for their funding support. They should be demanding basic human rights conditions be attached to their development assistance. You have egregious human rights violations being committed against the people here in Boeung Kak, and people all around this country. Some of these donors seem to think that titling is this narrow technical activity that doesn't have anything to do with politics. That doesn't have anything to do with human rights. It couldn't be farther from the truth.
At 7NG's satellite town, a row of houses is reserved for the remaining lakeside residents. But having seen what's in store for them, they have committed to stay and fight for their rights.
MAN (Translation): We mustn't fight each other. We have to stick together. Then we will win.
WOMAN (Translation): A bundle of chopsticks can't be broken, but one can.
GEORGE NEGUS: David O'Shea filming and reporting. Naturally, we approached the developer, 7NG, for a response to the claims against them but they flatly refused, as did officials in the Land Ministry, the Council of Ministers and the Governor of Phnom Penh. Make of that what you will!? There's more on the campaign against that land scam on our website and you can replay David's original story on those Cambodians being bulldozed out of their homes. That's at sbs.com.au/dateline.
Reporter/Camera
DAVID O’SHEA
Producer
ASHLEY SMITH
Fixers
SUY SE
B
Editor
ANGUS FORBES
Translation/Subtitling
SARETH SOUK
Original Music composed by
VICKI HANSEN
12th September 2010