WLE Mekong
  • About Us
    • About us
      • Our objectives
      • Our team
      • Contact us
    • Our partners
        • Cambodian Partners
        • Chinese Partners
        • International Partners
        • Lao Partners
        • Myanmar Partners
        • Thai Partners
        • Vietnamese Partners
    • Close
  • Changes
    • Where We Work
      • Irrawaddy River Basin
      • Mekong River Basin
      • Red River Basin
      • Salween River Basin
      • View all projects
    • Our Work
      • Benefit-sharing
      • Catchments & Landuse
      • Gender & Diversity
      • Research for Development
      • River Food Systems
      • River Monitoring
      • Water Governance
      • Capacity Building & Professional Development
    • Our Research
      • Greater Mekong Dams Observatory
      • State of Knowledge Series
      • Water Knowledge Series
      • Irrawaddy River Basin
      • Mekong River Basin
      • Red River Basin
      • Salween River Basin
    • Close
  • Dialogue
    • Stories
      • Irrawaddy River Basin
      • Mekong River Basin
      • Red River Basin
      • Salween River Basin
      • Mekong Citizen
    • Greater Mekong Fora
      • 2018 Greater Mekong Forum
      • 2017 Greater Mekong Forum
      • 2016 Greater Mekong Forum
      • 2015 Greater Mekong Forum
    • Close

Mekong Blog

  • Mekong River Basin

Families, Monks Want Chinese Dam Canceled

  • Stories
  • Greater Mekong Forums
  • Mekong Citizen

Families, Monks Want Chinese Dam Canceled

Kim GehebMay 15, 2014Cambodia Daily

The Cambodia Daily, April 29, 2014

By Khuon Narim

Members of an ethnic minority community facing eviction from their ancestral homeland to make way for a Chinese hydropower dam in Koh Kong province—and the monks and NGO helping them—Monday once again urged the firm and the government not to go ahead with the project.

Hundreds of Chong families are facing eviction at the hands of Sinohydro (Cambodia) United, a Chinese firm that recently took over plans to build a 108-MW dam in the Areng Valley, in the heart of the Cardamom Protected Forest. Construction, which has yet to start, is expected to flood some 20,000 hectares, including the community’s sacred forests and a critical habitat for the en­dangered Siamese Crocodile.

“If the dam is built it will hurt our traditional ways and our livelihood, which depends on the forest,” said Has Ley, speaking at a press conference organized by the NGO Mother Nature in Phnom Penh.

Members of the Independent Monks Network for Social Justice, which has also taken up the cause, said they will soon organize pro­tests in front of the Chinese Embassy and Sinohydro’s Phnom Penh office.

The families, monks and NGOs believe Sinohydro may be using the project merly as cover to plunder the area’s trees and minerals. Some claim the project is not viable, and two Chinese firms have already pulled out.

“It’s not a real dam,” said Mother Nature cofounder Alex Gonzalez-Davidson. “It’s a project that doesn’t make any sense but it’s still going to go ahead because of corruption and other things.”

Sinohydro officials in charge of the project could not be reached for comment. Offi­cials at the provincial department of mines and energy could also not be reached.

In March, department director Pich Siyun said all the necessary studies for the project had been finished and that the affected families had agreed to resettle.

The families say they have not agreed to the move and for the past several weeks have kept watch over the only road leading in and out of the project area, preparing to block it if the firm attempts to begin construction.

Previous
Story
Next
Story

Related Stories

  • mekong
    August 25, 2013
    Conserving biodiversity, sustaining Mekong livelihoods
  • mekong
    January 14, 2013
    Companion Modelling Part 2: Starting with community concerns to achieve lasting impact
    Capacity Building
  • irrawaddy mekong red
    August 24, 2012
    River Basin Games
    Research for Development | Water Governance
  • mekong
    January 22, 2013
    Theun-Hinboun hydro plant extension to power up this week
  • mekong
    July 11, 2013
    Japan provides loan for Nam Ngum hydropower boost
  • mekong
    August 25, 2013
    Govt demonstrates transparency over Xayaboury dam
  • mekong
    March 28, 2013
    Relocated villagers to get similar payouts from Xayaboury dam builders
  • mekong
    February 12, 2013
    Aquatic conservation project commences in Lower Mekong Basin
  • mekong
    December 15, 2013
    Govt revokes agreement with Russian company on dam development
    Water Governance
  • mekong
    April 23, 2014
    Mekong nations commit to sustainability
  • mekong
    June 16, 2013
    Don Sahong dam to boost power supply in southern Laos
  • mekong
    February 2, 2015
    Increased government aid propelling growth opportunities in the semiconductor market in Vietnam
  • mekong
    February 27, 2014
    Study documents being processed for Nam Theun 2 expansion
  • mekong
    February 1, 2015
    Thailand Slips Into Deflation on Falling Energy Prices
  • mekong
    February 4, 2015
    Hydropower major revenue earner for the country
  • mekong
    May 15, 2014
    Mekong nations commit to sustainability
  • mekong
    August 29, 2013
    Developers ink concession agreement for Borikhamxay dam
  • mekong
    February 5, 2015
    China to Merge Power Firms as Nuclear Ambition Grows
  • mekong
    June 11, 2013
    Theun-hinboun spends on social measures
  • mekong
    September 16, 2012
    Don Sahong hydropower plant not yet under construction: ministry

The sustainable development of the Greater Mekong depends on the fair and equitable governance of its water.

ABOUT WLE

  • Our objectives
  • Our team
  • Our partners
  • Terms of use
  • Newsletters
  • Contact us

CO-SUPPORTED BY

WLE Greater Mekong is funded in part by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

Water, Land & Ecosystems Mekong - footer logos
© All rights reserved - WLE CGIAR
Subscribe to our newsletter SIGN UP
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkPrivacy policy