Location: Romtum and Robieb village, Rovieng district, Preah Vihear
Language: Cambodian
Duration: 00:6:36
Source: A24
Restrictions: A24 Subscribers
Dateline: 25-02-2022
Storyline:
Villagers in the Preah Vihear Province, Cambodia, have expressed their concern about the encroachment of gold refineries in their lands amid noticeable absence of authority action. Rights groups have warned that the fumes and emissions from the foreign gold mining companies are highly dangerous, accusing the companies of letting chemicals seep into canals and water resources in the villages. A senior villager said the poisoned water does not only affect humans, but also animals.
Shot list:
-(SOUNDBITE) Mr. Tuy Chheng (Master in the village):
“People have been occupying this farmland and living here since 2003, and the gold mining company came here in 2015.”
-(SOUNDBITE) Mr. Tuy Chheng (Master in the village):
“Delcom Cambodia Pte Ltd has been granted the right to invest in the land size of 250m x 4,000m, but currently the company owns 1050m X 4,000m.”
-(SOUNDBITE) Mr. Tuy Chheng (Master in the village):
“Xinshan has been granted right to invest in the land size of 500m X 1000m, but in 2016 this company has the land up to 1000m X 4,000m.”
-(SOUNDBITE) Mr. Tuy Chheng (Master in the village):
Therefore, the land that these two companies have expanded has affected the farmland and plantations of the villagers in three villages, namely Romdeng village, Trapeang Tontum village, Svay Damnak village.”
-(SOUNDBITE) Mr. Lor Chan (a provincial coordinator for rights group ADHOC):
The company encroached on their land and even banned the villagers from cultivating the land even though they had a legal title.
-(SOUNDBITE) Mr. Lor Chan (a provincial coordinator for rights group ADHOC):
I observed that recently, the gold mining company has encroached on the land of 20 more families. And company encroachment on people’s land is a regular occurrence in this area, the next day in that area and continues to other areas as well. So, the people living around that will be affected in one day.”
-(SOUNDBITE) Mr. Lor Chan (a provincial coordinator for rights group ADHOC):
Gold mining companies are harming the environment due to the use of chemicals. In the past, the company had caused the chemical to seep into nearby canals, endangering the health of the people who used the water as well as animal too.”
-(SOUNDBITE) Mr. Tuy Chheng (Master in the village):
The company uses a lot of chemicals that affect the environment here by emitting toxic fumes at night. Previously released both night and day. In the past, when it rained, the villagers could find fish to eat, but for the last three years, there aren’t fish, even baby of frog.”
-(SOUNDBITE) Mr. Tuy Chheng (Master in the village):
The company destroys the forest harder than the people, for farming people can leave the trees, but for the company it is cutting down all the trees for doing farming, not even small trees.”
-(SOUNDBITE) Mr. Tuy Chheng (Master in the village):
The company has already encroached on 61 hectares. Among them, there are 11 hectares of farmland, plus another 50 hectares of Romdeng villagers’ reserve forest, for a total of 61 hectares. “
-(SOUNDBITE) Mr. Lor Chan (a provincial coordinator for rights group ADHOC):
We acknowledge that every development has an impact, but the impact that it has today can be detrimental to our nation to the world. “
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