A Change of Guard

សូមស្តាប់វិទ្យុសង្គ្រោះជាតិ Please read more Khmer news and listen to CNRP Radio at National Rescue Party. សូមស្តាប់វីទ្យុខ្មែរប៉ុស្តិ៍/Khmer Post Radio.
Follow Khmerization on Facebook/តាមដានខ្មែរូបនីយកម្មតាម Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/khmerization.khmerican

Friday 29 June 2012

Cambodian villagers protest controversial Laos dam


PHNOM PENH
Fri Jun 29, 2012 
 
(Reuters) - Cambodian villagers demonstrated on Friday against a controversial Lao hydropower dam that activists say is being built in defiance of an agreement to assess its potentially damaging impact on millions of people first. About 200 villagers whose livelihoods depend on the Mekong River urged a halt to the Thai-led construction of the $3.5 billion Xayaburi dam, which has angered Cambodia's government and triggered a rare rebuke by Laos's biggest ally, Vietnam.
"This dam won't just affect the people in our country but will also affect many parts of Laos," said Buddhist monk So Pra, organizer of the protest in Kompong Cham province, 124 km (77 miles) from the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh.
The Xayaburi dam is one of dozens planned as part of Laos's aggressive push to boost its tiny $7.5 billion economy and become the "battery of Southeast Asia" by exporting the vast majority of its power.
Foreign governments are concerned Laos is prioritizing its growth ambitions over ecological and environmental protection.
Under pressure from neighbors that felt its environmental impact study was inadequate, Laos agreed in December to suspend the project pending an assessment by foreign experts. Four countries share the lower stretches of the 4,900 km (3,044 mile) Mekong -- Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia.
Environmental group International Rivers released a report this week saying it had witnessed Ch Karnchang Pcl, Thailand's second-biggest construction firm, resettling villagers, beefing up labor, building a large retaining wall and undertaking dredging to deepen and widen the riverbed.
"So far, Ch Karnchang claims that they are only going forward with 'preliminary construction' on the project," said Kirk Herbertson, Mekong Campaigner for International Rivers.
"Ripping up the riverbed and resettling entire villages cannot be considered a preliminary activity."
Te Navuth, secretary general of the Cambodia National Mekong River Commission, said Laos had violated a 1995 agreement requiring prior consultation before starting any development on the Mekong.
"Laos always said that it's just preparatory work," he said, adding Cambodia and Vietnam would jointly demand a halt.
Thailand could also be affected but, although small protests have taken place there, the government has been reluctant to oppose the project.
Ch Karnchang has a 57 percent share in the Xayaburi, which Thai banks are helping to finance. State-run Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) will buy electricity generated by the plant.
(Editing by Martin Petty)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

ការសម្រេចចិត្តបន្តគម្រោងសាងសង់ទំនប់វារីអគ្គិសនី
នៅជ័យបុរីប្រទេសលាវដោយមានការចូលរួមជាដៃគូ
របស់ក្រុមហ៊ុនវិនិយោគថៃ បានបង្ហាញជាប្រយោល
ឱយឃើញថា រដ្ធាភិបាលលាវពុំមែនស្ថិតនៅក្រោមអំណាច
ឬសម្ពាធខ្លាំងក្រៃលែងរបស់យួនឡើយ។ឬក៏អាចនិយាយ
បានថា រដ្ធាភិបាលលាវពុំមែនជាកញ្ជះដាច់ថ្លៃរបស់យួន
ដែរ។ ការសាងសង់ទំនប់នេះវាពិតជានឹងបង្កវិបត្តិផ្នែកបរិស្ថាន
ដល់ប្រទេសខ្មែរយើង និងបណ្ដាលឱយភោគទ្រព្យផ្នែក
ត្រីសាច់ក្នុងទន្លេមេគង្គផ្នែកក្រោមទំនប់មានការចុះថយ។
តែបើគិតយូរៗទៅនាំឱយមានការក្ដៅក្រហាយចំពោះរបប
ក្រុងភ្នំពេញកាន់តែខ្លាំងៗឡើង។ សូម្បីលាវមានប្រជាជនតិចជាង
ខ្មែរតែអាជ្ញាធរគេហ៊ានប្រឆាំងនឹងគំនិតយួនហើយលាវគេគិត
ពីផលប្រយោជន៍លាវផ្ទាល់របស់គេថ្វីត្បឹតតែមានការប៉ះពាល់ទង្គិច
នាំឱយមានការរំខានដល់ប្រទេសដទៃក្ដី។
ចំណែកឯអ្នកក្ដាប់អំណាចខ្មែរវិញ គឺទន់ជ្រាយហួសរហូតដល់
ហ៊ានកាត់ទឹកដីខ្លួន គឺកាត់ឱយត្រង់ៗមិនមែនដោះដូរ
ទេ គឺឱយទឹកដីខ្មែរទៅយួនដោយឥតមានការអៀនខ្មាសឬខ្លាច
រអាចិត្តដល់ប្រជាពលរដ្ធសូម្បីតែបន្តិចបន្តួចក៏គ្មានដែរ។ របប
ភ្នំពេញគួរតែទៅលុតជង្គង់សូមការរៀនសូធ្យពីអ្នកដឹកនាំលាវ។

រង់ចាំមើលតែភ្លៅ មើលតែភ្លៅ សម្ដាចម៍នឹងទៅបកស្រាយនៅ
រដ្ធសភា ព្រោះអីគ្មានសង្ឃឹមថា សម្ដាចម៍នឹងមានសេចក្ដីអង់អាច
ក្លាហានហ៊ានរក ផ្លូវ ទៅទីប្រជុំឡើយ !!!

កពឈស