Veterans, rural poor in line for social land concessions: officials

Written by Chun Sophal   

MONDAY, 27 APRIL 2009

The Ministry of Land Management says it will distribute over 16,000 hectares of land to landless peasants and disabled army veterans

THE government plans to distribute over US$50 million worth of social land concessions to about 10,000 landless families across nine provinces, the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction said at its annual conference Thursday.

Sareth Boramy, president of the ministry's land distribution and economic development project, said Sunday that the ministry would distribute land to families and disabled veterans in nine target provinces. 

"Poor disabled soldiers and widows are given priority in the distribution of land, but they will not be given land ownership certificates until they have lived there for five years," he said. 

According to a report released at last week's conference, 16,097 hectares of land concessions will be granted to families in Siem Reap, Preah Vihear, Oddar Meanchey, Stung Treng, Kampot, Battambang, Pursat, Kampong Chhnang and Kampong Speu. 

All people will receive a plot of land measuring 20 metres by 40 metres, or a cultivation plot of between 1 and 2 hectares, depending on the size of their family. 

"We want people to have their own land so that they are able to earn a living and get themselves out of poverty," he added.

Tackling landlessness
The first stage in this project was launched in November 2008, when the government distributed concession land to 3,000 poor families in Kampong Cham, Kratie and Kampong Thom provinces with support from the World Bank and German development agency GTZ. 

Thun Saray, president of local rights group Adhoc, said Sunday that the plan to distribute social land concessions was to be applauded, but the government should be encouraged to take further action to resolve the problem of rural landlessness. 

"The government should stop giving economic concession land to private companies, and then it must implement the distribution of social concession land to more poor families," he said. 

According to a 2006 Oxfam study, 24 percent of the rural population does not own land.

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This news article is from The Phnom Penh Post:

 

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2009042725527/National-news/Veterans-rural-poor-in-line-for-social-land-concessions-officials.html

 

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Petrodollars v smallholders

Apr 23rd 2009 | BATTAMBANG
From The Economist print edition

 

Disputes erupt over plans to invest millions in rice farming

 

IT SEEMED like the perfect match. Kuwait has a lot of money and needs to import food. Cambodia has a lot of fertile land and wants to attract foreign capital. So, as has been happening around the world since the food-price spike of 2007-08, the government of a poor farming country is planning to hand over vast tracts of land to a richer, oil-producing one.

In a whirlwind courtship, Cambodia and Kuwait have exchanged prime ministerial visits and initialled deals on everything from opening embassies and boosting energy co-operation to opening direct flights and holding football friendlies. Kuwait has now reportedly agreed to offer loans totalling $546m to finance a dam on the Stueng Sen river for irrigation and hydropower and to build a road to the Thai border. The Cambodian government says it has not yet decided what exactly the Kuwaitis will get in return but the speculation in Phnom Penh is that they may be offered 50,000 hectares (124,000 acres) of farmland, possibly on 99-year leases. Kuwait is not alone. Last year the prime minister of another rich Gulf statelet, Qatar, also visited Phnom Penh, with plans to invest $200m in Cambodian agriculture.

Such deals have a way of turning sour because of disputes over details. The Cambodian one seems to be conforming to type. Agreements ratified by the rubber-stamp parliament contain sweeping generalities and less detail than most people would expect when they rent an apartment. Son Chhay, an opposition MP and chairman of the National Assembly’s foreign-affairs committee when the deals were initialled, said he could not now obtain copies. But if foreigners want Cambodian rice, he says, they should buy it, not seek to control vast tracts of land.

The other problem with such deals is that they are made in national capitals and often run into opposition on the ground. Cambodia’s rice-farmers are suspicious enough because the government has a record of throwing them off their land in opaque deals involving rich cronies. Villagers in Battambang province, where the Kuwaiti road will run, say they know almost nothing about the scheme. They concede that a new road, built on what is currently a dirt track being measured by surveyors, would help them get crops to market. And according to one happy rumour, Kuwait has agreed to buy all their produce. But they are worried that their land will be confiscated—as has happened before.

The government insists the deal would be good for the country and for economic growth. Cheam Yeap, the chairman of the parliamentary economics and finance committee, says that “somehow we have to attract investors for national development.” He argues that land conflict is the fault of farmers as well as the government and that farmers have to be realistic.

This is not merely self-serving. Cambodia’s rice yields are about half those in neighbouring Thailand and Vietnam. Many people—not just the Kuwaitis—are seeking to modernise farming, which is the largest employer in Cambodia.

International donors are hoping to improve the lot of small-scale farmers by helping them take advantage of world markets by investing in productivity, food processing and transport infrastructure. Other international businessmen, including some from Israel, are seeking to bring foreign technology and capital into Cambodia’s fledgling agri-business sector.

So the question is not whether investment by Kuwait or anyone else is in Cambodia’s long-term interest. It is whether the terms of the particular deal are beneficial. Alas, it is far from clear in this case whether Cambodia’s rulers have been influenced by economic development—or by the prospect of another quick payday.

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Link: http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13527987

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Inferno destroys 1,000 hectares of forest; wildlife in danger

Written by Thet Sambath   

THURSDAY, 23 APRIL 2009

A weekend fire in Battambang and Banteay Meanchey still blazed Wednesday, putting the area's flooded forests and fish refuges at risk.

FIRES have burned through more than 1,000 hectares of the Tonle Sap's flooded forests, and the inferno was still spreading, according to Chet Sameth, Ek Phnom's district police chief.

"We don't know the cause of the fire, but we suspect it was caused by people looking for honey," he said, explaining that people in the area often light fires to smoke bees out of their hives to gain access to their honeycombs.

The forest fire started in Preah Net Preah in Banteay Meanchey but spread into Ek Phnom district in Battambang on Saturday, where the fire detonated at least seven unexploded artillery shells in the forest, accelerating the fire's spread.

"It [the forest] is too dry and we had no rain for two weeks, so it is burning very fast, [and] no one can stop it," Chet Sameth said.

The fire was hitting a wilderness area that is vaunted for its biodiversity, according to Chet Sameth, and the fire was putting animals at risk.

"Turtles and snakes are easily killed by the fire. We are losing wildlife from this fire, and we are losing fish refuges," Chet Sameth said.

The area is also an important fish breeding ground, said Heng Pisith, chief of the Fisheries Administration in Battambang province.

"It affects the fish because they lose their places [to spawn]," said Heng Pisith, adding, "Every year, we always ask during the dry season on the radio for people not to burn the forest to try and prevent any big fires."

Chet Sameth said the fire damaged one house but was extinguished, and no casualties have been reported due to preventive measures taken by villagers. In Bak Prea village, people have already moved their cows and buffaloes to safer places to avoid the fire.

"Fires happen every year," he said. "Normally, they are much smaller, but this year it is a big one."

Cheam Chan Saphon, the director of Battambang's Agriculture Department, expressed his regrets and said agriculture had "nothing to do with [worsening the fire] because it is nature."

 

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This text is from The Phnom Penh Post. It can be found here:

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2009042325471/National-news/Inferno-destroys-1000-hectares-of-forest-wildlife-in-danger.html

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Photos from the Article below

Chao Phraya Abhaibhubejhr (Choom Abhaiwongse), the last lord governor of Battambang under the rule of Siam.

The Chao Phraya Abhaibhubejhr building, now a museum of traditional Thai medicine. This year marks the building’s centenary.

The old mansion in Battambang, which once served as the provincial hall.

its interior.

The balcony of the old mansion.

The Chao Phraya Abhaibhubejhr building

Neang Chantara hopes the mansion, when fully restored, will become a city museum.

Wat Domrey Sor

the twin temple of Wat Kaewpichit in Prachin Buri

The marvellous mosaic tiles of the old mansion in Battambang

from the Chao Phraya Abhaibhubejhr building.

"An Interesting Article from Bangkok Post related to Battambang"

A legacy of HERITAGE

Thanks to one man's love of his hometown, Thailand and Cambodia possess a paired architectural heritage that has lasted for a century

By: PLOENPOTE ATTHAKOR

Published: 9/04/2009 at 12:00 AM

Newspaper section: Outlook

The heritage sites - two stately mansions and two temples in Thailand's Prachin Buri and Cambodia's Battambang - remain as the legacy of Chao Phraya Abhaibhubejhr (Choom Abhaiwongse, 1861 to 1922), the last lord governor of Battambang before Siam gave up the province, together with Siem Reap and Sisophon, to French-ruled Cambodia in 1907.

Chao Phraya Abhaibhubejhr (Choom Abhaiwongse), the last lord governor of Battambang under the rule of Siam.

Chao Phraya Abhaibhubejhr was born in Battambang, but received education in Bangkok. He took over the position of lord governor of Battambang from his father who died in 1892. He was the fourth and last governor of Battambang from the Abhaiwongse family.

In 1905, Chao Phraya Abhaibhubejhr began building the baroque mansion in Battambang with the intent to make it his residence. However, the mansion was incomplete at the time he abandoned Battambang as France took over the province after the Siamese-French territory pact relinquished it for Trat and some islands on Siam's eastern coast.

The Chao Phraya Abhaibhubejhr building, now a museum of traditional Thai medicine. This year marks the building’s centenary.

Chao Phraya Abhaibhubejhr, who enjoyed hunting and a rural lifestyle, spent a short time in Bangkok before eventually asking for royal permission to settle down in Prachin Buri where he could pursue an adventurous life.

In 1909, he decided to build another mansion in a similar architectural style in Prachin Buri. His motivation came after he received King Chulalongkorn during a royal visit in the hope that he would have a proper place to serve the monarch if he travelled to the province again. The monarch never did as he passed away the following year.

The old mansion in Battambang, which once served as the provincial hall.

"Chao Phraya Abhaibhubejhr had the mansion face east, towards Battambang, instead of the Prachin River, in accordance with traditional construction practises," noted Supaporn Pitiporn, managing director of the Abhaibhubejhr Foundation. It significantly indicates the bond Chao phraya Abhaibhubejhr felt with his former home, and he is said to have re-hired the same group of craftsmen who completed the mansion in Battambang to construct the new building in Prachin Buri.

Moreover, the way he built the main hall of Wat Kaewpichit in Prachin Buri's Muang district after that of Wat Domrey Sor, a monumental temple with spectacular architectural work in Battambang, further accentuates the affinity he had with his hometown.

its interior.

"He didn't return to Battambang until his death, however," she said, adding it must have been difficult for the nobleman to leave his birthplace and ashes of his parents and wife for a new land.

Chao Phraya Abhaibhubejhr presented the mansion to King Vajiravudh as a wedding gift when he married his granddaughter Khun Kruakaew (promoted to Phra Nang Chao Suvadhana). She later donated the building to the Royal Thai Army to be used as a hospital for soldiers and members of the public. The building is now a museum of traditional Thai medicine.

The balcony of the old mansion.

The nobleman never made use of the mansion. Only after his death did his body enter the building, placed inside for a funeral ceremony before being cremated at Wat Kaewpichit.

While the Abhaibhubejhr mansion underwent a major facelift to its former grandeur in 1994, it's twin building in Battambang is still in a sorry state. It had served as the Battambang provincial hall for many years until it was worn out and abandoned. The province now has a new building on the same compound and the mansion is now a meeting place for a local association.

The Chao Phraya Abhaibhubejhr building

Neang Chanthara, assistant to the Battambang governor, said the Thai and Cambodian governments discussed a restoration plan some four years ago. Experts from the Thai Fine Arts Department estimated the restoration plan for the mansion to have an approximate cost of 17 million baht.

A budget problem on the Thai side has delayed restoration, he said, expressing no confidence that the plan will be realised.

Neang Chantara hopes the mansion, when fully restored, will become a city museum.

He pointed out that leaks in the mansion's roof are an urgent problem.

"The roofs need to be fixed immediately as seeping rainwater has extensively damaged the building's interior for years," he said.

Wat Domrey Sor

The roof restoration cost has been approximated at two million baht and is likely to be shared between the Battambang province and the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh, he said.

Moreover, he pointed out the Battambang province wishes to break down the restoration plan and budget into phases, as advised by the embassy, in order to make it more possible for Thailand to support the plan.

the twin temple of Wat Kaewpichit in Prachin Buri

The mansion, once fully restored, should serve as a museum, he said.

Supaporn said she hopes the Thai government will be able to participate in the mansion's restoration.

The mansion is a symbolic link between the two countries, she said, adding it may encourage the exchange of travellers from both sides and thus foster better understanding and relations.

The marvellous mosaic tiles of the old mansion in Battambang

"We are immediate neighbours and we should live and help each other like brothers. We should share with each other in good and bad times. If the neighbour needs helps, we should do what we possibly can," she said.

While it was widely believed that Chao Phraya Abhaibhubejhr cut off all the links he had with Battambang, historical evidence suggests otherwise.

Among it is an inscription carrying the Abhaibhubejhr emblem at the base of the back of the main Buddha image in the old ubosoth (ordination hall) of Samrong Khanong temple outside of Battambang town. The inscription says the image was built in 1911, four years after Chao Phraya had left Battambang.

from the Chao Phraya Abhaibhubejhr building.

It is believed by many that Chao Phraya provided the money for the Buddha image's construction at the temple.

Some Cambodian historical textbooks portray Chao Phraya in a negative light because of his decision to abandon Cambodia, but Supaporn sees the nobleman in a different way.

"He was a brave man with kind heart," she said. Chao Phraya's deep faith in Buddhism is attested to the fact that he built over 20 temples in Battambang while in power. One of them is Wat Domrey Sor (White Elephant), a monumental temple in the heart of Battambang town.

The temple became the prototype of Wat Kaewpichit when Chao Phraya Abhaibhubejhr patronised the construction of the temple's ubosoth in 1918, which signifies another historical link between the two countries.

Over the weekend, Supaporn, health officials from Abhaibhubejhr Hospital and Thai merit makers travelled to Battambang to conduct a pha pa ceremony at Wat Domrey Sor. It was part of the Abhaibhubejhr Foundation's celebration of the Abhaibhubejhr mansion's centenary in Prachin Buri this year and also was in honour of the nobleman. Supaporn said the event went well despite current border tensions.

"Every nation has border issues. But we should go beyond the problem as it would be mutually beneficial," she said.

The way the EU fosters integration is an ideal example, she said.

"Thailand and Cambodia are part of the region and each should do its part for Asian union. We lie in the same area, called Suvarnnabhumi, after all."

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 Article from Bangkok Post.

 Original text with photos can be found here: http://www.bangkokpost.com/leisure/leisurescoop/14791/a-legacy-of-heritage

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