#45 - Rainy Days
What would be the flood holder when the big lakes are gone?
Sou Sdei and welcome to Campuccino, your fortnightly dispatch of key headlines in Cambodia with a dash of opinion.
To new subscribers, welcome!
If you haven’t heard, I am going to #SpliceBeta! It is a very fun media festival in Asia bringing the ecosystem together. I’m very excited to reunite with old friends and make new ones. If any of you subscribers are heading to the same event or happen to be in Chiang Mai in early November, don’t forget to say hi!
- Darathtey
In this issue: Boeng Tamok filling, journalists bribing, film community hub, art exhibition, and more.
This week, I would like to begin with a story from my childhood. It was in the year 2000 when Cambodia experienced one of the worst floods. Being 10 years old at the time, I remember quite a few things: National Road 1 leading to my father’s hometown in Koki Thom had to be dug open to let the flood flow past; my family’s farm in Prek Eng was knee-deep under water, and when we drove along NR1 from Chbar Ampov bridge to the east, all I remember seeing was a massive body of water both to my left and to my right. During that time, we lived in Takhmao, and most of my mother’s side of the family lived in central Phnom Penh. Hence, we stayed informed about the flooding risk to the city. One thing I remember hearing a lot at the time was: “the last protecting line of Phnom Penh was Tomnob Kob Srov, if that broke, all of Phnom Penh would be under water”. This sentence brought me to today’s first news story which is all about Boeng Tamok (also known as Kob Srov lake), a massive lake that once protected the city from major flooding, now turned into many things that it is not supposed to be, in the name of development.
The news of Boeng Tamok being chopped up and given to various entities and individuals is not new if you’ve been following my newsletter or other Cambodia-related news. I guess the reason it keeps appearing as a news headline is because there is no sign to indicate that the reclamation of the lake would slow down any time soon. It makes me question, are we looking at the same future of another Boeng Kak? In the event of a major flood, what would hold the water to protect the city now if these lakes are no more?
According to a news report by VOD in May, Boeng Tamok which used to span over 3,190 hectares, is now reduced to a mere 157 hectares. The article explores the different stakeholders involved in claiming the lake and looks into the now precarious lives of residents living around the lake. The interactive map in the article shows the rapid disappearance of Phnom Penh’s last major lake and wetland.
Another VOD article published earlier this week saw authorities clearing fish farms of the lake’s residents despite their protest. I’m going to end this section with an excerpt from the article:
[…] Residents living around the lake have requested all levels of officials to find a solution where they can continue to live by the lake and use it for their livelihood. Instead, district officials have filed a court complaint against residents for obstruction and incitement.[…]
I’ve heard of many bribery stories but so far, this one is the most iconic. Read this: PR Rep Offers Money to Remove Company From UDG Scam Article. 🤣 I mean it is not unheard of that some reporters take bribes. Some. So, this time, the UDG guys got to learn in a public way that there are legit, honest, independent journos out there who don’t what their scam money. Take that! Now, here is the classic part: after VOD rejected, they were threatened with lawsuits on deliberate smear attack on Zhengheng Group.
In case some of you wonder if the scam and human trafficking situation is still happening, the answer is yes. News report continue to emerge everyday. This week, I want to feature this article by Shaun Turton for Nikkei Asia — Cyber slavery: inside Cambodia's online scam gangs. The story is similar to other stories stories before but told from different angles.
It is worth pointing out that the issue has increasingly received attentions from authorities in the past month. A taskforce on human trafficking led by Deputy Prime Minister Sar Kheng had their last high-level meeting earlier this week in Preah Sihanouk province to check out their progress on rescuing and raiding efforts.
Visually Pleasing
Arts & Culture
🖼️ Sampot Sor (translates to White Skirt) by Sao Sreymao is probably one of the best exhibitions I’ve been to since the pandemic. Combining mixed media on canvas and sculptures, the exhibition explores womanhood, social norms, and stereotypes in Cambodia. Exhibition dates: September 09 – November 09, 2022. Definitely worth checking out, if you’re in town.
📽️ I went to Cine Hub for the first time this week for an event, and I loved the place! Located on the 2nd floor of the Cambodia Film Commission, Cine Hub was a welcoming, lovely, and relaxing community space. Cine Hub, launched in February this year describes itself as “a place where film enthusiast come together”. They host regular film screenings, film masterclasses, and sharing sessions from people in the film community.
Worth Watching
How Looted Statues Ended Up in Major Museums is a Bloomberg Quicktake short documentary following a Cambodia’s effort in tracing some of its antiquities in the US.
Overheard on Twitter
Campuccino is a fortnightly dispatch of key headlines in Cambodia, written by @DarathteyDin.
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