Room with a view
This is where they are now, Borei Keila:
This is where they will be, Toul Sambo:
Nice… A room (5x4m, toilet included), a view.. The countryside… Fresh air…
Except that the families who remained in the sieve at Borei Keila when the new appartments were distributed as a replacement for the squat they were living in are the poorest on the block… Except that most of those families have at least one member who is HIV positive… Except that Toul Sambo is 30Km away from Borei Keila, which is located in the middle of town where they can scrape a living with small jobs… Except that it will be difficult for the HIV positive to get their drugs: transportation to town will be around 10000Riel (2,5$), and that is what they can make in a day when they are lucky, and there are no jobs around in Toul Sambo… Except that well… maybe they just don’t LIKE living in the countryside. So why would they have to go? Because Man Chhoeun, deputy governor of Phnom Penh, said: “It is not discrimination to relocate them to Toul Sambo, it is an act of charity from the municipality”. Ah yes, well, if it is an act of charity little can be said isn’t it?
Story VIJ2008076