But it was close… Some 60 residents from Boeung Kak Lake (see here and here) were demonstrating for the release of their fellow land rights activist Yorm Bopha in front of the Ministry of Interior when a slightly smaller group of ‘motodup’ (moto-taxi drivers) showed up and staged a counter-demonstration in favour of their colleague […]
So I turn my back for just a couple of days, working far from Phnom Penh on the ‘Three Rivers Dams’ project (see here) and then this happens: 1/ the authorities destroy the shacks of 12 Borei Keila families (see what they went through before that here). 2/ Mam Sonando goes free, albeit conditionally (see […]
All the photographs I took until now (well… the better ones only) about the ‘Three Rivers Dams’ project are available BIG in the latest update of my website at this link. While you are reading this I will be on the road to Ratanakkiri and Stung Treng to continue working on the story. Do not […]
Members of the Boeung Kak Lake community react in front of the Municipality building to a statement made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to a Thai newspaper that they were occupying the land they are living on illegally. They came with copies of documents proving their ownership and bullhorns. The levels of noise tolerance […]
The music wasn’t good enough. At least Kro Hom Kor, the red-necked spirit from the Sesan river wasn’t really satisfied with it. So he visited the body of the shamane only one time out of the three attempts. All the attire was ready though: the roasted pig’s head, the little bowls with rice, the jossticks, […]
For now everything is quiet in Sre Kor. The sun sets on the Sesan river. It is time to fetch water at the river, to wash off the red dust accumulated over the day, next to the buffaloes enjoying some relief from the heat. The following morning will be an important one for the Tampuon […]
Mam Sonando was in front of the Judges from the Appeals Court for the last two days to determine if the 20 year sentence which was inflicted upon him in September last year (see here) for having supported a so-called secessionist movement will hold or not. Verdict on March 14th.
Veun Sai is a fairly big commercial hub on the Sesan river, inhabited by Cambodians of Chinese descent (no commerce without Chinese) who often speak Lao, like most of the people here. There is a restaurant with 7 to 8 tables made of precious ‘beng’ wood, 15 centimeters thick, 80 centimeters wide, 2 meters long. […]