Is it His Karma?

CPP Tycoon-Senator-cum-Land-grabber Lao Meng Khin
Filling of Boeng Kak Lake by Lao Meng Khin's company, Shukaku Inc.
Residents protesting the forced eviction from Boeng Kak Lake
Residents, adults and children alike, protest the forced eviction from Boeng Kak Lake

Tuesday, June 29, 2010
True story by Khmer Borann

I have a friend who lived in Beong Kak Lake community before he and his family was evicted by the Hun Sen’s authority to make way for a CPP tycoon to develop the area for the latter's own profit. My friend finished university with me and he is a diehard supporter of the CPP.

When the residents of Koh Pich were evicted from their land and their home, many NGOs had advocated the government to respect the land law and the human rights. The same as for the residents of Dey Kraham communtity when they were evicted from their land, NGOs have done the same thing to advocate for the rights of those people. My friend who is a diehard supporter of CPP has criticized NGOs for helping the victims of land grabbing. He said the NGOs were against the development and the government. He said the government brought investment and development but NGOs as well as the opposition political parties did nothing but to destroy the country.

I had tried many times to explain to him that NGOs have never wanted to oppose the development and the government; NGOs just wanted to help the people who have been evicted unjustly. Nevertheless, my friend had never listened to what I have explained to him nor took it into consideration. Instead, he accused me of being the opposition and that I just wanted to destroy the development and the country.

In early 2008, there was a rumor circulating that Boeng Kak Lake and the area surrounding it would be granted to a local company known as Shukaku Inc., owned by the CPP senator Lao Meng Khim, and that the people in the area would be evicted. My friend had approached me and asked if NGOs could do anything to help him. I introduced him to my boss who is a head of local NGOs working on land dispute. My boss told him that, if the rumor was true, the NGOs would help him and all people affected by the land concession.

Even with the effort by NGOs to help the people around Boeng Kak Lake, the Hun Sen government never listened to the NGOs nor the people living in Boeng Kak Lake area, most of whom voted for the CPP during the 2007 commune election and the 2008 parliament election. Eventually, all residents in Boeng Kak Lake area were evicted and the lake was filled. My friend, who lived in Boeng Kak community before, and his family were evicted by the Hun Sen’s authority to make way for the CPP tycoon to develop the area for the latter's personal profit. This happened to my friend who finished university with me and who was diehard CPP supporter. My friend and his family, who owned a large plot of land worth hundred of thousands of dollar, only received US$8,000 and 2 million riels (2 million riel = $500) in compensation, the same amount offered to other families who owned smaller plot of land than his.

Now, I have never seen my friend and do not know where he lives; I also tried to contact him by phone but he changed the telephone number. I just would like to tell the readers of KI-Media that when he learned that the eviction information was true, his face turned pale like that of a corpse. He cried every time he came to meet NGOs workers.

I have met a monk in Phnom Penh and told him about this story. The monk felt so sorry about what had happened to my friend. I asked the monk whether it is my friend’s karma and he replied that it is. The monk explained to me that my friend had committed sin and that’s why he was punished by his deed. He said my friend has supported the evils and has been happy at other people’s suffering (the evicted families of Koh Pich, Dey Kraham) and that’s why he deserves his karma. Is it my friend’s karma?

Khmer Borann
Phnom Penh