Day 24- Land Grabbing

On January 3, 2012 the Phan Imex company in Phnom Penh, Cambodia rolled into and over the Borei Keila community demolishing 300 homes. Here is the back story from the Phnom Penh Post. “In 2003, Phan Imex agreed to build 10 buildings on two hectares of land to provide housing for 1,776 families, in exchange for development rights to 2.6 hectares. The company constructed eight buildings before suspending construction in 2010, leaving almost 400 families in limbo. More than 60 families were still seeking on-site housing at Borei Keila in accordance with the 2003 contract, 39-year-old Borei Keila representative Chum Nhann said.”

Since that day over 100 families still live at the eviction site (their home) but under tarps, in stair wells and are living in extremely at risk situations. In a recent article of the Phnom Penh Post evictees appealed to Municipal Authorities. Resident Has Sochenda, 34, a six-months pregnant evictee, told the Post she is worried the settlement’s increasingly toxic environment will damage the health of her unborn baby. “Currently, our living conditions are worse than pets’ because rubbish has been thrown on our roof and is blocking our path. But there are no [municipal] officials involved to solve the problem,” she said. All these people want, in their own words is “justice.”

What do you do in a situation like this for a community and injustice like this? We are praying about that answer right now, but one thing we do know is that we have do respond, we have to do something. Please take some time today to pray for this community. If you have set an alarm on your phone to pray for justice, we ask that you remember the Boreia Keila community. Here are some pictures of that day, and the days that followed. This is still going on for these people, they need justice. You can read more about this here or over at the Phnom Penh Post by typing in Borei Keila.

Photo by Ki-Media