Dear Patty, Esther, and Ali (Ali are you the right ICA contact?),
As a member of the Christian's for Social Justice (CSJ) network, I would like to appeal to the wider international Christian body in Phnom Penh to support LICADO financially (and otherwise) as they support those evicted forcibly last Saturday.
As you will be aware, the Dey Krahom community was forcibly evicted in the early hours of Saturday morning - by hundreds of police/troops and hired demolition workers armed with axes and crowbars. The eviction began with the storming of the community using tear gas and riot sheilds, with bulldozers and diggers plowing into the houses. It is incredible that no body was killed in the fear, panic and violence that was created by the company (7NG) and the police/PM's. I personally witnessed houses being aggressively bulldozed while folk were still trying to retreive precious possessions, with the bull dozer operateor refusing to back off. One of the really disgusting aspects of this display of 'naked power' was that the residents of Dey Krahom (reasonably) beleived they were still in the middle of 'good faith' negotiations over compensation, and therefore that no forced eviction would be thinkable at this point.
Last Friday, the Muncipality of Phnom Penh facilitated a meeting between the Dey Krahom residents and the company (7NG), in which residents were asked to submit their ownership documents and how much compensation they were seeking, to 7NG for consideration. The inference (if not promise) was that no 'action' would take place till these had been fairly considered. It now appears that this was no more than an elaborate rouse to catch the community off guard. The blitzgreig style storming of DK began with the village being surrounded and sealed of at 2.20 am saturday morning, with the actual storming of the community beginning at approximately 6.15 am with the tear gas barrage.
Our friends at LICADHO are coordinating the emergency response in terms of emergency food supplies and shelter for the hundreds of people displaced, whose homes have been bulldozed (the relocation site 'prepared' by the Govt and 7NG at Chum Chao is of course grossly unprepared with inadequate shelter, water, power etc).
As a member of the Christian's for Social Justice (CSJ) network, I would like to appeal to the wider international Christian body in Phnom Penh to support LICADO financially as they support those evicted forcibly last Saturday. I have talked with Naly Pilorge, and she informs me that they have sufficient emergency funds for this week, but will need extra funds by next week (they have been sheltering dozens of people in their offices since saturday). They are also appealing for donations of used clothing (baby child and adult) as soon as possible (as of course residents lost all possessions to the bulldozers). Please do consider what funding etc your fellowships could make available to help with this humanitarian situation.
Please contact Naly directly at director@licadho. Donations can be dropped off at the LICADHO office, #16 St 99.
God Bless
Kristin Jack (Servants to Asia's Urban Poor and member of CSJ)
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