Saturday, January 24, 2009

The death of Dey Krahom

These shanty homes in front of the White Building at Dey Krahom have now been levelled
I'm not in Phnom Penh at the moment but earlier this morning, at 6am to be precise, the wreckers moved in to demolish the remaining homes of the shanty-town dwellers who had refused to accept the offer of a cash settlement and new land on the outskirts of the city. Dey Krahom has been levelled. The 3-year struggle of the residents has been crushed and the former home of many of Phnom Penh's artistic community has witnessed its final scene. Unfortunately, their's is not a singularly sad story, its happening all over Cambodia. So sad.
These homes have now been reduced to piles of rubble

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posted by Andy Brouwer at 5:31 PM

3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

As sad to see people's homes destroyed and the residents have to more willingly or forcibly as it is, it is the necessary evil if modernization and development is to happen in Cambodia. As I see it ,being a Buddhist, change is inevitable, so embrace it and be a happy go lucky kinda person or cling on to the past and be sorrowful when it's gone and it will be gone sooner or later one day.

January 25, 2009 3:18 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Areal downer for everyone except the politicians. I'm sorry for all affected.

On a different course - thanks for all your work - i love coming here and seeing what is happening while I sit in a faraway office. - Your blog is great and keeps me going.

Ron2

January 25, 2009 3:39 PM  
Blogger Andy Brouwer said...

Thanks Ron, I appreciate the kind words.
As for the destruction of Dey Krahom, its not that time moves on and modernization is going full-pelt in Phnom Penh and Cambodia - because that's a good sign for the country after such a wretched time in the last 30 years - but its more the way in which the little man is being pushed around with little or no consideration, causing a great degree of resentment amongst the poorer sections of the community. Power, money and big business rules in Cambodia, there's scant regard given for those who have none of the above.
Andy

January 26, 2009 11:39 AM  

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