Farmers in Kandal province, southern the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, were affected by the construction of the new airport, which is supervised by the China Development Bank, at a total cost of about $1.1 billion, where the development of the airport led to the deduction of part of the local villagers land in Kampong Talong village, who depend on rice cultivation for their daily income. On the other hand, more than 300 families inside the village refuse to accept the compensation provided by the Cambodia Overseas Investment Corporation (OCIC) and the governmental State Secretariat for Civil Aviation, while the local authorities arrested about 30 villagers for their participation in the protests organized by the residents against the expropriation of land and preventing them from accessing it. Takhmao airport is the second that China is trying to invest in after the controversial Dara Sakur airport and resort, which is worth about $3.8 billion. The new airport will cover more than 700 hectares and will have a capacity of 27 million by 2030. The airport package, which includes a single 4km runway, is due to be completed by the end of 2022, allowing flights to begin the following year.
Interview with (Seng Leng – Resident of Kampong Talong village):
“The new airport project has impacted people’s farming land. It has been three years that we haven’t been able to farm on that land. In May, they sent excavators to clear people’s farming land. As people were protesting, they could not do anything. Now they have sent 600 officials from the forces, and there are about 100 or just 60 people who have been going to protest in front of my house every day. We protest because the new airport has impacted our farming land. Until that Sunday, we went to protest and showed the policemen and the Prime Minister our land titles. To have this rice farming land, I tried so hard. I bought land from other people and I tried to work hard to support my children. I hope that I can give a small part of my land to each of my children before I pass away. But eventually, you come to take my land and even hurt my husband? How can I bear this pain?
Interview with (Seng Leng – Resident of Kampong Talong village):
“I can’t do rice farming anymore when normally I do it three times per year. Now I can’t and when they closed it the flood swallowed my rice. Before I could support my children easily from rice farming and it was not difficult. I did it three times a year and I had no problem with supporting my kids. Now everything is difficult.”
Source- A24
