Displaced Villagers Await Government Help After Homes Destroyed
Displaced Villagers Await Government Help After Homes Destroyed
#National
Two elderly women from Mean Rith village in Banteay Meanchey province say they were forced to flee their homes with nothing after houses were demolished and land fenced off by the Thai army, leaving them without shelter, possessions, or a source of income.
Chang Saroeun, 61, a refugee from Mean Rith village in Banteay Meanchey province, said:
“I came here empty-handed. I had to ask a neighbor for a motorbike ride. They came here and brought my grandchildren, but we could not bring anything with us—nothing at all. We didn’t even bring pots or plates.
I lived in the Boeng Trakuon area since the 1990s. But now our houses have been demolished by the Thai army, and the area has been fenced off. In the future, I don’t know where to go. I am waiting for the government to solve this problem.
When I lived in the village, I didn’t have any other work. I only raised cows to make a living. When it was time to flee, the cows were all gone. I had to leave them behind. I had 12 cows, and now they are gone. I don’t know where they went or whether they were caught and sold. Raising cows was the only way I supported myself, and now there is nothing left.”
Another displaced woman, Meas Tan, 68, also from Mean Rith village in Banteay Meanchey province, said:
“I came here empty-handed with my grandchildren, grandmother, and grandfather. All of my belongings are gone—everything is missing, nothing is left. The Thai army hurt us. They beat us and cleared our homes. They laid barbed wire to take the land.
My house is now surrounded by barbed wire. Some people can go inside to see their houses, but I can’t. My children tried to go back to get clothes and ID cards. Some of them were able to go in, but one of my children couldn’t. All of our things are still there, but I don’t know how to get them.
I want to find a good and safe place to live. The place I am staying now is acceptable, and I hope to live here comfortably and peacefully, with enough food. But I am also sick. I suffer from stomach pain, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.
I just want to go home and live there. I miss my home every night. I used to raise more than 20 ducks, as well as chickens, to sell and make a living. Now they are all gone. There is nothing left. I came here because I was stranded.”
-Khmer Times-
