Vietnamese boat sellers in Pursat province (Photo: Ouk Savborey, RFA)21 October 2009
By Ouk Savborey
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the article in Khmer
On 20 October, more than 200 Cambodian fishermen showed up at the Kampot provincial office to demand that the authority stop illegal Vietnamese fishing boats that came in large number into the Cambodian sea waters. The presence of these Vietnamese boats disrupts and affects the livelihood of Cambodian fishermen.
El Nget, a representative of the fishermen who were protesting in front of the Kampot provincial office, claimed: “The Viets came to drag [fish] in shallow water, the same area that our people are living in currently. It’s difficult to make a living, we can’t find fish.”
Prom Dul Kraim, a fisherman from Daun Toak village, Treuy Koh commune, said that his group does not own rice field land, and it only depends on fishing. If the Vietnamese fishing boats are allowed to come in freely, his group will lose its livelihood and nobody will have the money to pay more than 400,000 riels ($100) [in fishing license fee] to the state coffer.
Prom Dul Karim said: “They come to take away our job, they brought in large dragging boats inside our Cambodian territories. Our Cambodian people cannot earn a living, everything went down.”
El Soeu indicated that he couldn’t catch fish, however, the Vietnamese boats equipped with modern equipments use nets to comb out all the baby fishes, crabs, shrimps, snails. Furthermore, the Cambodian fishery department did not raid these illegal Vietnamese boats that violated the Cambodian sea waters, but they only came to ask money from the Cambodian fishermen instead, telling the Cambodian fishermen to pay 430,000 riels (~$110) per year.
El Soeu indicated: “Now, it’s time to pay the fishery department. Each year, we have to pay 430,000 riels. But, with the large amount of fishing [from the Vietnamese boats], I couldn’t catch anything. Where do I find the money to pay [the fishery department]?”
Ung Set, another fisherman, said: “We have to pay 430,000 riels to the fishery department every year. We cannot earn the money.”
After the fishermen gathered in front of the Kampot provincial office, three of their representatives were called in for negotiation. Man No, one of the three representatives, claimed that the provincial authority and the fishery department, as well as the police department promise to raid these illegal Viet boats that catch fish inside Cambodian waters and affect the livelihood of the Cambodian people.
RFA attempted to meet with Mr. Sor Sarin, the chief of the Kampot fishery department, and Mr. Khuoy Khun Huor, the Kampot provincial governor, and his deputy to obtain a clarification on their [promised] intervention help as the Cambodian fishermen requested, but all of them declined to comment.
Mrs. Try Chhoon, the official of a human rights group in Kampot province, declared that the fishermen have protested for several years already about the illegal fishing conducted by the Viet boats inside Cambodian waters, but the authority and the fishery department seems to be afraid that problems could arise and they all act as if they never saw these illegal Viet fishing boats.
The protesting fishermen revealed that this is not their first time protesting. They have protested many times already, but nothing came out of them.
The protesters warned that if this time, the authority does not take action to raid these Viet boats that came to destroy Cambodia’s fishery with their modern equipments, they will go to Phnom Penh to protest in front of the National Assembly to seek for a resolution.
El Nget, a representative of the fishermen who were protesting in front of the Kampot provincial office, claimed: “The Viets came to drag [fish] in shallow water, the same area that our people are living in currently. It’s difficult to make a living, we can’t find fish.”
Prom Dul Kraim, a fisherman from Daun Toak village, Treuy Koh commune, said that his group does not own rice field land, and it only depends on fishing. If the Vietnamese fishing boats are allowed to come in freely, his group will lose its livelihood and nobody will have the money to pay more than 400,000 riels ($100) [in fishing license fee] to the state coffer.
Prom Dul Karim said: “They come to take away our job, they brought in large dragging boats inside our Cambodian territories. Our Cambodian people cannot earn a living, everything went down.”
El Soeu indicated that he couldn’t catch fish, however, the Vietnamese boats equipped with modern equipments use nets to comb out all the baby fishes, crabs, shrimps, snails. Furthermore, the Cambodian fishery department did not raid these illegal Vietnamese boats that violated the Cambodian sea waters, but they only came to ask money from the Cambodian fishermen instead, telling the Cambodian fishermen to pay 430,000 riels (~$110) per year.
El Soeu indicated: “Now, it’s time to pay the fishery department. Each year, we have to pay 430,000 riels. But, with the large amount of fishing [from the Vietnamese boats], I couldn’t catch anything. Where do I find the money to pay [the fishery department]?”
Ung Set, another fisherman, said: “We have to pay 430,000 riels to the fishery department every year. We cannot earn the money.”
After the fishermen gathered in front of the Kampot provincial office, three of their representatives were called in for negotiation. Man No, one of the three representatives, claimed that the provincial authority and the fishery department, as well as the police department promise to raid these illegal Viet boats that catch fish inside Cambodian waters and affect the livelihood of the Cambodian people.
RFA attempted to meet with Mr. Sor Sarin, the chief of the Kampot fishery department, and Mr. Khuoy Khun Huor, the Kampot provincial governor, and his deputy to obtain a clarification on their [promised] intervention help as the Cambodian fishermen requested, but all of them declined to comment.
Mrs. Try Chhoon, the official of a human rights group in Kampot province, declared that the fishermen have protested for several years already about the illegal fishing conducted by the Viet boats inside Cambodian waters, but the authority and the fishery department seems to be afraid that problems could arise and they all act as if they never saw these illegal Viet fishing boats.
The protesting fishermen revealed that this is not their first time protesting. They have protested many times already, but nothing came out of them.
The protesters warned that if this time, the authority does not take action to raid these Viet boats that came to destroy Cambodia’s fishery with their modern equipments, they will go to Phnom Penh to protest in front of the National Assembly to seek for a resolution.
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