私の日常生活

私は小さくて、きれいな町で生まれました。その町はカンボジアのしゅとからすごく遠いです。バスで６時間くらいかかります。私の家の近くに大きい川が２つありますから、毎日川で友達と泳ぎます。水泳を父に習いました。父は水泳が上手です。

家族は５人です。両親と弟２人と私です。

父は親切で、ハンサムで、頭がいい人です。英語とフランス語が話せます。私の英語は父の英語より下手です。でも父は日本語がぜんぜんできません。父の大切な物は子供の幸せですから、子供をカンボジアで有名な学校に入れました。

母もすごい人です。毎朝私は学校へ行く前に、母はりょうりをたくさん作ります。母のりょうりが大好きです。時々母は忙しいですから、父がりょうりをします。でも　父のりょうりがおいしくないです。母の仕事はふくを売ることです。ふくやは家にあります。

弟はどちらも学生です。家族と住んでいます。

今まで私は１ヶ月間日本にいます。日本へ勉強に来ました。日本の生活は忙しいです。毎日６時間くらい寝ています。国では７時間寝ていました。毎朝日本語のクラスがあります。クラスは９時に始まります。家は大学からすごく遠いですから、６時半までに起きなければ　なりません。朝起きで、シャワーを浴びて、朝ごはんを作って、朝ごはんを食べて、ルームメイトと駅へ２０分くらいあるいて行きます。家からいちばん近い駅の名前は長津田です。

長津田駅から大学まで電車で４０分かかります。でんえんとしせんにのって、みぞの口駅でのりかえて、おおい町せんにのります。電車はいつも込んでいます。。すわることができません。ちょっとふべんですが、おもしろいです。大岡山駅を出ます。

午前９時から午後１２時まで日本語を勉強します。クラスには留学生がたくさんいますから、たのしいです。日本語を話すことはむずかしいが、おもしろいです。日本語のクラスがおわってから、けんきゅうしつにいます。午後６時に家へ帰ります。帰時は、電車はあまり込んでいませんから、すわって本をす読むことができます。

家にとうちゃくしてから、シャワーを浴びてりょうりを作って、それから勉強します。ねる前に　よく　おんがくを聞きます。１２時にねます。

私のしゅみはしゃしんをとることとスポーツです。スポーツでサッカーがいちばん好きです。毎週末大学で友達とサッカーをします。サッカーをしますので、元気になります。１ヶ月間に一回東京の外を旅行します。富士山をひこうきから見たことがあります。富士山のしゃしんをとりました。とてもきれいでした。

日本りょうりはとてもおいしいです。日本りょうりの中で、すしがいちばん好きです。うどんやそばやラーメンも好きです。

アメリカもすばらしいです。去年アメリカへ勉強に行きました。アメリカ人は背がたかかったです。アメリカに５ヶ月間いました。いろいろな所へ行きました。アメリカのしぜん公園へ行ったことがあります。その公園でわにをはじめて持ちました。ちょっとこわかったですが、あぶなくなかったです。また、ホワイトハウスの前でしゃしんをとったり、セグウェイにのったりしました。ハリウッドの映画館で映画も見ました。アメリカはすごい国です。

日本とアメリカとどちらも好きです。

Empowered Chong Community: Fighting for Cultural Preservation and Areng Development

Called by the Prime Minister Hun Sen the ‘Battery Province,’ Koh Kong has potential for

Message from local community

hydropower dam construction projects. Areng dam is one of the plan. However, there have been conflicts caused by its immense natural and cultural impacts to the local indigenous community. Once the dam is constructed, literally 1,500 indigenous people will be forced to relocate to the nearby Cardamom protected forest, and roughly 44 squares kilometers area will be flooded and become a giant water reservoir, destroying endangered animals’ habitats and biodiversity of many kinds. Consequently, with a strong desire to protect their natural and cultural heritages and a concept of eco-tourism in mind, the community people gather together to go against the plan. Based on my observation and interviews with villagers during a study trip to Chong village in Areng valley, this article will explore what the community think and act with regard to Areng valley development, and further discuss how they get empowered to work together as a community.

Commitment to Act against the Dam Construction

PIC's Cambodian Fellow Peace

“We will fight on our own against the construction even if there is no outside support,” a villager clearly emphasized when asked what the community would do during Alex’s absence. This reflects a strong determination of the indigenous people in protecting Areng valley. In a short interview at the community centre in Chong village, a group of villagers actively getting involved in the act against Sinohydro’s hydropower dam construction claimed that the electricity would offer them no benefits at all besides harming their livelihoods and the environment. A villager said that her ancestors had been living in and fed by the valley for over 600 years. “We have lived here very happily. No need, the dam! Even without electricity, we can survive by nature, by our river and by our farming,” said a female villager living nearby the community centre.

Based on my self-study and observation, their statement is correct in the sense that the advantages of the dam and will not outweigh its far-reaching effects on the people, endangered animals and the forests. During the trip, I have observed that Areng River does not flow so strongly that will not be able to efficiently run the turbine to generate electricity during dry season. Also, according to the village representative, there have been two companies coming to assess the feasibility of the hydropower dam project in Areng, and all the results were dissatisfactory as the project will not be profitable, yet diversely impact the entire rainforests. Essentially, the community people understand it clearly that this third company has its hidden agenda beyond their intention to build the dam, and that will be to collect luxurious timbers through clearing out the forests.  So far, they have submitted petitions to Chinese Embassy and Energy and Mining Ministry, and got support from International River Organization.

Community Perspectives: Eco-tourism Planning

When asked about their ideas on Eco-tourism, one villager mentioned the community has planned to transform Areng into a potential eco-tourism site. He continued, “Tatai and other eco-tourism sites in Koh Kong are not better than Areng; why can they make it a profitable place for their people? I think it is about our willingness to make it happen.”

The villagers are now organizing three teams to facilitate trips for visitors. The first is ‘Moto-dub’ team, who will transport visitors from Thmor Bang to the village centre. The second is ‘Housing’ team, who will prepare and provide accommodation at villager houses for the visitors. The third is ‘Guide’ team, which will guide the visitors to ecotourism sites in the areas, such as Chhay Areng River and their tributaries, hiking sites, and Siamese crocodiles’  and dragon fish’s habitats,  many more. However, they added that their efforts in preventing the dam construction is much more important, and they urged all Cambodians and NGOs to pay attention to the Areng valley.  

Development in Areng Valley

Based on interviews with Chong villagers and my observation, there is not much development

Struggling with the muddy road

happening in Areng. First, there is no accessible health centre; if anyone gets sick, they need to travel 20 kilometers from their community. Second, there is no primary school for small kids in the community, making it challenging for villagers to take their children to school, which is far away from home. Third, no communication could be made since there is no phone reception available at the valley. The villagers said they had urged the authorities to consider constructing roads, schools and health centre nearby the community, but the authorities refused by stating Areng valley is a conflicted zone; if schools are built and then the dam is constructed, they will be flooded.

So far, it has been really challenging for tourists to reach this isolated rainforest due to virtually inaccessible roads and communication.

By: Kakada Kuy