Village 1 in Boeung Kak

Posted on January 11, 2013 by nick

The remnants of village 1 in Boeung Kak, situated along the railway tracks on the north-western side of what was once Boeung Kak lake are slated for eviction to make way for the new railway development. These villagers missed out on the land titles and compensation that was offered to other villages around Boeung Kak.

Villagers in the early evening in Village 1 on Boeung Kak are slated to be evicted to make way for the development of the railway. 04 Jan. 2013. © Nicolas Axelrod 2013

Villagers in the early evening in Village 1 on Boeung Kak are slated to be evicted to make way for the development of the railway. 04 Jan. 2013. © Nicolas Axelrod 2013

Families gather in the early evening in Village 1 on Boeung Kak are slated to be evicted to make way for the development of the railway. 04 Jan. 2013. © Nicolas Axelrod 2013

Families gather in the early evening in Village 1 on Boeung Kak are slated to be evicted to make way for the development of the railway. 04 Jan. 2013. © Nicolas Axelrod 2013

A young girl in Village 1 on Boeung Kak are slated to be evicted to make way for the development of the railway. 04 Jan. 2013. © Nicolas Axelrod 2013

A young girl in Village 1 on Boeung Kak are slated to be evicted to make way for the development of the railway. 04 Jan. 2013. © Nicolas Axelrod 2013

Posted in Boeung Kak Lake | Leave a comment

Sesan River Dam

Posted on January 9, 2013 by nick

Construction of the Lower Sesan 2 Dam in Stung Treng province will begin in 2014 and the government will spend next year relocating some 5,000 people from villages that are located in the dam’s future reservoir area, but neither a start date for construction nor details of compensation for those to be affected has been made public.

Earth samples at the location where the dam is planned to be built lay abandoned in crates. 10 Nov. 2012

Earth samples at the location where the dam is planned to be built lay abandoned in crates. 10 Nov. 2012. © Nicolas Axelrod 2012

A young boy lives with his family on the banks of the river a few 100 meters below the planned site for the dam. 10 Nov. 2012

A young boy lives with his family on the banks of the river a few 100 meters below the planned site for the dam. 10 Nov. 2012. © Nicolas Axelrod 2012

A fisherman on the Sesan river near the planned site for the dam. 10 Nov. 2012

A fisherman on the Sesan river near the planned site for the dam. 10 Nov. 2012. © Nicolas Axelrod 2012

The banks of the Sesan River 10 Nov. 2012

The banks of the Sesan River 10 Nov. 2012. © Nicolas Axelrod 2012

A villager shows off his catch in a village downstream from the planned site of the dam. 10 Nov. 2012 © Nicolas Axelrod

A villager shows off his catch in a village downstream from the planned site of the dam. 10 Nov. 2012 © Nicolas Axelrod

The banks of the Mekong River south of were the Sesan river meets the Mekong River. 10 Nov. 2012. © Nicolas Axelrod 2012

The banks of the Mekong River downstream of were the Sesan river meets the Mekong River. 10 Nov. 2012. © Nicolas Axelrod 2012

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Venerable Loun Sovath

Posted on January 7, 2013 by nick

“We Buddhists must find the courage to leave our temples and enter the temples of contemporary human experience, temples that are filled with suffering. If we listen to the Buddha, Christ or Gandhi, we can do nothing else. The refugee camps, the prisons, the ghettos, and the battlefield will then become our temples. We have so much work to do.”

This is a quote from Preah Maha Ghosananda that perfectly sums up the work of the Venerable Loun Sovath.

The Venerable Loun Sovath

The Venerable Loun Sovath poses for a picture at Wat Onaloum pagoda, Phnom Penh, © Nicolas Axelrod 2010.

The Venerable Loun Sovath

The Venerable Loun Sovath works on his computer at Wat Onaloum pagoda, Phnom Penh, © Nicolas Axelrod 2010.

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Loun Sovath celebrates with the released Chi Kreng detainees after they received a blessing at their pagoda in Chi Kreng. © Chris Kelly 2011.

Venerable Loun Sovath in Chi Kreng.

The Venerable Loun Sovath speaks with the Khmer American diaspora at his pagoda in Chi Kreng, where he has been living in exile since being evicted from his pagoda in Wat Onaloum, for his outspoken activism. © Chris Kelly 2011.

Venerable Loun Sovath

The Venerable Loun Sovath poses for a picture at a safehouse in Phnom Penh. He has been evicted from his pagoda and refused stay in any pagoda in Phnom Penh, because of his activities as a human rights defender. (C) Chris Kelly 2011.

Venerable Loun Sovath

The Venerable Loun Sovath prepares to fly to ireland to attend a human rights defender conference. © Chris Kelly 2011.

Quest for Land/ Boeung Kak Lake

CAMBODIA. Phnom Penh. 28/05/2012: Venerable Luon Sovath, a buddhist monk advocating Human Rights issues who was threatened to be defrocked by his superiors, at Boeung Kak Lake residents demonstrating in front of the National Assembly for the release of 15 of them arrested and condemned to 2 1/2 years of imprisonment a few days earlier.

Quest for Land/ Boeung Kak lake

CAMBODIA. Phnom Penh. 22/05/2012: Venerable Luon Sovath, a Buddhist monk and land issues activist, monitoring members of the Boeung Kak Lake community trying to rebuild a house on the sand of the filled-in lake.

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Venerable Loun Sovath films community members near Oudong mountain who had been evicted from Borei Keila in early Jan. 2012. 05 July 2012. © Nicolas Axelrod 2012

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Venerable Loun Sovath holds a blessing for the protesters in front of the Ministry of Justice. © Nicolas Axelrod 2012

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Venerable Loun Sovath films community members who came to support the release of 13 activists in front of Prey Sar prison 27 June 2012. © Nicolas Axelrod 2012

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Venerable Loun Sovath films community members heading back to Boeung Kak after the release of 13 activists in front of Prey Sar prison 27 June 2012. © Nicolas Axelrod 2012

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The venerable Loun Sovath speaks during a press conference at the Martin Ennals Award in Geneva, 2nd Oct 2012. © Chris Kelly.

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The venerable Loun Sovath receiving his Martin Ennals Award in Geneva, 2nd Oct 2012. © Chris Kelly.

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