INFORMATION UPDATE

 CHINESE COMPANY DRILLING LAND ALONGSIDE THE SREPOK RIVER

26^th January, 2011

3S community representatives in Lumphat District had been observing a Chinese survey team working in Phum Thmei Village, Chey Odom Commune along the Srepok River. 

The workers belong to the Guangxi Electric Power Company from China and according to initial discussions the group will be performing soil testing from 26^th December 2010 to 26^th January 2011, and again from 20^th March until 20^th June 2011.  The Chinese group arrived with drilling equipment; however local authority do not know and have not granted permission for this activity.

We obtained the following information after interviewing the Team Leader of the Chinese group:

-          The group will be performing soil testing in a number of alternative areas to build hydropower dams. The Chinese company workers drilled the land along the Srepok river in Thmey village upstream to Eav rapids drilling into the ground approximately 50m.

-          The dam wall will build across the river stretch from Phou Deu mountain to Phou Heen Khav mountain which it’s a total distance of approximately 10km.

      -    The two mountains are 203m high and the dam wall across the river anticipated to be approximately 53m high and produce 300MW of electricity. 

Guangxi Electric Power Company workers drilling riverside of the Srepok River in Thmey village, Lumphat District.

According to interviews with local communities and authority we found that this Chinese company came to survey without informing the local authority or local communities of their plan or activity of their survey. This has frustrated local people who live in the survey area who worry and wonder what this group is doing in their land, ‘I don’t know that what these people are doing.  I asked the village and commune chief, who also do not know. I think this is not good, they should inform us for what they are doing here before they start their activity’ objected one local villager.

The community do not agree with this work and will be collecting and disseminating information on the scale of the operation and canvassing support in meetings with local and district authorities. 

Communities representatives have already made their opinions known to local and national media, and in the coming weeks will hold meetings and contact all stakeholders involved, including Guangxi Electric Power Company.

Guangxi Electric Power Company’s drilling equipment at Thmey village’s ferry dock

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