Hun Manet Taketh More Than Giveth In Phnom Penh Park Grab

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Second: 70 hectares! Is that supposed to be generosity? Something like 2,500 hectares of Boeung Tamok (so around 74%) have now been reclaimed since a 2016 sub-decree refashioned the lake state property, allowing the government to lease or sell the land, according to Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT), an NGO.

(STT and media outlets like CamboJA News and Mongabay have done fantastic reporting on this scandal in recent years, so Google them for more background on this case.)

Yet the matter is that, until quite recently, Phnom Penhers had a public space to go to near Boeung Tamok-it was called Boeung Tamok. And there were around 3,000 hectares of it to enjoy. Now, they'll get access to just 70.

If investors wanted the 70 hectares-or just 3% of the area that has been reclaimed-”they should consider another option,” Hun Manet intoned.

Not that they need 70 hectares; they've gotten most of the rest of the lake. And I'm not sure if the land costs Hun Manet has been quoted (“one square meter of land could cost around $1,000”) is correct, yet let's assume the prime minister isn't in the business of fake news or using a public speech to drive up prices.

So, if around 2,500 hectares have been reclaimed, can we assume the sell-off of Boeung Tamok is in the ballpark of $2.5 billion?

Who's benefitting? According to reports, recipients of land parcels include Senator Kok An, Chea Sophamaden , the daughter of CPP bigwig and former land minister Chea Sophara, and military commanders Vong Pisen and Sao Sokha.

Nuth Ton, director of Orkide Villa, reportedly received 67 hectares. Who chairs Orkide Villa again? Oh, yeah, Hun Manet's sister Hun Mana. And who's on the board of directors of Orkide's sprawling business empire? Hun Manet's wife, Pich Chanmony, and another sister, Hun Maly.

Michael Dickison and Voice of Democracy­-the newspaper the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) closed down by the government in 2023-produced this map a few years back:

Map by Michael Dickison

What about the common folk? For the residents who used to live in or around the lake, it's been a slow, non-consensual shafting by the state. Hundreds have been evicted, many getting a pittance for their troubles.

A STT report from December lists at least 26 people who have faced criminal prosecution for their protests against the evictions and the lake's destruction. Two former residents, Sea Sambath and Soun Sao, could be jailed later this month if they cannot pay their fines.

As for the rest of Phnom Penh's residents, they'll (possibly) get a small park at least an hour's drive from the city center, from where they can watch the new ministry buildings and luxury condos go up. So quite bucolic.