Foreign and Military Affairs

Chinese firm clear in eviction in Cambodia

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-01-21 20:35

PHNOM PENH - An official of Chinese Embassy to Cambodia said on Friday that recent media reports on a Chinese company's involvement in forcible eviction in Cambodia's Boeng Kak lakeside project "were not true."

The remarks were made by Jin Yuan, economic and commercial counselor of the Chinese Embassy to Cambodia in an interview with Xinhua.

Recently, a few lakeside residents of the Boeng Kak in conflict of interest held various assemblies and even rallied at the embassy, demanding the embassy to ask the Chinese company involved in project to compensate them.

"Some media reported that a Chinese company was involved in a forcible eviction in Cambodia but it is not true," Counselor Jin said, adding that "As far as the embassy knows, the Boeng Kak development project is one of the enormous economic construction and development projects of Cambodia and it is a legitimate program."

Jin Yuan pointed out that "the Royal Government of Cambodia authorized the Municipal Government of Phnom Penh to develop the lakeside as early as January 2007. The SHUKAKU Inc., after signing the contract with the Municipal Government, gained a 99-year lease of the land in the lakeside area covering 126.85 hectares. The Royal Government was committed to transferring the lakeside into a modernized satellite city."

Jin, at the same time, told reporters that the China Inner Mongolia Erdos Hungjun Investment Co. took part in the economic development of Cambodia, and was merely the investor of this project.

"And the company, chosen by the SHUKAKU Inc. as its partner, would participate in the planning, fund raising and construction of the project after the lakeside eviction is completed," the official said.

"The Chinese government has always required all Chinese companies to obey laws and rules of their investment-destination countries and keep credibility while 'going global' so as to achieve shared development with the local community," Jin stressed.

At the end of interview, Jin said that the Municipal Government took charge of the lakeside eviction. According to the contract signed between SHUKAKU Inc. and the Municipal Government, the Municipal Government should be responsible of the eviction. It was said that currently 70 percent of eviction had been completed.

Jin Yuan suggested that "the lakeside residents should discuss compensation with the Municipal Government in a reasonable and legitimate manner instead of appealing to another party."