What can one man do?

If he dares to speak up, his voice will be heard.

One man who dared to speak up was an American friend of one of our group who had a chance to meet with the Australian Prime Minister at a function in Rome. He asked his Aussie friend if there were any issues he could raise with the PM and we emailed him a copy of our Embassy meeting notes / briefing material relating to Group 78 and forced evictions in Cambodia.

In a stroke of brilliance attributed to his wife, he transformed these notes into a personalised advocacy package for the PM replete with a photo of Bonhoeffer's statue (whom Rudd has claimed to admire most in the history of the 20th century) and a quote from Rudd himself - "The purpose of the church is not to be socially agreeable; it is to speak robustly to the state on behalf of those who cannot speak effectively for themselves".

His prayerful approach was surely inspired by the Holy Spirit and combined with the package, this American Catholic Deacon who dared speak up was told by our PM "You've pricked my conscience"(for the details see his article).

Since this time, we have been working on how to convert a "pricked conscience" into the political will to do something. However, today time ran out for Group 78.

On Monday, the Court of Appeal heard the Group 78's appeal (assisted by Community Legal Education Centre) for an injunction to prevent the Phnom Penh Municipality from evicting them before a decision has been made about the legality of the eviction. The appeal was unsuccessful.

On Wednesday, the community protested outside the Canadia Bank who has provided loans funding the development. They then met with the World Bank who has provided $38.4million since 2002 towards the Land Management and Administration Project designed to "establish an efficient and transparent land administration system".

It was their last hope because Friday (today) was the scheduled date for their eviction.

I have been following the events from afar - enjoying annual holidays in Thailand actually. Only able to "speak" with the highest of powers, I have sleeplessly wondered how the residents of Group 78 were holding up.

Today's emails tell me that all but one family has finally accepted the offered package. They were witnesses to the strong arm tactics when their neighbours were evicted and were not keen to watch the violent destruction of their own homes with bulldozers and axes, aided by tear gas and a strong police presence.

The one remaining family is standing firm, rightly claiming the offer is neither just nor fair. Surrounded by police, media and monitors, the man of the house is calling out "You all come here with weapons. My family, we have no weapons. You can use your weapons to tear down my house, but I do not agree."

Please join with me and pray for this one man who dares to stand up to the authorities - praying that his voice is heard before it is hushed. Pray also if there is some opportunity where you can speak robustly for the 150,000 others around Cambodia still facing eviction.

The Embassy visit

Six of us met in front of the new Australian Embassy on Tuesday to prepare for a meeting with the Third Secretary and the head of AusAID. Our purpose was to encourage further action to assist the 150,000 Cambodians currently facing forced eviction from their homes due to land grabbing and development.


A short 20 metre walk around the Embassy's 2 metre high wall took us to a community of around 90 families that is under threat of eviction - Group 78. The land has been valued at $14million. The community has been offered a package totalling $400,000 or be forcibly moved to a relocation site 20kms outside of Phnom Penh.

We sat down in blue plastic chairs at the closest tarpolin-roofed "diner", sipping cold waters over brief introductions prior to the meeting lead by Lisa H (see photo). One woman ran a project at the relocation sites where the former neighbours of Group 78 were violently taken three years ago and who still don't have electricity or running water. Two others live in poor communities that are facing eviction in a number of years. The rest of us were hoping our presence at the meeting would be suggestive of the great interest amongst the Australian expat community.


Issues were discussed and questions were divvied up before we headed into the cold bleak modern building. The Embassy staff had moved in only one week ago and we were apparently the first guests to use the Brisbane Room (which was a remarkably similar size to the 6x4m plots of land being provided at the relocation site).


My mp3 player and phone were kept "safe" at the front desk, but there wasn't much to record anyway. The meeting went something like this.


Blah blah BLAH we're monitoring the situation blah blab blab don't get involved in individual cases blah BLAH blah speaking directly to various members of Government blah BLAH hmmm.


It was disappointing. While they indicated their interest in identifying new opportunities to act, they declined our offer to visit the relocation site or fund coordinated advocacy efforts. No mention of the issue is made in the soon-to-be-released country strategic plan and the new wording within the 2009 budget which aims to provide vulnerable groups with "access to justice" was just extra words and didn't reflect a desire to actually do it.


I thought his one final word of advice was odd "just don't write any letters to the editor". However, I've just read that at the national food security forum held that same day the Cambodian PM stated that a number of foreigners have wrong views and are creating friction between the governments of the two countries involved. In the current environment where newspaper's are being forced to shut down and editors are being jailed for "misinformation", speaking publically on the issue could be a good way to get a fast ticket home.

The Third Secretary's advice was timely and perhaps his (and our) efforts are beginning to challenge the status quo after all.

One for the Mums

I wrote this one over two and a half years ago, before I had a blog (with a self-imposed word limit) and before Mr Happy was born. I stumbled on it again recently and thought I would post it. The land issue is particularly timely as I go to the Aussie Embassy tomorrow to speak to them about land evictions (something this "at-home" Mum can do). Any prayers appreciated...

+++

As an at home Mum with two children, I have been asked by other Mothers in Australia "what difference is there between me and you?" In essence, there is little difference. I am a Mum, who wants to reach out to others with the love of Jesus in whatever situations I can.

It's the context that is vastly different. I am trying to be a friend cross-culturally in a language I am still learning (although I pretty good at chatting). I am raising my children in a challenging living environment and must teach them how to live across two (even three) worlds. But most of all, it is the people that are uniquely different. Each woman here has a remarkable story of traying to make a life for herself and her family.

Take my friend, Bun. I have known her for about five years from when we first visited Cambodia. She was newly married then. Now, she has two children but six months ago lost her husband to cancer.

I have listened to her heartache and cried with her many times through the pain of loss, uncertainty and loneliness. I have prayed with her and try to encourage her, but most of all I just try to listen and be a friend.

Today, her loss was raw and while my two munchkins raced around making their own games, I listened again. And we cried.

For Christmas, she and her children went to visit the beach with her former boss who was visiting the country. She had been nervous, but was determined that her kids get their first glimpse of the ocean. They had loved it! Also, the sea air was a tonic for her youngest who had been plagued by ill-health for many months.

While there she also visited some of her husband's friends with whom he had bought some land when they were first married. However, they didn't have good news for her. The land purchased by her husband had been stolen by a powerful businessman to further his business interests in the area (palm oil). It's a common story in Cambodia - the rich steal from the poor and then pay off the authorities. Any attempts by communities and activists to secure justice are blocked by the courts. Some even receive death threats of the non-idle kind.

For my friend, the 15 hectares are not as important as the fact that another link to her husband was cruelly severed. Before he even fell sick, he had tried to provide for his family's future, but it was stolen away. And that hurts her deeply.

My friend is fortunate that her former bosses sponsor her children to attend school. She continues to work to pay her day-to-day bills. Her own family and her husband's family also love her deeply and try to support her as best they can. But in her culture, tears are a sign of weakness and so often she is alone in her pain. So, I am a friend who can do little but listen and cry with her, together we are weak, but I pray that our times together will strengthen her.

I know they strengthen me. They strengthen my resolve to learn language, to pray, to be a light and friend to my fellow Mums.