Government Dismisses Report of Lower Se San II Project Impacts

• 11 August 2021
• Local News
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The Cambodian government has dismissed the Human Rights Watch’s report on the impacts of the Se San II dam, citing that dam development brings prosperity to people’s living, generates jobs, and generates electricity.

The remarks were made after the Human Rights Watch issued the 137-page report noting the social, economic, environmental, and wildlife impacts, and the mobilisation of hundreds of local people.

The report briefly claimed that the project construction has unfairly displaced 5,000 indigenous and ethnic minority people and undermined the lives of tens of thousands more.

In response, government spokesman HE Phay Siphan said that the baseless report does not reflect reality, according to the Khmer Times.

“The development of Se San II Dam is providing income to people. After moving, they got better houses and land than their old houses,” he said.

“Electricity is what Cambodia needs to serve the economy and we produce electricity for our local communities, and it helps our country’s economy”, he added.

Going operational in 2018, the Lower Se San II dam is a joint venture investment between China Huaneng Group, the local Royal Group, and Vietnam’s state-owned electricity company (EVN).

Photo Credit to lokbongrattanak

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