Dreams not panning out
In the shadow of Anlong Mountain in Preah Vihear province, the whir of engines pierces the tranquil scrubland. Here, in the midday heat, a group of workers scour the earth for traces of gold. … A licence granted to Malaysian gold miner Delcom, which first began exploring the area in 1996, has slowly forced the subsistence miners further and further away from the mountain, and into land with little to extract. Previously able to comfortably sustain themselves, they now struggle to survive. … Meng Saktheara, secretary of state at the Ministry of Mines and Energy, said Delcom has a licence to mine 1 square kilometre on Anlong Mountain. That licence expires in September. Saktheara said the ministry’s field inspectors have reported that the company employs a number of Chinese nationals. He was unsure of Delcom’s links with the military, but said it is likely “they employ some military for defence, [as] the area has some problems with illegal mining”. … Saktheara added that the ministry had increased efforts to grant the country’s traditional miners licences, while punishing those who continue to mine without permission. To do this, he said, communities across Cambodia were being educated about the necessity of the licences, and told how to apply for them. …
May Titthara and Alice Cuddy
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/dreams-not-panning-out
