Water Protests Continue After Failed Talks

Protests continued in Prey Veng City yesterday for the second day as more than 1000 residents demonstrated in front of the provincial offices over increases to water prices instituted by a private company that recently took over the city’s water supply, residents said. The Kim Touch Water Supply Co, which took control of Prey Veng city’s water supply from the government in January, is asking residents to pay 50 percent above the previous price, 1,800 riel., or $0.45, per cubic meter of water. A representative of the demonstrators, who asked not to be identified for fear of retribution, said that protesters met with the water company yesterday to negotiate the price, but failed to reach an agreement. … Present during the negotiations yesterday, Prey Veng city governor Sin Sarak said that the company and provincial officials are currently working on a number of solutions to end the protest, including shutting down the city’s new and costly water filtration system in favor of the older French colonial-era system. …