1.1. Background
Banteay Meanchey province has a high rate of internal migration, with many people coming to the province, and particularly to the border areas, in search of work. Poipet is often the focal area for all these migrants. In recent years the town has developed rapidly, as the international border crossing has boosted economic opportunities. The jobs available in these areas include farm labouring, construction work, casino staff, hand-cart transporters and traders at the Thai market. There is also a growing second-hand clothing market, and people often find work washing and pressing clothes for sale.
The work that people can find is often sporadic and wages are earned on a daily basis. This means that many families are unable to save money. The living conditions of many of the migrant workers living in Poipet is very poor, overcrowded and unhygienic.
In 1999 there was a serious cholera outbreak in the squatter areas in Poipet. The authorities appealed to some of the NGOs working in that area to help with these issues. NPA, in cooperation with ZOA and the local authorities, tried to understand the problem and came up with the solution to move the families from the slum areas to a new village site. ZOA and NPA interviewed the 4099 families living in the squatter areas to find out their personal information. However, the authorities could only provide 114 hectares of land for resettlement, which, by providing families with a plot of land 15x25 metres, could only accommodate 2000 families.
The housing area in the village is 83 hectares, the public area is 8 hectares, and the road around the site is 12 kilometres in length. The village intersecting roads are 13 kilometres in total.
Three criteria were established by NPA and the DWG to select the beneficiaries for resettlement. The criteria were as follows:
Based on this criteria, 1,674 families were selected. As there was still space to settle more families, additional criteria was developed to select the remaining families. This was as follows:
Based on this new criteria, 317 families were selected, making a total of 1,991 families. But when the resettlement process was completed, only 1,700 families came to live in the new village. Further criteria was developed:
Based on these criteria, 300 more families were selected. Although there were 2,000 plots, only 1,998 families settled in the village because one plot was flooded and the other plot was an eroded corner plot.
The research study was intended to achieve the following objectives:
Banteay Meanchey province has a high rate of internal migration, with many people coming to the province, and particularly to the border areas, in search of work. Poipet is often the focal area for all these migrants. In recent years the town has developed rapidly, as the international border crossing has boosted economic opportunities. The jobs available in these areas include farm labouring, construction work, casino staff, hand-cart transporters and traders at the Thai market. There is also a growing second-hand clothing market, and people often find work washing and pressing clothes for sale.
The work that people can find is often sporadic and wages are earned on a daily basis. This means that many families are unable to save money. The living conditions of many of the migrant workers living in Poipet is very poor, overcrowded and unhygienic.
In 1999 there was a serious cholera outbreak in the squatter areas in Poipet. The authorities appealed to some of the NGOs working in that area to help with these issues. NPA, in cooperation with ZOA and the local authorities, tried to understand the problem and came up with the solution to move the families from the slum areas to a new village site. ZOA and NPA interviewed the 4099 families living in the squatter areas to find out their personal information. However, the authorities could only provide 114 hectares of land for resettlement, which, by providing families with a plot of land 15x25 metres, could only accommodate 2000 families.
The housing area in the village is 83 hectares, the public area is 8 hectares, and the road around the site is 12 kilometres in length. The village intersecting roads are 13 kilometres in total.
Three criteria were established by NPA and the DWG to select the beneficiaries for resettlement. The criteria were as follows:
- Living in Poipet for three years or more
- Have more than 5 family members
- A daily income of less than 100 baht for the whole family
Based on this criteria, 1,674 families were selected. As there was still space to settle more families, additional criteria was developed to select the remaining families. This was as follows:
- Living in Poipet for one year or more
- Three family members or more
- A daily income of less than 100 baht for the whole family
Based on this new criteria, 317 families were selected, making a total of 1,991 families. But when the resettlement process was completed, only 1,700 families came to live in the new village. Further criteria was developed:
- Living in Poipet more than two years
- Four or more family members
- A daily income of less than 100 baht for the whole family.
Based on these criteria, 300 more families were selected. Although there were 2,000 plots, only 1,998 families settled in the village because one plot was flooded and the other plot was an eroded corner plot.
The research study was intended to achieve the following objectives:
- To document and reflect on the work of NPA and other organizations working in the resettlement areas, to highlight the lessons learned and to develop recommendations for appropriate future interventions.
- To better understand the living conditions, coping mechanisms and perceptions of the people living in the resettlement sites and to provide opportunity for these beneficiaries to provide feedback to the development organizations.
- To build the capacity of NPA staff and the staff of the partner organizations to incorporate research methodologies into their development work.