A CCIM citizen journalist’s reporting on road damage caused by stone companies in Kampong Speu province lead to a prompt response from local authorities after his video reporting went viral on social media.
A communal road in Kontoch Village, Teok Laok Commune, Kong Pisey District, and Kompong Speu Province has long been damaged by the heavy stone trucks, causing a lot of dust and air pollution that has harmed villagers in the area.
After receiving training on news writing and reporting, Mr. Sous Chandeoun practiced his journalism skills by covering stories in his community. In his first article for Citizen News, entitled “People complain about the damaged road and dust caused by stone companies” , he wrote about the complaints raised by the villagers who claimed they face difficulty in breathing and lung problems, and how their households are covered with dirt.
Two weeks after his article was published, many villagers gathered on the street and stopped a truck to prevent it from crossing the village to the construction site, causing controversies and chaos. Chandeoun ran to cover the protest on the morning of 28th March.
With CCIM’s guidance and support, Chandeoun documented this event by making a short video and posted it on CJ’s Facebook page “Citizen News”, which attracted the greatest engagement on social media with 30k views, 760 shares, 8 comments and 324 likes.
ពលរដ្ឋនៅស្រុកគងពិសីបិទផ្លូវជាថ្មីហាមក្រុមហ៊ុនដឹកថ្មបើកឆ្លងកាត់ពលរដ្ឋជាច្រើនគ្រួសារនៅឃុំទឹកល្អក់ ស្រុកគងពិសី ខេត្តកំពង់ស្ពឺ បានផ្ទុះការតវ៉ាជាថ្មីដោយទាមទារអោយក្រុមហ៊ុនដឹកថ្មបញ្ឈប់ការធ្វើដំណើរឆ្លងកាត់ផ្លូវមួយខ្សែ ដោយចោទថា បានធ្វើខូចខាត និងបង្កជាធូលីដីហុយប៉ះពាល់ផ្ទះសម្បែង និងការរស់នៅរបស់ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ។ សូមស្ដាប់សេចក្ដីរាយការណ៍ពីពលរដ្ឋអ្នកសារព័ត៌មានរបស់ CCIM នៅខេត្តកំពង់ស្ពឺ លោក សួស ចាន់ឌឿន ដែលបានចុះយកទិដ្ឋភាពតវ៉ានៅព្រឹកម៉ោង៩ និង៣០ ថ្ងៃទី២៨ មីនានេះ៖
Posted by ព័ត៌មានពលរដ្ឋ – Citizen News on Sunday, March 28, 2021
Just three days after his video reporting went viral, Teok Laok Commune Council convened an urgent meeting between villagers and two stone companies. Chandeoun produced the follow-up story entitled “Teok Laok Commune Demands Stone Companies to Repair the Road after Protest”, which was posted on the CJ Facebook page.
According to CJ’s report, Teok Laok Commune Chief Mr. Chak Sarin demanded the two companies to repair the roads despite facing the economic shortfall due to the Covid-19 crisis. The companies had to fix the roads and water it to help reduce air pollution and dust blows to the people surrounding the area.
The commune chief said, “The two companies must repair this road immediately even facing Covid-19 crisis. The companies must repair and spray the road with water to prevent the dust from affecting the households and health of the people in the commune”.
However, the representatives of the two companies claimed that they are currently experiencing a serious economic crisis due to the sale drop during the Covid-19 pandemic. The companies requested that they could only start to repair some damaged roads and spray it with water until Covid-19 goes away, and only then they can build a concrete road in the commune.
Chandeoun is one of the newly recruited citizen journalist team leaders who underwent training on “Basic Leadership and Journalism Skills” provided by CCIM in February 2021. This activity is funded by the US Department of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, which aims to strengthen the capacity of CJs to report community news to the media and promote access to information at the local levels. (Article by Mr. Pich Chamrong)
