Sos Les, a 57-year-old Cham-Muslim, decided to find a new life on land after spending more than three decades living and fishing along the Bassac River in Kandal province.
Mr Les and 50 other Cham families relocated to live on an island in Koh Khsach Tonlea commune along the Bassac River in Kandal province’s S’ang district after they bought plots of land that had been cultivated by local residents.
The commune had a population of more than 6,600 and all of the villagers were Buddhist. Most were farmers and grew various vegetable crops.
Mr Les and the other Cham families believed they could create a new Muslim community there and build a mosque and a school for their children.
All of the new arrivals were fishermen who lived traditionally, depending on their fishing boats for many decades in line with the previous generation.
Sitting on his fishing boat docked at the riverbank, Mr Les said there were no words to describe how hard his life was without land or a proper home.
Life is hard for poor Cham people who live on fishing boats, he said. We face uncertain times on our boats when there are rainstorms and big waves, especially at night.
Since getting married, my family and I never expected to have a chance to live on the land, he added, noting that his family’s condition hadn’t changed in more than three decades living on the boat.
I have three children and two of them already got married. I bought them each a new boat as inheritance to feed their families.
Due to concern over the younger generation’s future, Mr Les moved from his boat in Koh Thom district to buy the land on Koh Khsach Tonlea by pooling his money with other Cham fishermen.
For himself, he borrowed $300 from his relatives to share with his uncle to obtain a plot of land comprising about 84 square meters.
Living on the boat, we do not have a school or mosque so we worry about our children and grandchildren. Therefore we decided to share our money and buy some land here, he said.
In addition, he and the other Cham fisherman decided to buy the land because all Muslims needed a mosque or surau a small community mosque to show their respect and pray.
If we prayed on our own boat, it would not be good. So we need a surau for us to pray together, Mr Les said. If we have our own surau or mosque, it would be good even though we fish on the boat.
Mr Les, who is Sunni, said he and the other Cham fishermen usually went to a surau or mosque near their fishing areas.
Leb Los, a hakim or imam from a mosque located in Kandal province’s Prek Tapov village, said he came to help the people after he heard a new Muslim community had been created.
After I heard about them I decided to visit. I came to strengthen religion through the children, to not let them walk on the wrong path, the 67-year-old said.
He visited and decided to do prayers with them. As a Muslim it is their duty to perform prayers five times a day.
“Until they have houses and people living in this area, until there is a mosque and until the authorities have recognized this new community and this area is known as a village, only then a Muslim leader will come to approve a hakim after approval by the Ministry of Cults and Religion, Mr Los said.
The new Cham community consists of cultivated land plots not far from other villagers’ houses. However, there are only two houses and a temporary surau has been built from wood and zinc, while others have just built temporary shelters to identify their own plots of land.
Mr Les is one without a proper home. His new house is being made with old bamboo and an old zinc roof sheet, but it still lacks four walls and the thatched roof is only covered in places. He, his wife and youngest son still sleep in the boat, which is docked along the riverbank.
We only had the ability to buy the land. We don’t have the money to construct a new house yet, Mr Les said.
He said his whole family moved to the island in September, a similar time frame as the other Cham families. However, only some are staying there presently as others, including Mr Les’s two children, have gone fishing until March to earn money.
I couldn’t go anywhere. I have to stay here with the other old men to take care of the area and the other people here, Mr Les continued. I can go fishing nearby our place and earn about $2 per day to sustain our livelihoods.
Mr Les expects that the move to land will improve his family’s living standards, and hopes to live in harmony with the other villagers in the commune. Furthermore, he hopes there are donors willing help his newly formed community.
So far the villagers here have not caused any problems for us they feel good with us, he said. Sometimes I sell or give them fish.
Commune police chief Kong Hour said there have been no issues since the Cham people relocated there.
As long as the administrative guidelines are adhered to which includes, notifying commune authorities about any change of address the process is quite straightforward, he said, before adding that 24 families have thus far followed the requisite procedures and registered an address change.
2017 Khmer Times