Cambodia's Famous Bamboo Train
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New Bamboo Train to Open January 2018

12/2/2017

 

Bamboo Train to Continue, But At A Cost

2/9/2017

 
According to this article from The Phnom Penh Post, the bamboo train will be moved instead of destroyed.  While that option is better than no train at all, it comes at a great cost to the people of O Dambong II and O Sralov, as they will not be permitted to continue operating the train.  This decision means that the people who founded the train, protected it, and kept it working for 38 years will no longer profit from their efforts.  Instead, many years of ethnographic research by our anthropologist have shown that this 'move' is a purposeful effort by local officials to take over the operations of the bamboo train and employ hand-selected operators who will pay kickbacks for the privilege of this job.  Our determination is that this move is designed solely for the profit of local officials, despite what any official numbers might claim.  

Also worrisome is the loss of cultural heritage.  Rebuilding the train with new operators will remove the historical element from the site, making it purely a tourist trap.  This accusation is one against which the train already struggles, and could hurt any potential gains.  As it is now, with the original operators, the train has a history and a symbolic importance that cannot be replicated elsewhere.  We at BambooTrain.com decry the loss of this cultural heritage and oppose any solution that cuts out the people of O Dambong II and O Sralov.  Potential tourists should be aware of these changes, and we encourage you to increase your tips to your drivers in O Dambong II as a way to support them in what is certain to be a trying future.

Note: our research also shows that the claim of the operators having been paid a year ago is false.

World Bank Advisor Sees "No Reason" Bamboo Train Should Stop

7/13/2016

 
The warnings about the imminent closure of the bamboo train from some months ago seems to have waned some lately.  We recently spoke with a representative of the World Bank, who says there is "no reason" that the bamboo train will have to stop even when the new railroad is built.  The new train should only be going through town three times per week, meaning the bamboo train can operate around it.  At least, the World Bank's support seems to be shifting towards keeping the bamboo train or moving it to a new location, but not stopping it.  The local government has yet to respond with more details of their plan, but such support is good news for the bamboo train.  Updates will be added as they arrive.

Gov't Reneges On Earlier Promises, Bamboo Train Closure Imminent

3/28/2016

 
Two weeks ago we reported that the Cambodian Government had promised not to close the bamboo train after all.  The people of the bamboo train were overjoyed at this news at the time, as CPP officials came to the village announcing in person and via radio that the bamboo train would be preserved.  Sadly, the government is now claiming no such promises have been made and are stating that the closure of the bamboo train is imminent - possibly within two months.

The government's new plan is to move the bamboo train to a new location, from which there are two choices.  First is to move the train to Wat Kor, not far from the current site.  The local Battambang government seems to favor this option, as it allows them to create a tour package that bundles the nearby market and the Ancient Houses of Wat Kor with the bamboo train.  The second option is to move the train to a new railroad built specifically for the bamboo train near the ancient ruins of Ek Phnom.  This option has more space for construction and additional services such as picnic areas, which Khmer tourists love.

Sadly, neither option is satisfactory.  Both routes are much shorter than the current route, meaning that not only will the ride be shorter, but the trains will be forced to stop and be taken apart far more often than before.  More importantly, the current drivers of the bamboo train - upwards of 100 families - many of whom have driven the train for several decades, and several who helped invent it in 1979, will not be allowed to continue driving the train if it moves.  Instead, the government will create positions for new drivers who will report directly to the government.  This system would allow the government a much greater cut of the money, destroying the carefully constructed profit-sharing system that the current bamboo train operators have used for decades.  The people of the bamboo train village will be left without any means of support, as most families have multiple family members who drive, depending almost entirely on the bamboo train for income.

Another concern is the increased lack of authenticity.  Some tourists complain even now that the bamboo train is "too touristy" and feels fake.  Increasing accessibility to the history and symbolism of the train was a primary motivator for the creation of this website.  If the train moves, all of the local dependency on the train - for farmers, for religious devotees, for weddings - will disappear.  The train will truly become purely a tourist trap, and locals are voicing severe concerns that this will ruin the train's reputation and damage the tourist economy of Battambang.

To this point, it's worth mentioning that we at BambooTrain.com do not condemn the construction of the new railroad.  Indeed, the potential for Cambodia to benefit exists.  However, the government's current stance that the benefits of the train outweigh the loss of livelihood for the villagers of O Dambong II is insufficient without specific details about how the train will be used to benefit the people, and for how the locals will be aided in this time of transition.  Currently, the train is poised to benefit Thailand and Vietnam much more than Cambodia, with the government espousing the railroad as "development" without any context as for how that development helps the nation.  Furthermore, the aid money promised to the villagers, which the government often cites as "paid already" to defend their actions, has not been seen by most in the village; even if it arrives, it may not even be a sufficient amount for recovery.  We at BambooTrain.com wish to see Cambodia continue to develop , but we don't want to see the livelihoods of an entire village and the cultural legacy embodied by the bamboo train wiped out overnight in the vague name of progress.

Bamboo Train To Be Preserved...Mostly

3/10/2016

 
Just a quick update today to summarize several major recent events.  

After much negotiation, and a plea to Prime Minister Hun Sen to preserve a section of the railroad (and the downtown Battambang rail station) for usage as a tourist site, the Government has promised that the bamboo train will indeed be preserved.  Discussions initially indicated that the norry would be moved towards Wat Kor and the original drivers replaced with government-approved drivers (under the guise of "safety"), but these plans proved impractical.  Currently, the government is promising that the modern railway will be built around the section of track that houses the bamboo train.  Villagers will be allowed to continue the operation of the train as per usual.

While this news is certainly a victory for the villagers of the bamboo train, locals have begun to argue with the government about management of the site.  Calls for media attention are also increasing, as the government has slowly increased its presence at the site, allowing the police to receive more money from each ticket sold.  Indications are that actual hard tickets will be sold by the Ministry of Tourism in future months, giving the money directly to government officials without passing through the hands of the operators first.  The villagers have a complicated profit-sharing system they've employed for two decades and the government's arrival is interrupting this process.  As one local stated, "Every year we see more and more tourists visiting the bamboo train, yet we don't make much more money than before.  The police take the extra money for themselves.  We operated the bamboo train for tourists for 15 years before the police came to 'protect' foreigners.  Why didn't they care before, when it wasn't as profitable?  We built the train, shouldn't we be able to operate it as we choose and see the profits from that effort?"

Updates on these developments will be posted as they are reported.

Phnom Penh Post Reports on Threats to the Bamboo Train

10/29/2015

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Click HERE for the original Phnom Penh Post article

In a recent article by Harriet Mitch Little and Vandy Muong, The Phnom Penh Post raised new concerns for the operators of the bamboo train and the people of Battambang, including:

-Concerns over the still indefinite timeline of the railroad's refurbishment, and the lack of a plan going forward for sustaining the attraction
-Accusations from the government regarding the legality of the bamboo train and the rights of the people who operate it
-Implications for the greater impact that the loss of the bamboo train could have over the rest of Battambang, which remains dependent on the attraction for business

According to the government, the bamboo train operators are acting illegally and have little to no rights regarding potential loss of land and income.  This viewpoint is consistent with how the government has treated other occupiers of land that the administration wishes to use for 'development', and sets a negative precedent for the potential removal (possibly violently) of people who have lived and worked this land for decades.  Many people who live around the railroad do not have legal title because of the events of the Khmer Rouge, but have worked and sustained the railroad for many years.  In a communal effort, they sustained the railroad as best they could and turned it into an economic activity that benefited a wide group of people.  Not to mention, redeveloping the railroad would be much more difficult had the bamboo train operators not put so much effort into clearing and maintaining the tracks as they have.  Does this communal action, maintenance, and investment of time and labour not entitle these workers to some rights regarding the development of the railroad and the loss of their land and livelihood? 

Note also that the Asian Development Bank has already agreed that bamboo train workers deserve compensation for their loss should redevelopment end the bamboo train.  This payment has not been effective so far, and the government's comments seem to ignore the recognition imposed by the international authority responsible for much of the redevelopment funds.  The people's rights remain unclear, washed away by the financial desires of the Cambodian government.

Concerns also remain regarding the impact that losing the bamboo train would have on Battambang at large.  As the article points out, 80% of all visitors to Battambang visit the the bamboo train.  Without that attraction, visitation will drop dramatically, lowering incomes for businesses across the city - hotels, restaurants, moto and tuk-tuk drivers, etc. - who all depend on tourists for income.  I recall a conversation I had with a development worker several years ago, who was excited about the redevelopment of the bamboo train and convinced that the train would only increase visitation to Battambang.  Explaining that Battambang is many hours from the typical tourists sites in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, which can be visited by going east around the Tonle Sap - avoiding Battambang entirely, I asked what reason tourists would have to make the extra effort to head west to Battambang.  His response: "Our many beautiful temples."  Although Battambang's temples, particularly Phnom Banon and Phnom Sampeau, are indeed beautiful, I asked if they were different enough from other temples around the country to merit visitation without other attractions to accompany them.  Every town in Cambodia can boast beautiful old temples, and with the Circus also operating in Siem Reap, losing the bamboo train takes away the most unique and compelling reason most tourists have to visit the region.  At the current time, nothing seems posed to replace the bamboo train in terms of tourist draw.

Finally, the timeline is still unclear.  Bamboo train workers have expressed fear of their imminent demise for years.  Since 2010, workers have sworn that "this year will be our last," and yet they persist.  But this luck cannot hold out forever, and when redevelopment begins in full, the bamboo train will be ushered out more quickly than anticipated.  During this indefinable grace time, efforts must be made to form a plan B.  Luckily, this concern is noted by the Battambang Ministry of Tourism.  But options are there?  Can the bamboo train operate on a private track, and have the railroad go around?  Will the bamboo train be shortened, or even become a museum exhibit?  Share your thoughts and comments and let's begin this discussion and hopefully come to an effective solution.

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