“Living in between hope and despair” Documentary film on Cambodian migrants in Cambodia and Thailand

For over two decades, the bountiful Mekong River has become a major target of large-scale investments. Every government in the Mekong region has allowed large private and public investors to take control over natural resources and over local populations. On the other hands, local people in this region are dependent on small-scale domestic investment, such as gathering non-timber forest products, fisheries, and agricultural commodities.

Many case studies of large-scale development reveal development effects. For example, the Lower Sesan II project in Cambodia shows that many affected families were displaced because of an insufficient compensation for farming and resettlement (Sarmen, 2016. Phnompenhpost). Lack of source of livelihood has resulted in landlessness, unemployment and finally in migration to urban areas and to other countries.

In recent years, many migrants and mobile populations in the Greater Mekong sub-region usually are vulnerable, especially populations along the Cambodia – Thailand border. Cambodian migrants to Thailand significantly increase risk-taking illegal status due to undocumented migration.

For my project, I am a freelance researcher and I would like to make a documentary film of Cambodian people who used to live in the area of Lower Sesan II Project and already relocated to urban and other country; Thailand. In addition, I would build on my background of working with Cambodian migrant volunteers who are strongly concerned with the exploitation of migrant’s right and the hope that the standard of life of migrant laborers would be improved from both country of origin and country of destination. They are willing to be a part of my research.

This short film will be a part of our small project research and will be published on our webblog/ https://migrationmeanstomeblog.wordpress.com/

We are also looking for some research grant.

I deeply appreciate your kindness and thanks for everyone who is interested in our project. I really grateful to www.gogetfunding.com for opening spaces and bringing people around the world closer together.