Practical Uses of the GPS in Cambodia

Global Positioning System(GPS) receiver is a hand held device that could tell you exact location anywhere on earth. Suppose I am in the middle of my rice field, the GPS could tell the exact coordinate of longitude and latitude I am standing at. This technology really amazed me. If I’m to travel in the open sea, desolate desert or deep in forest I will never get lost.

What GPS is used for in Cambodia? I read in a Khmer language newspaper up in Banteay Mean Chey province, the rich and powerful who has connections with the ruling party did utilize the GPS. They used it for land grabbing from the poor. I could picture they just came to the villagers’ lands, pulled out GPS receiver and started to lay fences around the perimeter. According the news article the villagers got so mad they protested against them. They got a hold of the GPS equipments smashed and burned them in a pile of fire.

I love to have a GPS system, but I personally wouldn’t know what I could practically use it for in Cambodia. I am not a big person who has any connection with PM Hun Sen. Therefore I couldn’t possibly grab any lands from the villagers. Well, even if I’m a big person, I have a conscience not to selfishly do corrupted things. But, one thing I know our Cambodia government could use the GPS for: Border demarcation.

A Portable handheld GPS -- picture obtained from the internet.

Our border is very important for every Cambodian. We have our own land and home we must protect from Yuon to the east, Siamese to the west, and the Leov to the north. Currently our incompetence government does very little to clearly demarcate the border. Every time I pick up our Khmer newspapers I occasionally saw article on border dispute with the two greedy neighbours, mainly Vietnam and Thailand. We have maps to go by. Then now we should use the GPS to mark where our border line should be. What is there unclear about it? GPS can point to accuracy of physical marking of our border within 1.5 to 2 meters. This is one of the issues I hope our Phnom Penh government to resolve soon.

ខ្ញុំ​ Vanak.
Svay rieng (eastern border)