Cambodia’s Muslims and minorities in land grants battle
Drive deep enough into Mondulkiri’s Pech Chreada district, and the rubber plantations that dot the roads fall away. Here, there is only mile after mile of lush, dark woodland: An ideal place to bury one’s dead and pay respects to the spirits that reside inside this sacred Bunong forest. And, too, an ideal place to send hundreds of impoverished – but willing and able – homesteaders to carve out a better life.
Some 300 families, primarily Muslims from Kampong Cham province, have moved to Bousra commune’s Tuol Svay village in recent years. Established by the government in 2009, the village is part of a 2,400-hectare Social Land Concession aimed at reducing poverty and improving lives. Rich in timber and natural resources, the forest has been a lifeline for the new residents. But for neighboring indigenous Bunong communities who have utilized the land for spiritual practices for decades, the forest has become the scene of an unlikely religious battle. …
Abby Seiff and Chhorn Chansy
http://www.ucanews.com/news/cambodias-muslims-and-minorities-in-land-grants-battle/71874
