Jarai ethnic minority win temporary victory over forest
Local authorities have stepped in to halt construction around a disputed land concession in Ratanakkiri province in an attempt to discover whether the company has the right to clear forest that residents claim they depend on to survive. In what appears to be a rare showing of support for the protracted battles of locals versus developers, officials stopped development of the site and met with complainants from the ethnic Jarai community in O’Yadav district’s Lumchor commune, who accused Vietnam-based Chea Chanrith Development of clearing over 30 hectares of protected forest. …
