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Last year saw a record increase in economic land concessions and the area controlled by agro-industrial companies jumped to more than 2 million hectares nationwide, according to human rights groups who track such projects. Mining companies are also flocking to Cambodia and those already have received concessions to explore 1.9 million hectares of land for gold, iron ore, copper and other precious minerals. Together, these private firms now control 3.9 million hectares of land, or more than 22 percent of Cambodia’s total surface area, according to data from rights group Licadho… The surge in concessions is causing major concern among rights groups, conservationists, governance experts and even donor countries, as it is set to dramatically worsen land disputes – already Cambodia’s most pressing human rights issue – and exacerbate the destruction of the country’s shrinking forests. … Ministry of Agriculture Secretary of State Ith Nody said last week that only 1.2 million of hectares were granted to 118 agro-industrial firms, including 28 Chinese firms and 27 Vietnamese companies. Licadho, which based its calculations on official government documents, found that 227 plantation firms, several special economic zones and former state rubber plantations cover almost exactly 2 million hectares, about 800,000 more hectares than Mr. Nody reported. …

http://www.camnet.com.kh/cambodia.daily/selected_features/Carving%20Up%20Cambodia.pdf