Directive aims to stop ELC abuses

22 May 2014
The Phnom Penh Post
Community forest / Economic land concessions and plantations / Ethnic minorities and indigenous people / Ministries and other national bodies / Protected areas
Hun Sen / Ministry of Agriculture / Ministry of Environment / Ouk Rabun / Say Sam Ol

Sacred burial grounds and community forests should be granted more protection under a new government proclamation issued this month, but rights groups and land-grab victims are wary that, without proper enforcement, it will amount to little in practice. An interministerial proclamation, or prakas, signed by Minister of Agriculture Ouk Rabun and Minister of Environment Say Sam Ol on May 9 and obtained by the Post yesterday, aims to strengthen the management of economic land concessions (ELCs) to protect community areas, such as community forests and burial sites. Each company must implement the “tiger skin formula” of guaranteeing that its ELC “does not affect the farming lands of villagers, community forest and protected forest”, the prakas says. …

 Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/directive-aims-stop-elc-abuses