Minorities Seek Land Dispute March Approval

3 March 2012
The Cambodia Daily
Agricultural production / Agriculture and fishing / Civil society / Crop products and commodities / Economic land concessions and plantations / Environment and natural resources / Ethnic minorities and indigenous people / Forest products / Forests and forestry / Human rights / Land / Land tenure and land titling / Logging and timber / Public land lease / Social development
DM Group / forestry / Indigenous / indigenous minorities / logging / minorities / Ratanakiri / timber

Local human rights group Adhoc has requested provincial approval to stage a large-scale march later this month involving hundreds of indigenous minorities embroiled in a land dispute in Ratanakiri province. The demonstration is being organized to bring attention to what minority villagers claim is judicial intimidation in the province in matters related to land and forestry, according to Pen Bonnar, provincial coordinator for Adhoc, which filed the request on the behalf of the villagers. Roughly 1,000 indigenous villagers are hoping to take part in the 4-km march planned for March 19 in which they will also demand provincial authorities take action against illegal logging of luxury wood and ask for clarification over the ownership of 30,000 hectares of forestland, which villagers say has been illegally encroached upon by agro-industry firm DM Group. …