Juliette Terzieff
World Politics Review Exclusive
CAMBODIA'S LAND-GRAB MANIA -- Tens of thousands of impoverished Cambodians have had their land seized or been forcibly evicted as lax law enforcement has allowed unscrupulous businessmen, government officials and land developers to act with impunity in the name of economic progress.
Cambodia's land, much of which has increased significantly in value in recent years, is being seized for development, to exploit its natural resources and for other uses. Police and military forces, say witnesses, often participate in late night raids -- or "property redistribution schemes" as officials sometimes call them -- to grab land. The land-grab mania is happening all across the country, affecting rural areas, traditional sites and often pitting illiterate villagers against savvy businesspeople.
Human rights groups have called the land situation Cambodia's biggest current human rights challenge, but with widespread involvement by government officials, there is little hope for a quick fix to the problem. In several cases, such as that of Kong Yu villagers, who lost much of their traditional burial grounds and local forests to a company eager to plant rubber trees as a cash crop, rights advocates are helping locals seek redress for their losses, as well as protection against additional losses, in Cambodian courts.
Juliette Terzieff is a journalist specializing in human rights. She pens Rights & Wrongs for World Politics Review every week.
Cambodia's land, much of which has increased significantly in value in recent years, is being seized for development, to exploit its natural resources and for other uses. Police and military forces, say witnesses, often participate in late night raids -- or "property redistribution schemes" as officials sometimes call them -- to grab land. The land-grab mania is happening all across the country, affecting rural areas, traditional sites and often pitting illiterate villagers against savvy businesspeople.
Human rights groups have called the land situation Cambodia's biggest current human rights challenge, but with widespread involvement by government officials, there is little hope for a quick fix to the problem. In several cases, such as that of Kong Yu villagers, who lost much of their traditional burial grounds and local forests to a company eager to plant rubber trees as a cash crop, rights advocates are helping locals seek redress for their losses, as well as protection against additional losses, in Cambodian courts.
Juliette Terzieff is a journalist specializing in human rights. She pens Rights & Wrongs for World Politics Review every week.
4 comments:
Land grabbing will not exist when Mr. Sam Ransy run the country.
So please vote for SRP.
This messages for ah Hun Sen and his gangster CPP.
Majority Cambodian are not vote for you, stop stealing
the votes from people. You are stolen the votes for many times.
You run the country for 29 years had nothing improved.
Only small group are wealthy but most of them are doing illegal business.
Cambodia lost many lands to neighboring countries.
The country very low in economy, but gaining in corruptions, drugs,
Gambling, prostitutions and land grabbing.
You must step down.
Mr. Sam Ransy can run the county much better then you.
The CPP must goes. Cambodian cannot afford another 5 years of Hun Sen's vietnamese backed government.
Curruptions must go, Hun Sen must go. Vietnam must go.
Its like the 3 amigoes all in one.
If Hun Sen, still in office, so does Vietnam, so does curruptions.
If you want to chop vietnam, you have to chop Hun Sen, automatically currutpions will slowly disappear.
When the THAI grab our land ,we,the khmers ,are pissed.How piss are the the poors in Cambodia when HUN SEN's govt allow land grabbing from the poors.Are khmer double standard ?.
The Thai grabs what land? Issan Province belongs to Khmer in Issan for centuries. It is the monkeys in Camboda who used the French Colonial to grab lands and temple from the Khmer in Thailand.
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