Cambodia’s Amazon Under Threat

Photo: Borin Noun

Saturday, 03 March 2012
Borin Noun
Asia Calling

The remote 200,000-hectares of Prey Lang Forest is arguably the Amazon of Cambodia.

Home to the indigenous Kouy people, “Prey Lang” means “our forest”.

Last year, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen approved a 9,000-hectare rubber plantation, despite its status as a protected area.

The deal is part of a joint business initiative between the Cambodian and Vietnamese governments, which say will improve local welfare.

But a recent investigation has revealed the dirty deals made between companies and villagers, and the extent of illegal logging in the forest.

Hong's Story - Amnesty International on Forced Evictions in Cambodia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aned_votLrw

Sen Don Ta (Pchum) celebration by Khmer in Khukhan, Sisaket province, Thailand

Dinner with the departed

November 2, 2011
Phoowadon Duangmee
Khukhan, Si Sa Ket

The Festival of the Dead is full of life and colour in Si Sa Ket

There is no such thing as a Halloween party in Srisaket, a northeastern province that shares a border with Cambodia. But in the small town of Khukhan, the Khmer-speaking communities have their own way of celebrating the dead: the annual Saen Donta Festival where they feed the deceased members of their families.

"Sons, daughters, in-laws, grandchildren - all family members will return home," says an 80-something grandmother, as she starts to explain the notion of this reunion of family members - both alive and dead - for the Saen Donta Festival. "The members [the one who are alive, of course] help to prepare the food and offer it to the dead ones."

Do dead and the living have dinner together, I wonder?

ជីវិត​រស់​នៅ​ប្រចាំ​ថ្ងៃ​របស់​ជនជាតិ​កួយ - Daily life of Kuoy Ethnic minorities

15 Oct 2011
Radio Free Asia

ខាងក្រោមនេះគឺជារូបភាពស្ដីពីជីវិតរស់នៅប្រចាំថ្ងៃរបស់ជនជាតិកួយ នៅភូមិពោធិ៍ធំ ឃុំពោធិ៍ធំ និងជនជាតិកួយ នៅភូមិបុស្ស ឃុំប្រមេ ស្រុកត្បែងមានជ័យ ខេត្តព្រះវិហារ។

រូបថតនៅថ្ងៃទី១៣ តុលា ឆ្នាំ២០១១ ដោយ វិទ្យុអាស៊ីសេរី/វោហារ ជាតិ

The following photos show the daily life of Kuoy ethnic minorities living in Po Thom village, Po Thom commune and in Boss village, Prame commune, both in Tbeng Meanchey district, Preah Vihear province.

The photos were taken by Voha Cheat on 13 October 2011.

បុរសជនជាតិកួយ ស្ពាយស្បៀង ដៃកាន់ស្នាតេះ (កាំភ្លើងបាញ់សត្វច្នៃ) នៅស្រុកត្បែងមានជ័យ ខេត្តព្រះវិហារ។ បុរសរូបនេះទើបត្រឡប់មកពីបរបាញ់សត្វ និងរកជ័រទឹកនៅក្នុងព្រៃ។ - A man carrying food in his backpack and a handmade hunting gun in Tbeng Meanchey district, Preah Vihear province. The man is returning back from hunting and collecting wood resin in the forest.

គ្រួសារកួយ នៅស្រុកត្បែងមានជ័យ ខេត្តព្រះវិហារ រៀបចំកោសជ្រូកព្រៃ ដើម្បីចម្អិនធ្វើម្ហួបពេលល្ងាច។ - A family in Tbeng Meanchey district prepare to clean up a wild boar for cooking for their evening meal.

នារីជនជាតិកួយ ឲ្យបាយសត្វស្វា ដែលចិញ្ចឹមក្នុងផ្ទះ នៅស្រុកត្បែងមានជ័យ ខេត្តព្រះវិហារ។ - A young woman feeds rice to her pet monkey.

បុរសជនជាតិកួយ ប្រលែងលេងជាមួយសត្វសេក ដែលគាត់ចិញ្ចឹមនៅក្នុងផ្ទះ នាស្រុកត្បែងមានជ័យ ខេត្តព្រះវិហារ។ - A man playing with his pet parrot.

នារីជនជាតិកួយ លីងអំបុកស្រូវថ្មី នៅស្រុកត្បែងមានជ័យ ខេត្តព្រះវិហារ។ - A young woman grill newly harvested rice to make “ambok”.

នារីជនជាតិកួយ បុកអំបុកស្រូវថ្មី នៅស្រុកត្បែងមានជ័យ ខេត្តព្រះវិហារ។ - Young women pound on newly harvested rice to make “ambok”.

កុមារជនជាតិកួយ លេងទឹកព្រែកក្បែរព្រៃនៅជើងភ្នំ នាស្រុកត្បែងមានជ័យ ខេត្តព្រះវិហារ។ - Youngsters playing with pond water.

គ្រូទាយជនជាតិកួយ ប្រើវិធីបូល តាមប្រពៃណីជនជាតិកួយ ដើម្បីទាយ នៅស្រុកត្បែងមានជ័យ ខេត្តព្រះវិហារ។ - A fortune teller uses her divination instrument to predict the future.

Preay Lang forest community demands a halt to deforestation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3-b53_v2HI&feature=player_embedded

Grant from UN-run fund enables Cambodian village to reap ecotourism benefits

Som Doeun, a Kuoy villager from Romchek, holds a fish he caught in Choam Prei lake

26 August 2010 (UN News Centre) – Funds from a global environment grants scheme implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will enable an indigenous community in one of Cambodia's poorest provinces to build an ecotourism project at a lake recently returned to them from private ownership.

The mostly indigenous ethnic Kuoy residents of Romchek village in northeast Preah Vihear province are to receive a share of almost $20,000 in grant money from the Global Environment Facility’s (GEF) Small Grants Programme, according to a press release issued today by UNDP.

They will invest the money in environmentally sensitive visitor sites in the pristine forestland around the Choam Prei lake.

The lake, used by the Kuoy as a cattle-grazing site and as a water and food source, was returned to the 213 families of Romchek from private ownership this year after a process that involved the local, provincial and central Government.

A plan to develop the 70-acre lake into a site for hosting tourists was approved in June by GEF’s Small Grants Programme.

“The site has a lot of potential for the entire village,” said Ly Setha, a project officer for a provincial civil society organization, Ponlok Khmer, that will channel funds from the small grant into eco-tourism projects for the area.

“Villagers hope there will be a spill-over from the tourists coming every year that will allow them to earn income by selling local products, and that will help them improve their livelihoods,” said Mr. Setha.

The two-year project aims to accommodate tourists to carry out conservation-related research, or to experience the wild animals and plant life around the lake. Activities include production of publicity material, building campsites, and training community members to become tour guides.

Ponlok Khmer was already running a programme that employed villagers to repair the lake’s drainage and water level and to improve it as a fish spawning ground.

Before January, the lake had been part of a fish-farming enterprise run by the family of a local entrepreneur, who was given permission by a village chief in 1998 to use the area for private business.

Villagers accused him of blocking public access to Choam Prei. They collected 86 thumbprints to file a petition through their local government office.

The head of Romney commune took up the case in 2008 and raised its profile through a nationwide local government-association. The association, the National League of Commune/Sangkat, receives technical and financial support from UNDP as part of a project for democratic reforms at the local level.

Tension mounts between Kuoy ethnic group and mining company in Preah Vihear

11 Summoned to Court Over Mining Row

By Chiep Mony, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
05 February 2008

Preah Vihear provincial court authorities have summoned eight hill tribe representatives and three police officials to explain how a local mining operation was robbed during a demonstration last month.

The mineral company has sued local villagers, of the Kuoy ethnic group, for theft and damaged property.

About 200 Kuoy villagers demonstrated against the mine on Jan. 23, fearing that chemicals from the mine had poisoned their cattle, officials said.

In an ensuing fracas, equipment from the mine was stolen and some of its chemicals were destroyed, the company claims.

Sam Chheng, a Kuoy representative, said he and the other accused will appear in court Wednesday.

Chhim Savuth, an investigator for the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, said local villagers reported poisonous chemicals to authorities many times but were ignored, leading them to demonstrate.

Villagers accused local officials of collaborating with the mining company.

Rovieng Police Chief Sin Than said the mining company was to blame for all the trouble and had sued authorities for damages as well.

He echoed concerns of the Kuoy villagers that he would be arrested after his appearance at court Wednesday.