The NGO Forum on Cambodia launched a riveting new video on the issues faced by Indigenous communities over land rights.

The video is titled “The other Cambodia: Indigenous People’s Land and Rights”.

Indigenous communities are very vulnerable to commercial and state interests which are increasingly attracted to exploiting the economic potential of the forests and upland areas of their homelands. Their livelihoods have become very precarious as hydropower, mining developments and Economic Land Concessions strip the forests and destroy their capacity to extract a living from the land resources.

There are 24 groups of Indigenous Peoples scattered over 15 provinces of Cambodia. They are concentrated in the four northeastern provinces of country and the video focusses on Ratanakiri, Stung Treng and Preah Vihear provinces. It shows in detail how their livelihoods are being destroyed by unchecked development.

The lack of enforcement of existing laws, especially the Land Law of 2001 and subsequent policies and sub-decrees has severely undermined the livelihoods of Indigenous Peoples. NGO Forum works continually with these communities and the Government to try and improve their situation. This video has been made to raise public awareness of their plight, and the need to enforce existing laws and improve Government directives, to increase the awarding of community land titles and protect their forest livelihoods from complete destruction. The video can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2AsLch2yGA.

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