The Indigenous World 2024: Cambodia

The report provides an overview of the Indigenous Peoples in Cambodia, detailing their population, challenges, and ongoing issues with land rights and conservation. It highlights the struggles faced by Indigenous communities in securing their ancestral lands, facing land grabs, discrimination, forced displacement, and environmental exploitation. The lack of legal protections and increasing privatization of natural resources exacerbate the vulnerability of Indigenous Peoples, leading to growing debts and poverty within these communities. The report can be found at The Indigenous World 2024: Cambodia – IWGIA – International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs

The Report in A Nutshell

Indigenous Peoples in Cambodia face challenges such as land grabs, discrimination, forced displacement, and environmental exploitation. They struggle to secure their ancestral lands, and the lack of legal protections exacerbates their vulnerability. Additionally, the lengthy process of obtaining Collective Land Titles leaves Indigenous communities exposed to land encroachment.

The government’s rejection of recommendations from Indigenous Peoples’ organizations impacts the rights and autonomy of Indigenous communities by disregarding the principles of free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC). This exclusion prevents Indigenous decision-makers from having a say in the future of their ancestral land, leading to further marginalization and discrimination.

Some ongoing struggles and conflicts faced by Indigenous communities in Cambodia include:

– Land encroachment and illegal sale of communal land, leading to disputes and forced displacement.
– Criminalization of traditional land management practices, such as rotational farming.
– Discrimination and exclusion of Indigenous Peoples from decision-making processes regarding their ancestral land.

These challenges have sparked protests and resistance from Indigenous communities, as they continue to demand their rights and fight to protect their cultures and traditions.