Directive aims to stop ELC abuses

Sacred burial grounds and community forests should be granted more protection under a new government proclamation issued this month, but rights groups and land-grab victims are wary that, without proper enforcement, it will amount to little in practice.

An interministerial proclamation, or prakas, signed by Minister of Agriculture Ouk Rabun and Minister of Environment Say Sam Ol on May 9 and obtained by the Post yesterday, aims to strengthen the management of economic land concessions (ELCs) to protect community areas, such as community forests and burial sites.

Each company must implement the tiger skin formula of guaranteeing that its ELC does not affect the farming lands of villagers, community forest and protected forest, the prakas says.

The tiger skin formula means that land inhabited by farmers must be cut out of the concession area.

The clearing [of land] must guarantee the preservation of the protected areas, including graveyards, jungle forest and spirit places, it says.

But rights groups and villagers were sceptical about how effective the prakas will be.

Chhay Thy, Ratanakkiri provincial coordinator for rights group Adhoc, said that the prakas has been issued too late and was more likely a public relations gambit.

The ministries just released it so it would look good. They do not have any real intention to protect the forest, he said.

According to Thy, companies have already cleared most of the protected forests and graveyards in the area and planted rubber trees in their place.

Sav Nork, 42, community leader of the Jarai ethnic group in OYadav district, said the authorities had taken no action when he lost land to an ELC.

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Directive aims to stop ELC abuses