Uch Kim Nary, Cambodia

Introduction:

Cambodia’s land surface is 18 million hectares with forest covering more than 10 millions hectares. The population is 13 million, 81% of which are rice farmers. Three million hectares of forested area have been granted by the Cambodia Government to forestry concession companies for industrial exploitation and more than 700 000 hectares to land concession companies some of which operate in forested areas. These land concessions give natural persons or legal entities the right to clear private state property for industrial agricultural exploitation.

In an environment of corruption, impunity and inadequate commitment and vigilance from the government of Cambodia, many companies have failed to make the promised investments and provide the government with significant revenue. At the same time they, and their protectors, have become rich and the forests have been decimated, given that most companies have no experience in running a forest concession. Some of the concession companies have been actively involved in logging inside and in areas neighboring their concession. Despite the moratorium on logging that took effect in early 2002, several concessionaires are continuing to log and an even greater number are continuing to transport timber in direct contravention of the moratorium. The situation of local communities living inside or close to the boundaries of the concessions that rely on the collection of non timber forest products for their livelihood is therefore of great concern. Work of SSP : Peaceful Women for the Environment

SSP is a local woman’s NGO financed by four international organizations. SSP works in four provinces in North East Cambodia where high numbers of indigenous population are living. It has three small offices and six female staff members, 64 forestry network activists, mostly women. SSP provides training to local communities living inside and nearby forest concession areas and its forestry networks on protection and management of natural resources, community forestry, and prevention of illegal logging. SSP also disseminates information to communities on indigenous people’s rights, women’s rights, domestic violence and gender and good governance.

The problems faced by SSP in compliance with its work. In late November 2002, several forest dependant community representatives came to Phnom Penh after the forest management plans, under the government’s forestry reform program, was eventually made public. They requested the concerned governmental institution for a workshop to discuss their concerns, but received no response. On December 5, they gathered peacefully outside the institution waiting for a response. After several hours of waiting, the police were summoned and used excessive force to disperse the group of approximately 150 community representatives. In dispersing the non-violent crowd, law enforcement officials hit, kicked and used electric shock batons on several people.

In the aftermath of this event, many NGOs, including SSP, which was supporting the community representatives, were verbally attacked by the government. Some individual NGOs representatives, including SSP’s director, as well as some community representatives who returned to their villages, were subject to threat and intimidation.

Then, a parliamentarian from the dominant party blamed SSP’s director for having led community representatives to go on a demonstration and said that SSP was acting against the law. One head of the Agriculture Section also attacked SSP and me at an official meeting with the forestry community for leading community representatives to demonstrate against the government. In the same period, a policeman in one district threatened to arrest me if I appeared in his locality.

The SSP office in one province was ransacked, and number of belongings, including office documents were stolen. Subsequently, I and some of my staff, were interrogated for an entire day not so much about the break-in, but about the organization, its staff, and what they had been doing in Phnom Penh. Detailed biographical data was recorded on myself and my family - making me afraid about a possible retaliation against my family.

Following these incidents, SSP has met difficulty in carrying out its activities. Cooperation with the concerned authorities is difficult. Other forest dependent communities and their representatives have been hesitant to work with SSP, fearing retaliation from governmental authorities.

September 2003