Cambodian Land Deals Raise Human Rights Concerns

A United Nations-appointed rights watchdog is looking on Cambodia to bridge the widening gap between the wealthy and the poor. Surya Subedi, the U.N. special rapporteur for human rights in Cambodia, says the govt. must do more to make sure that marginalized groups aren't plagued by its practice of granting land concessions to developers.

Unfair practices

AFPSurya Subedi (L), UN special rapporteur at the situation of Human Rights in Cambodia looks towards Cambodian residents during his visit to Borei Keila community in Phnom Penh, May 9, 2012. During a trip to Cambodia that involved in how land grants are issued to personal developers, Subedi looked into allegations of rights groups who say the practice is arbitrary to tens of thousands of folk displaced from their homes with very little compensation.

“So there appears to be a scarcity of transparency, due process and the communities affected haven't been offered any alternatives," Subedi explained. "They've been told that so and so company will come and begin bulldozing the land so that you can clearing the manner for agribusiness activities or another activities at the land. But these those who were farming that land for generations--what are they going to do, what's their livelihoods going to be?”

Activists say the issue is exemplified inside the plight of a Phnom Penh community called Borei Keila.

In 2004, the govt. designated the world as a social land concession to a native company. The deal was contingent at the developer building on-site housing for greater than 1,700 families living within the area on the time. However the company reneged at the deal, and by the beginning of 2012, rights groups say almost one-quarter of the families were homeless.

Subedi visited the community this week. He says he was shocked by what he saw. “Indeed quite appalling conditions they've been living in. A number of them appear to have been living on top of a dump site," he said. "Basically a rubbish heap. I visited them, it was just the condition--unacceptable. i assumed it was not just a human rights matter, but in addition a humanitarian matter.”

Economic and land concessions

Subedi says economic and other land concessions is really a positive tool for growth in what's still one of many least developed countries inside the region. But he says the govt must ensure there's a public debate on how such policies are enacted.

“My concern is more to do with the procedure, in place of the necessity -- whether the rustic should grant economic land concessions or not. Whether it is a well thought-out policy, if the legal framework is a legitimate one, then the rustic can cash in on economic land concessions. Once I say the rustic, even the agricultural poor, the indigenous communities will benefit. People can benefit. We will create a win-win situation.”

This week, the govt announced it can temporarily stop issuing new land concessions, though it has done little to publicly explain how the method could be improved. Subedi sees the moratorium as a good step; the federal government must now show that it can be desirous about reforms, he says. "However it is still seen whether the law would be implemented appropriately. In Cambodia there are quite good laws in loads of areas, however the implementation have been a difficulty," he added. "i'm hoping this actual regulation can be implemented thoroughly and correctly."

Subedi says he'll meet with government officials to specific his concerns. His trip concludes on Friday.

From WhatNewsToday.net

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