"Human rights complaint filed to UK government against ethical sugar association Bonsucro," 11 March 2019

Representatives of more than 700 Cambodian families who were violently displaced to make way for a sugar plantation have filed a formal complaint against Bonsucro, the sugar industry’s sustainability certification body, for breaches of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. The complainants allege that Bonsucro failed to hold a member company, Mitr Phol, accountable after the Thai sugar giant grabbed their land and left them homeless and destitute.

Representatives of the families filed the complaint with the UK National Contact Point, a government body that handles human rights grievances against British multinational enterprises. Bonsucro is headquartered in the United Kingdom, a member of the OECD, and has operations that span the globe.

“The international framework on business and human rights calls upon industry associations like Bonsucro to provide effective grievance mechanisms for people harmed by their members. Bonsucro has spectacularly failed to fulfill this responsibility,” said Natalie Bugalski, Legal Director of Inclusive Development International. “On behalf of the displaced communities who turned to Bonsucro to support their quest for justice, and the consumers who were led to believe that the Bonsucro label meant ethically produced sugar, we are seeking accountability.”

Despite an investigation by the Thai National Human Rights Commission, which found Mitr Phol responsible for the land grab and called upon the company to "correct and remedy the impacts," Mitr Phol has steadfastly refused to provide any form of compensation...

The full complaint is available here.

For more information, see here.