"HAGL denies Ratanakkiri land clearing", 24 December 2020

Five civil society organisations urged the government to take action against Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL), a Vietnamese agribusiness firm, for alleged land clearing activities on areas allocated to indigenous communities in Ratanakkiri province’s Andong Meas district.

However, provincial authorities denied the accusation, saying the local community welcomed the money that had poured into the area due to the presence of HAGL.

The Cambodian Indigenous Youth Association, Equitable Cambodia, Highlanders Association, Inclusive Development International and Indigenous Rights Action Movement issued a joint press release ... They asked the government to protect the Muoy village and Inn village indigenous cultures by stopping HAGL from further land clearing…

Equitable Cambodia executive director Eang Vuthy said the issue between HAGL and the local community is not a new conflict, but now the land clearing had spread to additional areas.

The area in question had been a part of discussions by a joint committee made up of representatives from the provincial administration, HAGL and indigenous communities, he said.

… Provincial administration director and spokesman Moeng Sinath fired back at the accusations.

“The canal is just a small stream, not a big waterway that they rely upon as a water catchment. Some civil society organisations are causing trouble by inflating the issues,” he said…

HAGL representative in Ratanakkiri province, Thach Habin, denied that the canal had been filled.

“We have not grabbed any land from the indigenous peoples, but they have actually encroached on the company’s land. However, we believe the issue has now been resolved,” he said.