Democracy in Cambodia is moving backward, while CSO working space is shrinking thanks to political tension, which led to dissolution of a main opposition party. Some NGOs have been put in red list, and some NGO leaders escaped from Cambodia because they fear of arrest. Few NGOs were finally closed. Freedom of speech is banned, whereas the rights to access to information is very strict, given to many media outlets (Around 27 Radios and 1 newspaper, Cambodia Daily) were closed in 2017. Freedom of assembly of people are strictly forbidden in Cambodia now. There has been Increased political suppression and especially badgering the NGOs’ works at community’s level. The sub-national authorities dictate NGOs to ask permission, NOT INFORMING, as we used to do. There are keys negative impact as result of this current suppression of the political situation like, huge form of logging and timber transportation by the middle man or business man together with some of the high ranking people. While the communities see the opportunity, then they start to follow suite so as to absorb the benefit. Along the roads, there have been many motorbikes loaded lumbers smuggling back and forth openly. The drivers are both men and women. To assuage the political tension, recently, there has been Instruction by Ministry of Interiors No. 040, dates 31st Oct 2018, for NGOs that properly registered have full rights to conduct their operation in Cambodia in accordance with law.
The other issues also happened as result of outside migrants flocked into the communities, such as drug influence, no safety in the IP society and causing domestic violence. Other social issue happened such as women and girls had been raped and killed. Less and less NGOs dare to work on advocacy activities in the awake of this political context. Even, some donors began to distance themselves from the current issue, as well. All of these indulged the perpetrators, powerful elites and private companies cut trees anarchically and then grab the communities or state lands. There have been leadership reshuffle in 2018 in the government. The Forest Administrative was transferred to Ministry of Agriculture and Fishery. Huge areas of the forest had been transferred to under the Ministry of Environment’s leadership. Some big forest areas are put into the Corridor Management recently in 2018. This more or less will have negative and positive influence for communities on the indigenous communities’ livelihood, thanks to their daily subsistence is depending on non-timber forest collection.
The government began to delegate authorities from Ministry to sub-national authorities. The question of accountability can’t be underestimated. Before change, the relevant Ministries are responsible with specific technical competent. The leadership shifting will create the opposite development perspectives among the sub-national authorities and ministries could be inevitably happened. The authorities will see the conservative areas less than economic opportunities, since they don’t have technical competent. Whereas, the ministries don’t have authorities to stop them. Some NGOs concern that this leadership shift will exacerbate the issues of natural resources, mainly on economic land concessions.
The government is focusing only economic development through the so-called Indochina Triangle Areas strategy, particularly on the IP’s territories at three northern provinces. In light of this, many foreign companies, especially from Vietnam and China will approach the government to get land concession, creating Hydro-Dam, and extractive industry etc.
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