A brief summary of indigenous and environmental issues in Cambodia
Garrett Cooper
Cambodia is a beautiful country with friendly people who I wish nothing but the best
for. I have been to over twenty countries and Cambodia is one that holds a
special place in my heart. It has a dark past under the rule of the Khmer
Rouge and since then it has been plagued by corruption, environmental
degradation, and unfair practices regarding indigenous people and the land they
inhabit. This paper examines the indigenous relationship with the land
they inhabit as well as the pressures put on them by a globalized world.
Since Cambodia’s liberation from the Khmer Rouge by the Vietnamese in the
seventies heavy logging has reduced its canopy cover dramatically. Many
Cambodians think the Vietnamese are stealing all the trees, and while this may
be true in part, they don’t point the finger at their own government as much as
they should. Land which has been used and lived on by Khmer and
indigenous people is being taken by the government and given to companies
forcing them to move either directly or by preventing the use of the land
required to sustain life. Currently several dams are under construction
by the Chinese, three of which I have seen and several more are scheduled to
begin construction. Recently one dam under construction broke killing
several Cambodians.
As Gould and Lewis point out “With enough communities decrying “Not in my
backyard,” …there is hope.” This is the difficult part for
Cambodia. They were only recently allowed to start protesting in the city
and only if it is approved. The demonstrations are then restricted to
certain areas. I have no doubt that if the people were better connected,
educated on what is going on, and weren’t afraid of repercussion there would be
more activism in Cambodia. The people in the city have more freedom
because it is much harder to control the exchange of information, but what is
happening out in the provinces is of no concern to many city dwellers.
In the Stung Treng, Kratie, and the especially remote Ratanakiri province, there
are only two radio stations with limited coverage. One station is run by
the government, obviously trying to portray themselves as being for the people,
the other station has only just started and is run by a Spanish NGO. This
new station is broadcast for two hours a day and is strictly monitored by the
government. I spoke with the manager of this NGO station and she said
every broadcast had to be reviewed by a government official before going on air
and the approved program could not be deviated from. There is no
complaining allowed as well as no questioning the government, land rights, and
other issues. They are not even allowed to take callers because the
government officials cannot control what is said on a live call. It’s this
restriction of information that keeps people in the dark about the injustices
and corruption happening in the country, which keeps them docile and
unorganized. This information gap especially puts the indigenous at a
disadvantage because even if they did have access to current events, they would
still need to overcome the language barrier.
It is too late for parts of Cambodia where huge sections of jungle have already
been clear cut. I rode a motorcycle through some places where a jungle
full of whooping birds once stood, but now I choked up dust and couldn’t even
find a spot of shade to rest under. The only people out in these
wastelands are burning slash in large ovens to make charcoal so there isn’t
even any wood left to rot and fertilize the soil.
The Ratanakiri province however still has a chance. “Until recently
Ratanakiri’s eight indigenous groups lived fairly autonomously because of the
province’s physical isolation from Phnom Penh.” (Colm). The province has
become the “new frontier for proposed industrial plantations, hydroelectric
projects, and logging concessions.” (Colm). Logging has begun in the
province, and a road being built by the Chinese along what is currently known by
some as the “road of death”, which is just an ox cart and motorcycle trail that
runs north through the province to Banlung. This road will vastly increase
the accessibility to the province and will be used to bring in equipment to
begin the proposed dam construction on the Srepok River. A bridge spanning
the Mekong is under construction, again by the Chinese, which will connect Siem
Reap to Stung Treng via the road which is under construction as well.
These roads are not being built just to improve the current infrastructure for
Cambodians as it might appear on the surface, but will provide access to more of
the jungle for logging, more rivers for damming, and accessibility for more
outsiders to move in.
Traditionally, indigenous people, especially the hill tribes had a Mey Konteanh,
or head village elder who prayed to Neak Ta, a spirit, for access to the land
and to decide where the village should settle. The Mey Konteanh also led
ceremonies and animist sacrifices to the forest spirits. Decisions on land
management were generally democratic and rare disputes over land with
neighboring villages were settled by the elders. Since it is taboo to farm
on another villages chamkar (plot of land used for swidden agriculture), and
even on the far side of the chamkar, these disputes are usually settled
peacefully. If these rules are broken it is believed that the offending
parties will anger the spirits and his family or entire village will become
sick. Land regulation is decided by different spirits who have different
rules to follow. “Different forests are ruled by different spirits, each
with their own taboos or spiritual regulations that effectively provide for
forest and wildlife conservation.”(Colm). For example one forest spirit
might forbid cutting trees while another forbids breaking bamboo and talking or
joking loudly. Breaking these taboos can result in illness or death. (Colm).
The indigenous belief system and land management is in stark contrast to the
developed world’s view of ownership, development, and how the land should be
used. A high ranking provincial official who is pushing for foreign
investment and likely for his own benefit said that “Sixty to 70 percent of the
forest destruction is due to swidden cultivation. All ethnic minorities
are doing this destructive swidden. If we don’t receive investment
companies in Ratanakiri, in ten years there will be no good forest left.
After repeating the swidden cycle many times, the mountains become
barren. So we need to call for investment to grow crops on the fallow
chamkars. If we are always thinking about the impact on the ethnic
minorities, we will never get any investment – if we preserve the traditional
swidden economy, in 100 years there will still be no progress forward.”(Colm).
There is so much wrong with the above quote. Ethnic minorities and
indigenous are the target of unfair blame, and they are expected to change
their lives to profit others. Saying that 60-70 percent of forest
destruction is caused by the indigenous is as absurd as saying that the
sustainable way of life over several generations will suddenly cause the
destruction of all the forests in ten years. He said “in 100 years there
will still be no progress forward.” I wonder if he means the “progress”
that has benefited the rest of Cambodia. “Progress” is a relative term,
and often marks large steps backwards for many people. If Ratanakiri
“progresses” now, what will the impact be in 100 years?
One argument for industrializing is to provide jobs but one proposed palm oil
plantation will affect 4,500 indigenous Jarai, but will only provide 400 jobs at
the most. According to one companies representative most of the jobs won’t
even go to the tribes people because they have to stop working at certain times
for religious ceremonies or they will only work for a few days until they get
some money and then they will go drink the rest of the week.(Colm).
While indigenous land practices are generally much better for long term
conservation, they are not perfect. In more recent years outside pressure
has forced local tribes to practice less sustainable practices. For
example the malva nut price has gone up dramatically in foreign markets,
specifically in the Chinese medicine market, which attracts outsiders into
tribal lands to collect the nut. The nut is traditionally a community
resource collected after it has fallen from the tree and before the first
rain. Because of outside pressure people have resorted to cutting the
tree down in order to harvest the nut. (Baird, Dearden). This once
sustainable practice of malva nut harvest has now become unsustainable with
entire trees being cut down which could have otherwise provided many years of
income and sustenance for the indigenous people.
Some call for total reform of indigenous life but replacing these traditional
practices of land management with state mandated regulation is often not the
best course of action for long term conservation strategies. Some
indigenous practices serve to preserve biodiversity while others are less
effective. “… common, private, and state management of resources all have
a unique role to play, and it does not make sense to advocate for just one of
these regimes.” (Baird, Dearden).
References
Baird, I., & Dearden, P. (2003). Biodiversity Conservation and Resource Tenure
Regimes: A Case Study from Northeast Cambodia. Environmental Management, 32 (5), 541-550.
Colm, S. (1997). Land Rights: The Challenge for ‘Ratanakiri’s Indigenous Communities. Watershed, 3 (1).
(2006). Contesting the Economic Order and Media Construction of Reality.
From Igniting a Revolution: Voices in Defense of the Earth.
Gould, K. & Lewis, T. (2009). Twenty Lessons in Environmental Sociology. New York. Oxford University Press.
Krech, S. (1999). The Ecological Indian: Myth and History. Human Ecology Review, 8 (1), 72-78.
Sawyer, S. (2007). Empire/Multitude-State/Civil Society. Social Analysis, 51 (2).
Garrett Cooper
Cambodia is a beautiful country with friendly people who I wish nothing but the best
for. I have been to over twenty countries and Cambodia is one that holds a
special place in my heart. It has a dark past under the rule of the Khmer
Rouge and since then it has been plagued by corruption, environmental
degradation, and unfair practices regarding indigenous people and the land they
inhabit. This paper examines the indigenous relationship with the land
they inhabit as well as the pressures put on them by a globalized world.
Since Cambodia’s liberation from the Khmer Rouge by the Vietnamese in the
seventies heavy logging has reduced its canopy cover dramatically. Many
Cambodians think the Vietnamese are stealing all the trees, and while this may
be true in part, they don’t point the finger at their own government as much as
they should. Land which has been used and lived on by Khmer and
indigenous people is being taken by the government and given to companies
forcing them to move either directly or by preventing the use of the land
required to sustain life. Currently several dams are under construction
by the Chinese, three of which I have seen and several more are scheduled to
begin construction. Recently one dam under construction broke killing
several Cambodians.
As Gould and Lewis point out “With enough communities decrying “Not in my
backyard,” …there is hope.” This is the difficult part for
Cambodia. They were only recently allowed to start protesting in the city
and only if it is approved. The demonstrations are then restricted to
certain areas. I have no doubt that if the people were better connected,
educated on what is going on, and weren’t afraid of repercussion there would be
more activism in Cambodia. The people in the city have more freedom
because it is much harder to control the exchange of information, but what is
happening out in the provinces is of no concern to many city dwellers.
In the Stung Treng, Kratie, and the especially remote Ratanakiri province, there
are only two radio stations with limited coverage. One station is run by
the government, obviously trying to portray themselves as being for the people,
the other station has only just started and is run by a Spanish NGO. This
new station is broadcast for two hours a day and is strictly monitored by the
government. I spoke with the manager of this NGO station and she said
every broadcast had to be reviewed by a government official before going on air
and the approved program could not be deviated from. There is no
complaining allowed as well as no questioning the government, land rights, and
other issues. They are not even allowed to take callers because the
government officials cannot control what is said on a live call. It’s this
restriction of information that keeps people in the dark about the injustices
and corruption happening in the country, which keeps them docile and
unorganized. This information gap especially puts the indigenous at a
disadvantage because even if they did have access to current events, they would
still need to overcome the language barrier.
It is too late for parts of Cambodia where huge sections of jungle have already
been clear cut. I rode a motorcycle through some places where a jungle
full of whooping birds once stood, but now I choked up dust and couldn’t even
find a spot of shade to rest under. The only people out in these
wastelands are burning slash in large ovens to make charcoal so there isn’t
even any wood left to rot and fertilize the soil.
The Ratanakiri province however still has a chance. “Until recently
Ratanakiri’s eight indigenous groups lived fairly autonomously because of the
province’s physical isolation from Phnom Penh.” (Colm). The province has
become the “new frontier for proposed industrial plantations, hydroelectric
projects, and logging concessions.” (Colm). Logging has begun in the
province, and a road being built by the Chinese along what is currently known by
some as the “road of death”, which is just an ox cart and motorcycle trail that
runs north through the province to Banlung. This road will vastly increase
the accessibility to the province and will be used to bring in equipment to
begin the proposed dam construction on the Srepok River. A bridge spanning
the Mekong is under construction, again by the Chinese, which will connect Siem
Reap to Stung Treng via the road which is under construction as well.
These roads are not being built just to improve the current infrastructure for
Cambodians as it might appear on the surface, but will provide access to more of
the jungle for logging, more rivers for damming, and accessibility for more
outsiders to move in.
Traditionally, indigenous people, especially the hill tribes had a Mey Konteanh,
or head village elder who prayed to Neak Ta, a spirit, for access to the land
and to decide where the village should settle. The Mey Konteanh also led
ceremonies and animist sacrifices to the forest spirits. Decisions on land
management were generally democratic and rare disputes over land with
neighboring villages were settled by the elders. Since it is taboo to farm
on another villages chamkar (plot of land used for swidden agriculture), and
even on the far side of the chamkar, these disputes are usually settled
peacefully. If these rules are broken it is believed that the offending
parties will anger the spirits and his family or entire village will become
sick. Land regulation is decided by different spirits who have different
rules to follow. “Different forests are ruled by different spirits, each
with their own taboos or spiritual regulations that effectively provide for
forest and wildlife conservation.”(Colm). For example one forest spirit
might forbid cutting trees while another forbids breaking bamboo and talking or
joking loudly. Breaking these taboos can result in illness or death. (Colm).
The indigenous belief system and land management is in stark contrast to the
developed world’s view of ownership, development, and how the land should be
used. A high ranking provincial official who is pushing for foreign
investment and likely for his own benefit said that “Sixty to 70 percent of the
forest destruction is due to swidden cultivation. All ethnic minorities
are doing this destructive swidden. If we don’t receive investment
companies in Ratanakiri, in ten years there will be no good forest left.
After repeating the swidden cycle many times, the mountains become
barren. So we need to call for investment to grow crops on the fallow
chamkars. If we are always thinking about the impact on the ethnic
minorities, we will never get any investment – if we preserve the traditional
swidden economy, in 100 years there will still be no progress forward.”(Colm).
There is so much wrong with the above quote. Ethnic minorities and
indigenous are the target of unfair blame, and they are expected to change
their lives to profit others. Saying that 60-70 percent of forest
destruction is caused by the indigenous is as absurd as saying that the
sustainable way of life over several generations will suddenly cause the
destruction of all the forests in ten years. He said “in 100 years there
will still be no progress forward.” I wonder if he means the “progress”
that has benefited the rest of Cambodia. “Progress” is a relative term,
and often marks large steps backwards for many people. If Ratanakiri
“progresses” now, what will the impact be in 100 years?
One argument for industrializing is to provide jobs but one proposed palm oil
plantation will affect 4,500 indigenous Jarai, but will only provide 400 jobs at
the most. According to one companies representative most of the jobs won’t
even go to the tribes people because they have to stop working at certain times
for religious ceremonies or they will only work for a few days until they get
some money and then they will go drink the rest of the week.(Colm).
While indigenous land practices are generally much better for long term
conservation, they are not perfect. In more recent years outside pressure
has forced local tribes to practice less sustainable practices. For
example the malva nut price has gone up dramatically in foreign markets,
specifically in the Chinese medicine market, which attracts outsiders into
tribal lands to collect the nut. The nut is traditionally a community
resource collected after it has fallen from the tree and before the first
rain. Because of outside pressure people have resorted to cutting the
tree down in order to harvest the nut. (Baird, Dearden). This once
sustainable practice of malva nut harvest has now become unsustainable with
entire trees being cut down which could have otherwise provided many years of
income and sustenance for the indigenous people.
Some call for total reform of indigenous life but replacing these traditional
practices of land management with state mandated regulation is often not the
best course of action for long term conservation strategies. Some
indigenous practices serve to preserve biodiversity while others are less
effective. “… common, private, and state management of resources all have
a unique role to play, and it does not make sense to advocate for just one of
these regimes.” (Baird, Dearden).
References
Baird, I., & Dearden, P. (2003). Biodiversity Conservation and Resource Tenure
Regimes: A Case Study from Northeast Cambodia. Environmental Management, 32 (5), 541-550.
Colm, S. (1997). Land Rights: The Challenge for ‘Ratanakiri’s Indigenous Communities. Watershed, 3 (1).
(2006). Contesting the Economic Order and Media Construction of Reality.
From Igniting a Revolution: Voices in Defense of the Earth.
Gould, K. & Lewis, T. (2009). Twenty Lessons in Environmental Sociology. New York. Oxford University Press.
Krech, S. (1999). The Ecological Indian: Myth and History. Human Ecology Review, 8 (1), 72-78.
Sawyer, S. (2007). Empire/Multitude-State/Civil Society. Social Analysis, 51 (2).