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Deusdedit Ruhangariyo
Special to ICT
Around the world: Cambodian people are evicted from an area around a UNESCO site, Indigenous farmers in the Philippines need help preserving an important ecological area, small Indigenous businesses get business mentors in Australia, First Nations adults with disabilities face unequal service in Manitoba, and advocates for Vietnam’s ethnic minorities will speak out about discrimination to the United Nations
CAMBODIA: Thousands evicted from UNESCO Heritage area
Cambodian authorities have displaced 40,000 people from the Angkor Wat temple region to protect the UNESCO World Heritage site, according to a report by Amnesty International, Radio Free Asia reported on Nov. 14.
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Cambodian officials have labeled the evictions as voluntary, but Amnesty International reported that residents described them as “being evicted or pressured to leave Angkor following intimidation, harassment, threats and acts of violence from Cambodian authorities,” the report said, according to Radio Free Asia.
“Cambodian authorities cruelly uprooted families who have lived in Angkor for several generations, forcing them to live hand-to-mouth at ill-prepared relocation sites,” said Montse Ferrer, Amnesty’s interim deputy regional director for research, according to Radio Free Asia.
“They must immediately cease forcibly evicting people and violating international human rights law,” she added according to Radio Free Asia.
The London-based group conducted more than 100 interviews with people forcibly displaced from the area from March to July 2023. During nine in-person visits to the Angkor temple park and two resettlement sites, they observed families living under tarps without proper sanitation at the primary resettlement site, Run Ta Ek, Radio Free Asia reported.
“Many families also complained about losing their jobs and the lack of employment opportunities at the site, which is a 45-minute drive from Siem Reap town,” the report said, according to Radio Free Asia. “To cover building and living costs families had to pawn items given as part of the relocation program and took on debt.”
Following Angkor’s designation as a World Heritage site in 1992, UNESCO deemed habitation in its core restricted areas unsuitable for preserving archaeological sites. UNESCO’s report then acknowledged some existing traditional village residents’ rights to stay near Angkor Wat, but it did not address new settlers.
Amnesty’s report says the recommendations are unclear about which settlements would qualify as traditional villages.
PHILIPPINES: Indigenous farmers protect biodiversity hotspot
The organic farming practices of the Pala’wan Indigenous community in the Philippines are conserving old-growth forest and watersheds in the Mount Mantalingahan Protected Landscape, a biodiversity hotspot, Mongabay reported on Nov. 16.
But despite their successful mix of traditional, modern and agroforestry techniques, they face low profits, lack of access to markets and interference from nearby mining operations, Mongabay reported.
Experts say the government should provide more incentives to farmers who support conservation in the form of direct subsidies, transportation and performance-based rewards to preserve the ecosystem.
Mantalingahan, a candidate for a UNESCO World Heritage Site listing, is home to 11 out of the 12 forest formations found in the Philippines and hosts 33 watersheds, Mongabay reported.
The Pala’wan Indigenous hamlet consists of around 50 households, including farmer Posito Daom, 38, who recently was out amid the towering trees and thick foliage gathering chayote.
Daom and many others refrain from using conventional farming tools such as pickaxes and hoes, practicing instead the traditional tugda no-till farming, which involves not turning or disturbing the soil.
The method suits the upland farming, which has no irrigation systems and relies on rainwater. Research indicates the approach improves soil nutrients, mitigates erosion, preserves water resources, and increases crop yields.
“If you till the soil, it dries out quickly, and without regular watering, your vegetables won’t survive,” he said, according to Mongabay.com.
Social scientist Delia Catacutan said the government should reach out to upland farmers who have historically been overlooked.
“We are asking them to do this and that, but we are not helping them with their livelihoods,” Catacutan said. “There’s no such thing as free conservation these days. Conservation has a cost, and therefore, governments should bear that cost.”
AUSTRALIA: Mentorships help build Indigenous businesses
Origin Energy is joining efforts with the nonprofit Many Rivers organization for a program to empower Indigenous businesses in Australia by offering expert mentorship from experienced professionals, National Indigenous Times reported on Nov. 17.
The primary goal of the program is to enhance the operations of small Indigenous businesses and facilitate their growth and success, National Indigenous Times reported.
The project, which is current in its pilot stage, is a collaborative effort of Origin Energy, Origin Energy Foundation and Many Rivers, a nonprofit dedicated to helping Indigenous and other Australians with small businesses and community economic development.
Origin Chief Procurement Officer Nikki Symonds said the program builds on a longstanding partnership with Many Rivers that has already produced a “Marketplace” initiative that integrates Indigenous and local companies into the supply chains of prominent Australian corporations, National Indigenous Times reporting.
“From the Marketplace project we realized that business capability gaps were a common barrier to Indigenous businesses applying for and obtaining contracts,” Ms Symonds said, according to National Indigenous Times.
“To address these gaps, we’re engaging seasoned professionals across Origin to coach Indigenous business owners in various aspects of their businesses, including health and safety policies, people management, social media marketing, and invoicing.”
CANADA: Disabled adults face lack of resources
The First Nations Health and Social Secretariat of Manitoba, Canada, has released a report indicating inadequate support for First Nation adults with disabilities in Manitoba, particularly on reserves, CBC News reported on Nov. 16.
The 117-page report, “Supporting the Gifts of First Nations Adults Living with Exceptionalities,” presents 31 recommendations that include healthcare, social services, education, employment, and caregiver support.
Services are particularly sparse for disabled people after they turn 18 and lose disability and other services, according to families caught up in the system.
Jennifer Bercier, whose daughter lost all her disability support and services when she turned 18, said “an invisible line with a huge barrier” separates Manitoba First Nations like hers, the Opaskwayak Cree Nation, from the rest of the province.
“There are no transition services, so you face barriers again, even though your disability doesn’t leave you,” Bercier said at a news conference in Winnipeg, according to CBC News.
In Opaskwayak, there’s a lack of occupational therapists and respite services for individuals like her daughter, who has an intellectual disability, she said. There is likewise no access to day programs or employment support services, a problem that could force her or her husband to quit their jobs to care for their daughter once she completes school in June.
A number of families have filed human rights complaints accusing the federal government of systemic discrimination over service gaps for First Nation adults with disabilities on reserves.
VIETNAM: Ethnic minorities to air complaints to UN
Advocates for Vietnam’s ethnic minorities are expected to address the United Nations over pervasive discrimination that includes religious persecution, lack of access to resources and land grabs, Radio Free Asia reported on Nov. 14.
As a member of the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination, Vietnam must report in November the steps taken to eliminate ethnic discrimination, according to Radio Free Asia.
The U.S.-based organization, Boat People SOS, known as BPSOS, plans to present its own testimony denouncing the Vietnamese government for religious, economic, and cultural repression policies targeting ethnic groups such as the Montagnards, H’mong, and Khmer Krom.
“The reason why BPSOS participates in United Nations reviews is to create an environment and forum for the people in the country to make the state accountable.” the organization’s executive director, Nguyen Dinh Thang, said, according to Radio Free Asia.
My final thoughts
My final thoughts are in Cambodia, where a report from Amnesty International strongly condemns authorities for forcibly displacing 40,000 people from the Angkor temple area, ostensibly to protect the UNESCO World Heritage site.
In my opinion, this action defeats logic and raises significant ethical concerns, particularly when it comes to Indigenous communities who have lived in harmony with their environment for generations.
It is essential to recognize that Indigenous people often have a deep understanding of and connection to their natural surroundings. They have developed sustainable practices that allow them to coexist with their environment while preserving their cultural heritage. Forcibly evicting them under the pretext of preservation is not only unjust but also counterproductive.
A more enlightened approach would involve consultation and collaboration with these Indigenous communities to find ways to protect and maintain the heritage site without displacing its long-standing inhabitants. Their traditional knowledge and practices can be invaluable in ensuring the site’s preservation while respecting the rights and well-being of these Indigenous groups.
In the end, what truly matters is finding a harmonious equilibrium that ensures the protection of valuable cultural treasures while deeply honoring the rights and heritage of the communities that have cherished these lands for countless generations.
This kind approach strongly aligns with the fundamental principles of sustainable development and human rights, fostering an environment where both the natural world and its Indigenous custodians can flourish together.
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