The expansion of mining zctivities and indigenous peoples’ rights in Mondulkiri Province / Расширение горнодобывающей деятельности и права коренных народов в провинции Мондулкири

The Analyzing Development Issues (ADI) team and research participants express their gratitude to the Bunong indigenous people in the Mondulkiri villages of Gati and Pou Rapeth for sharing with us their experiences of interacting with the corporate mining companies in their midst. The researchers would also like to thank the local authorities and mining officials in Mondulkiri who cooperated in this study. Tien Hien Tang and Vaing Samrith from Development and Partnership in Action (DPA) assisted the fieldwork in Gati village in Keo Seima district. Similarly, Em Sopheak from the Community Legal Education Center (CLEC) and Em Noeun from the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) facilitated the fieldwork in Pou Rapeth village in Pechreada district. The logistical support in the fieldwork was much appreciated. Mam Sambath, the Executive Director of DPA and the former chairperson of the Cooperation Committee for Cambodia (CCC) Executive Committee, encouraged ADI to undertake this study and inspired the team with his personal commitment to responsible mining. Mark Grimsditch, the Legal Officer of Bridges Across Borders Cambodia, provided valuable insights into the laws governing mining in Cambodia and made incisive comments on drafts of the study. Sam Chanthy from the Stockholm Environment Institute-Asia based in Thailand likewise provided useful comments on an earlier version of the report. Early on, Lav Bunrithy from the East Asia Regional Office of Oxfam America provided helpful background documents. The researchers are indebted for the assistance received from all of these persons. The interpretations expressed in the report are those of the researchers alone. <...>