Four Districts affected by Sugar Company Call to Solve

Forty Kui people affected various community submitted the petition to Chines Embassy on Wednesday 30, in Phnom Penh

On the 30-08-2017, forty-three indigenous Kui members who were affected by a sugar community travelled to the Chinese embassy and purposed to submit the petition to stop Chinese companies expanding onto native lands and building sugar canes on Wednesday. The villagers asked the ambassador to request the Cambodian government cancel economic land concessions granted to Lan Feng and Rui Feng, as well as three other related sugar plantations, which stretch over 20,000 hectares and include more than $1 billion in investment (Cambodia Daily News).

International Day of the World's Indigenous People in Cambodia

Kui traditional art performing during celebrating International Day of the World's Indigenous People in Kompong Thom Province on August 9, 2017

Representatives of non-government organizations and indigenous people representatives, as well as government representatives, celebrated 23^rd of International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples in Kampong Thom Province in the morning of August 9. The event aims to promote and respect indigenous peoples' rights to land, natural resources in their areas, Live in accordance with national and international law, and stop discrimination against them.

International Day of the World's Indigenous Poeple

There are an estimated 370 million indigenous people in the world, living across 90 countries. They make up less than 5 per cent of the world's population but account for 15 per cent of the poorest. They speak an overwhelming majority of the world's estimated 7,000 languages and represent 5,000 different cultures.

Indigenous peoples are inheritors and practitioners of unique cultures and ways of relating to people and the environment. They have retained social, cultural, economic and political characteristics that are distinct from those of the dominant societies in which they live. Despite their cultural differences, indigenous peoples from around the world share common problems related to the protection of their rights as distinct peoples.

Indigenous peoples have sought recognition of their identities, a way of life and their right to traditional lands, territories and natural resources for years, yet throughout history; their rights have always been violated. Indigenous peoples today, are arguably among the most disadvantaged and vulnerable groups of people in the world. The international community now recognizes that special measures are required to protect their rights and maintain their distinct cultures and way of life.

2017 Theme: 10th Anniversary of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples