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.

The 23rd International Day of the World’s Indigenous People is celebrated on the theme of the 10th Anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples.

This year's special event for Cambodia was both government institutions and including the Ministry of Rural Development and civil society organizations agreed to organize a ceremony in Kampong Thom Province to promote the rights of indigenous people and traditional custom of Kui ethnic minority. Additionally, they give them the opportunity to talk about the challenges and raise the need to policymakers and you implement the law: "In the statement emphasizes eight key aspects. An Impact on Protection of Culture, Identities of Indigenous Peoples. "

The forum in Kampong Thom has more than 1,000 participants from government institutions, provincial authorities, civil society organizations and representatives. Indigenous people come from some provinces.

The representative of the Royal Government also mentioned the achievements that the relevant institutions had addressed to indigenous peoples and confirmed that the government had taken to the indigenous peoples' lives in Cambodia such as promoting education and health for them, in principle National Policy on Indigenous Development Good for unity in society. In addition, they help them to have better knowledge and to have a clear cultural tradition as well as to improve indigenous livelihoods. There is no poverty and no illiteracy.

In addition to the celebrations in Kampong Thom, this event is also organized in many communities in some provinces in the country of Cambodia.

Mrs. Lat SokEm, the Kreung Indigenous Peoples Representative from Ratanakiri Province addressed that indigenous peoples still face many challenges such as land issues, education. There are limited living conditions, difficulties, and discrimination. She says what they want to address to the government and the public is to get the attention of indigenous peoples, and indigenous peoples are a priority because they are the most vulnerable to stop discrimination on indigenous peoples: "All these problems are the major issues Indigenous Peoples Poverty because Indigenous Peoples living in Cambodia and in the world depend on natural resources.

International Day of Indigenous Peoples has been held on 9 August each year since 1994.

Indigenous peoples in Cambodia have about 24 groups and use different languages and account for about 1% of the total population in the country of Cambodia.

Following the conclusion of the forum, representatives of the community leaders and indigenous members issued a joint statement, seeing the effort of the Royal Government from 2007 to 2017 for the identification and promotion of the rights of indigenous peoples as well as Take care to solve the problem Challenges by some relevant ministries. But they raised concerns that enforcement, policies, and recommendations are slow, and cannot respond and challenges that are happening locally around the land, ancestral land, and natural resources.

News Report from Radio Free Asia and pictured by ICSO and NGOF