Mondulkiri, April 01, 2015: NGO representatives from the Indigenous People and Forest Network (IPFN) attended the quarterly meeting with H.E Svay Sam Ang, Mondulkiri’s Acting Provincial Governor, at the provincial hall to discuss deforestation in Pukong commune, and land grabbing in Bousra. The aim of the meeting was to seek cooperation between NGOs and local authorities to find a solutions for the affected communities.
IPFN suggested the authorities to take action over land grabbing between the new comers, Cham and Bousra community on the Social Land Concession (SLC) in Bousra. One of the suggested solution was to work with the court to issue the ruling of preservative relief (Deyka Reaksa Kapea), which is a tool to stop activities on the conflict site.
The local authorities, in the meeting, acknowledge illegal logging and land grabbing in Pu Kong community. To help reduce the destruction of the forest, the acting provincial governor and the NGOs agreed to form a team called, Sangkat Forestry Administration, in which the district, commune police, and villagers will work together to observe and establish a post at the main entrances that the brokers always use to export wooden products and timber.
In addition, local authorities suggested the NGOs to accelerate CLT as well as to provide training course on Forestry and Land Law to the communities in this province.
A half day meeting ended with the results as the local authorities showed a willingness to corporate with NGOs to solve and prevent further land grabbing and deforestation in the province. A quarterly meeting will conducting between NGOs and the authorities to get update on the situation and seek solutions.
