An aerial view of the new Run Ta Ek residential development area last June. DAP
As the second anniversary of the resettlement of many of the former inhabitants of the Apsara Angkor Archaeological Park passed, UN human rights specialists and Cambodia’s Apsara National Authority (ANA) continue to trade accusations and responses.
A December 13 statement by five UN officials suggested that some of the “forced relocations” may have violated international human rights standards.
A December 16 counter-release by the ANA refuted the claims, stating that the ANA respects human rights, as per the Constitution of Cambodia.
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights(OHCHR) statement, released by five senior officials – Balakrishnan Rajagopal, special rapporteur on the right to adequate housing, Vitit Muntarbhorn, special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, Paula Gaviria Betancur, special rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons, Michael Fakhri, special rapporteur on the right to food, and Alexandra Xanthaki, special rapporteur in the field of cultural rights – claimed that since 2022, around 40,000 people have been displaced from their home and land in the Angkor Park and moved to the Run Ta Ek and Peak Snaeng areas.
“Cambodia must immediately halt mass forced evictions and arbitrary displacement, establish case by case that the resettlement of communities is necessary, and ensure that it is carried out in accordance with international human rights standards,” they said.
They suggested that those who have been wrongly displaced should be entitled to return and that compensation should be addressed to those whose rights have been violated in the resettlement process.
“Indigenous Peoples should not be resettled without their free, prior and informed consent,” they added.
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee also raised their concerns regarding the issue in a July session.
“These communities and Indigenous Peoples should not become yet another casualty of conservation-resettlement in a UNESCO-protected area,” added the statement by the UN specialists.
The December 16 statement from the ANA, which is tasked with overseeing the area, explained that the authority pays close attention to sustainable community development for the 112 villages within the protected area, and even noted that 74 per cent of their own staff are from these villages.
It added that the UN experts appeared to have received some reports that did not reflect or understand the true situation of the protected areas or the reality on the ground.
“The ANA, in alignment with the policies set by the Royal Government of Cambodia, has placed special attention on populations residing in certain areas of protected zones deemed inappropriate for habitation,” it said.
“For those who voluntarily relocate to new settlements, the authority provides support such as the legal ownership of land, a 10-year social protection policy and other forms of assistance,” it added.
These efforts aim to enhance the socio-economic well-being of affected communities, reflecting the government's development priorities, it continued.
According to ANA, the domestic and international experts discussed the issue during a recent plenary session of the ICC-Angkor/Sambor Prei Kuk, held from December 11–13. These discussions centred on finding a balance between conservation efforts and the development of local communities.
The ICC-Angkor/Sambor Prei Kuk is a model of multilateral cooperation between Cambodia and UNESCO. Japan and France serve as co-chairs for the efforts to safeguard the Angkor and Sambor Prei Kuk World Heritage sites, with sustainable development as the focus.
