The indigenous development department held a meeting to disseminate the identification process of the Sui Indigenous Community in Tam Bong Venh village, Sangke Satoap commune of Kampong Speu province’s Oral district on May 31. Rural Development Ministry
Ministry of Rural Development spokesman Pit Karuna stated that the ministry has collected data on 455 indigenous communities across the country, of which 194 have been assessed and officially identified.
Only 43 per cent of them have been officially recognised to date, while of those, community collective land registration has reached about 52 per cent.
He emphasised that the accreditation of these communities' identities offers several benefits, including setting specific goals, directions and principles for the development and conservation of indigenous peoples. Additionally, the recognition serves as an official document that enables them to apply for collective land registration and obtain land titles.
"Recognising indigenous communities helps preserve and promote their traditions, customs, economy, society and culture more widely," Karuna said.
Recently, the identities of two indigenous Kuy communities, one in Sala Visay commune, Prasat Balang district, and one in Chhouk commune, Prasat Sambor district of Kampong Thom province were officially certified by the ministry.
Before a community's identity can be recognised, there is a five-step process: First, raising awareness among provincial authorities, including relevant departments at the district, commune, village and indigenous community levels.
Second, indigenous populations must express a willingness to begin the process of identifying themselves.
Third, there is dissemination of information to the targeted groups.
Fourth, indigenous communities elect representatives for their committees and declare their identities as "Indigenous People".
Finally, the application, assessment and recognition of communities are carried out by the ministry.
Of the 194 recognised, only 101 have had their internal regulations on collective land use and management adopted.
During the celebration of the 30th International Day of the World's Indigenous People on August 9, indigenous populations expressed concern about the delays in the declaration and registration of collective land, citing this as one of the causes of past land disputes.
Phlek Phirom, a representative of the Banong Indigenous Community Network in Mondulkiri province, mentioned that the exact number of indigenous communities in the province has not yet been determined. However, she expressed concern over the slow pace of identity recognition and collective land registration, which has led to ongoing land disputes.
"Even the process of identification is very challenging. Recognition is not easy to obtain because preparing the necessary documents is difficult," she said. "The preparation and process are very slow, with frequent issues like missing documents," she added.
Phirom also highlighted the lack of sufficient local officials to provide guidance throughout these processes. She called on national authorities to pay more attention to facilitating the work of declaring the identity of indigenous people.
According to Karuna, the willingness of the indigenous people themselves is crucial in these efforts.
"Without the participation of indigenous people, the ministry cannot proceed with the declaration of recognition," he said.
Yun Sarom, director of the Mondulkiri provincial rural development department, reported that the identities of 34 indigenous communities in Mondulkiri have been acknowledged by the ministry. However, many others are still in the process of preparing the necessary documents.
"We need to invest a lot of time and resources to achieve each declaration, but the budget is limited. We follow a set of legal procedures, each involving several steps. It’s not just a matter of submitting one document; there are many documents involved," he explained.
Sarom further clarified that these processes involve coordination among three ministries. The establishment of internal statutes for indigenous communities is managed and recognised by the Ministry of Interior before the rural development ministry can announce the recognition of their identities. Meanwhile, the collective land registration process is handled by the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction.
He also noted that the process should be done collaboratively with the indigenous people in all villages and communes, rather than leaving them to navigate it alone without proper guidance. However, he claimed that some communities, under the instruction of NGOs, proceed independently without adhering to legal requirements, which leads to accusations against the department or ministry for not recognising their status.
Sarom pointed out that one of the challenges faced is the difficulty in electing community leaders, who often lack support from their community members.
"If they understood the importance of this process, they would cooperate with us. Instead, they handled it poorly and kept making accusations," he said.
Sarom also mentioned that some members of the community have sold all their communal land and sought to acquire land in protected natural resource areas.
"Sometimes, the actions of a few can cause harm to the entire community," he added, noting that some indigenous people have even abandoned their traditional beliefs in favour of foreign religions.
Approximately 1.4 per cent, or 240,000, of Cambodia's 17 million people are indigenous. These communities are spread across the provinces of Ratanakkiri, Mondulkiri, Kratie, Preah Vihear, Kampong Thom, Stung Treng, Oddar Meanchey, Tbong Khmum, Pursat, Kampong Speu, Koh Kong, Battambang, Preah Sihanouk, Banteay Meanchey and Siem Reap, among other regions.
