NPA in Cambodia

The social developments marking Cambodia during the last year period have confirmed the relevance of the thematic areas prioritised by NPA: land rights, democratization, Landmines/UXO Free Environment.

The process of democratisation in Cambodia seem to confirm a negative trend towards an increasingly authoritarian State and the solidification of a small elite expanding control over both politics and national resources. At the same time the room for political debate and participation is reduced by repressive measures targeting dissenting voices: social organizations, NGOs, media.

NPA has supported local organizations mobilizing the Cambodian Civil Society and increasing the participation of the population to the political debate.

Land grabbing linked to commercial speculations has drastically increased in Cambodia during the last year. Land is daily and massively grabbed by force or through deception. This results in resettlements and further destitution of already vulnerable groups. Evictions and land grabbing affect the whole country from the rural areas to the very heart of the Capital City Phnom Penh.

An increased and worrying number of reports are coming from the North Eastern part of the Country (bordering Laos and Vietnam) on illegal concessions for large scale commercial activities of logging, mining, and tourism. These areas are inhabited by indigenous populations that now suffer from a severe threat to their livelihoods.

NPA Cambodia will increase its commitment to support engaged Cambodian organizations and networks with the capacity of representing, mobilizing, and organizing communities in defense of their rights.

During 2006 most of the Mine Action activities supported by NPA have provided financial, material and/or research related assistance to Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) and Cambodian Mine Action Authority (CMAA) focusing on the development of institutional and technical capacities to improve the local management of mine clearance activities.

NPA will continue its support to Humanitarian Mine Action in Cambodia by increasing its focus on the planning, prioritisation and post-clearance capacity of local stakeholders.

NPA’s activities in Cambodia are funded by NORAD and by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Netherlands