Three human rights groups – LICADHO, Equitable Cambodia (EC) and Germany-based FIAN – have filed a joint complaint with the government of the Netherlands against Oikocredit, which invested in microfinance in Cambodia.
Thai sugar giant Mitr Phol, accused of forced displacement, property destruction and land grabbing, is being sued by Cambodian villagers in a class action suit before the Thai courts. This is a David and Goliath battle that is also a first in the region and illustrates the creativity of the activists who support them.
The Association of Banks in Cambodia and the Cambodia Microfinance Association (CMA) issued a joint statement on September 16 rejecting a research report compiled by local NGOs with the support of Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
The Cambodia Microfinance Association (CMA) regarded the commentary by NGOs and civil society organizations on the industry as “biased, incomplete, and cherry-picked”, taking just the negative parts of a report produced by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) into account while ignoring the positive.