‘What other country would do this to its people?’ Cambodian land grab victims seek int’l justice
The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) in 2014 estimated that at least 770,000 people had been affected by land grabs that cover some 4 million hectares of land. Sources say Indigenous communities are more adversely affected by land grabs because the land is often central to their animist beliefs and their livelihoods, and they are even less likely to be afforded justice than ethnically Khmer victims.
FIDH, along with Global Witness and Climate Counsel, submitted an open letter dated March 16 to Fatou Bensouda, the current prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC), urging her to open a preliminary examination into land-grabbing in Cambodia.
The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the inequalities in society and highlighted the need for climate change action, the Lord Mayor of Dublin has said.
Hazel Chu said the inequalities need to be addressed and that if any positive can come from the pandemic, hopefully it is that these inequities have been exposed.
The Green Party politician said it was now time for leaders, including Ireland’s coalition Government, to “step up” to the challenges posed.
Ms Chu said: “Covid has highlighted the inequalities in society. It’s something we’re trying to fix.
“(What it) has highlighted is that there are huge issues that we need to build forward for – climate action being embedded in those,” she added.