The Forest Spirits are in Town
As a nice present before I leave for a couple of months to Belgium, the Prey Lang Forest community representatives came into town and held a colourfull (mostly green though) demonstration at the so-called ‘Freedom Square’. Prey Lang is probably the largest intact area of indigenous land in Cambodia. And as such in the Kingdom of Wonder, it is heavily threatened by all sorts of developers. Concessions for agro-industrial plantations or mining are granted way too easily.
CAMBODIA. Phnom Penh. 25/05/2011: Members of the Prey Lang Forest community demonstrating at Freedom Square for the preservation of their habitat.
CAMBODIA. Phnom Penh. 25/05/2011: Members of the Prey Lang Forest community demonstrating at Freedom Square for the preservation of their habitat.
CAMBODIA. Phnom Penh. 25/05/2011: Members of the Prey Lang Forest community demonstrating at Freedom Square for the preservation of their habitat.
Another nice thing was the fact that representatives from the Boeung Kak Lake as well as Ven. Luon Sovath, an activist monk involved in land issues, came to show their solidarity. Representatives from the burned down June Textile factory were prevented from attending by the police. Would this rare show of solidarity by representatives from different causes mean things are changing a little, that more people in trouble realise it is good to go beyond their own problem?