Cambodia: Growing resistance by indigenous people slowing dam building

By Rob Harbison for The Ecologist on Nonviolent Conflict

July 28, 2014

Since the 1980s, Cambodia has lost 84 percent of its primary forests and the remote Cardamom mountains are the country’s last great treasure. Indigenous people and eco-activists are now protesting a grandiose dam project proposed by the government. A protest camp hurriedly set up in March to stop Chinese dam builders from starting construction has been successful at repelling them on several occasions, and the effort is attracting youth groups and monks. Building of another dam has been carried out in secrecy at a high security Chinese compound off limits to most Cambodians and foreigners.