"Tourism developments threaten Cambodia’s forests and coastline", 30 March 2021

[...] Chantha’s family is one of more than 100 in his village engaged in a years-old conflict over land with the Chinese company Yeejia Tourism Development, whose concession surrounds their homes. The company has allowed them to remain in the area, but severely restricted their space to live and work. [...]

Over the past two or three years, officials from the company have monitored her community tightly, at one point requiring members to carry identification cards and barring outside visitors, she says.

Trop’s son, then 16, is now in jail after joining a protest against Yeejia during which some protestors dismantled a guardhouse at the entrance to the company’s concession. [...] She tried to enlist the support of two Cambodian human rights organisations, but both told her they could not intervene. [...]

In June 2008, Prime Minister Hun Sen signed decrees granting concessions to two companies – Yeejia, and Evergreen Success & Asia Resort Development. [...] To has since become a co-director of the Lixin Group, a Taiwanese construction and property company. [...]

According to a 2016 Financial Times investigation, Cambodia’s Council of Ministers revoked Fu’s concession in Ream after concerns about forest clearance from environmental groups. But Fu, who has close personal ties to Hun Sen, met with the Cambodian leader and obtained his support for continued development. [...]

Neither Yeejia nor Lixin would respond to requests for comment from China Dialogue. [...]

Just outside the national park, one little-known Chinese–Cambodian company, Canopy Sands Development, has undertaken a massive coastal reclamation project on 427 hectares granted by the Cambodian government. [...]

Ra has had to move three times due to development projects. Like many local people. [...]