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Indigenous Jarai communities in Ratanakiri province stated a mineral exploration exercise by Golden Technology Funding (Cambodia) Co Ltd has expanded into their farmland with no prior discover or session, sparking fears of land and livelihood loss, in addition to environmental harm.
Whereas villagers accused the corporate of violating their land rights, provincial authorities insisted that the exploration was authorized because it has a license, and “solely includes preliminary soil testing.”
Romam Sret, 26, a Jarai resident from Kong Thom village of Pate commune, stated Golden Technology introduced of their equipment and a drilling tools to dig a gap, measuring 10 meters, on his farmland with none prior discover. He stated the exercise violated the regulation and his land rights as an indigenous group.
He has owned almost two hectares of land since 2001, rising cassava and cashew, which offers him with a income of about $2,000 yearly from the harvest. He hopes the exploration actions will cease because it might end in native residents shedding their land and the setting being harmed.
“I really feel very unhappy as a result of they got here to dig with out telling us something, and the authorities didn’t inform us both,” he stated.
“We hope to have three meals a day but when we’re not allowed to farm, how are we alleged to make a dwelling? I fear that in the event that they discover minerals throughout the exploration, they’d positively function a mine right here.”
One other Jarai villager, Poy Klaek, expressed comparable issues, saying he just lately planted cassava on 4 hectares of land to assist his livelihood. He stated he was sad that an organization had entered and carried out actions affecting the farmland he is determined by with out prior discover or any affect evaluation. What he desires most, he stated, will not be cash, however the sustainability of the farmland that serves as a “rice pot” for his household.
“I don’t need cash. I solely ask that they cease digging on my farmland. They got here to excavate with out even informing us, the landowners,” stated Klaek.
Kong Thom village chief, Heng Vy, 61, informed CamboJA Information that a number of excavators belonging to the corporate entered their farmland on Might 23 to probe for minerals with out notifying or consulting the landowners. Residents reacted by demanding that the exploration be stopped.
Vy stated though the corporate holds a license, finishing up excavations with out informing residents or conducting affect research are incorrect, as villagers worry shedding their supply of earnings. Indigenous communities rely closely on farming and produce from the land, he added.
“I want to ask the corporate to not come [develop] to the villagers’ space. It makes them fear as a result of indigenous folks rely on their farmland to outlive,” Vy stated.
The same incident occurred on Might 20 in Peak village, Yatung commune in O’Yadav district the place excavators from one other firm landed to begin mineral explorations close to a water supply, about 200 meters from the village, in response to Puoy Tvin, an Indigenous Jarai resident. Residents have been nervous about environmental impacts, prompting them to intervene and cease the exercise.
Tvin stated the land the place the corporate drilled had lengthy been farmed by native residents. Though the actions have been suspended after villagers intervened, he’s involved that the corporate might do the identical at different areas within the village.
“It is a violation of Indigenous rights. They got here with out informing our group. We don’t comply with any excavation that impacts our land as we rely on this land for our livelihood,” he stated.
Ratanakiri Provincial Division of Mines and Power director Ung Huor stated the Golden Technology’s actions are authorized as they’ve a license and are acknowledged by the ministry. He stated the excavation constituted preliminary soil exams and didn’t have an effect on villagers’ farmland.
In response to him, the corporate had been granted exploration rights in Pate, Yatung, and Pok Nhhai communes in O’Yadav district, stating that the corporate had consulted landowners earlier than beginning exploration actions. He maintained that the authorities “at all times defend the pursuits of residents”.
“This isn’t business mining; they’re solely conducting preliminary research. The corporate has authorization paperwork from the province. If they’d not consulted with the landowners, how can they perform the work,” Hour stated.
“So far as I do know, the commune chief has already met with the group, and the actions don’t have an effect on their farmland. The world concerned is mountainous land which is inside the firm’s licensed concession space,” he added.
He couldn’t verify when business operations would start because the exploration course of and mineral testing takes a very long time.
The enterprise registry confirmed that Golden Technology registered its enterprise in Cambodia in 2018 and obtained a metallic mineral exploration license from the Ministry of Mines and Power in 2025.
CamboJA Information contacted Yanyu Wang, chairman of the board of Golden Technology, utilizing the cellphone quantity listed on the registry, nevertheless, the one that answered, stated they haven’t any contact with the corporate and didn’t know the chairman.
Cambodia earned $135.5 million in mineral royalties in 2025, with gold turning into a key income. From 2021 to 2025, about 18 tons of gold have been extracted from mines in Mondulkiri, Preah Vihear, Kampong Thom, Ratanakiri, Kratie and Battambang provinces.
Provincial coordinator of rights group Adhoc, Din Khorny, stated though he has not performed a floor investigation but, preliminary data he gathered acknowledged that Golden Technology had sought permission for mineral exploration. Paperwork confirmed notification and approval by provincial authorities to be used of equipment to conduct soil testing.
The approval led to the arrival of equipment within the village which triggered residents to fret concerning the exploration actions on their farmland. Nevertheless, he opined that even when the corporate possesses a license, it doesn’t have the precise to excavate land arbitrarily and will first search consent from native residents.
“Residents don’t absolutely perceive the regulation or mineral exploration processes. After they see an organization conducting exploration, they grow to be nervous. Authorities ought to clearly present the corporate’s license,” Khorny stated.
As well as, the corporate ought to cooperate with authorities, and authorities in flip ought to work carefully with residents to disseminate details about the difficulty, together with possible impacts of the exploration and compensation, in order that communities are nicely knowledgeable and to ease their fear, he remarked.
