Cambodia’s Kuy people say sacred sites blocked

Andy Ball - Mongabay

Indigenous Kuy communities in northern Cambodia claim they are being shut out of ancestral lands they have protected for generations, raising fears that their cultural identity is under threat.

In the Chom Penh community protected area, part of the Beng Per Wildlife Sanctuary, Kuy forest rangers say they can no longer reach sacred ponds and sites where families have prayed, fished and camped for centuries. They accuse Santana Agro, a major cashew company, of encroaching on their territory to expand plantations. The firm denies the allegations.

The dispute escalated in early 2025 when around 200 Kuy villagers blocked Santana tractors in protest. It was not the first confrontation: Mongabay investigations have previously linked the company to deforestation in the region. “If we lose this sacred place, it’s like losing our Indigenous identity,” said Ruos Lim, a 71‑year‑old community leader who has patrolled the forest for decades.

Lim and his team began patrols 25 years ago, facing armed loggers in the early days. Their persistence paid off in 2010 when the Ministry of Environment designated Chom Penh a community protected area, allowing the Kuy to practise sustainable farming and manage the forest. The area was expanded in 2020 to cover 3,500 hectares.

Satellite data shows the community‑managed forest has lost just 7% of its primary cover since 2002, compared with 77% in the wider sanctuary. Patrol members credit their cohesion for keeping loggers at bay. “Day by day, the big loggers started to decline,” Lim said.

Yet recent clearances around sacred ponds known as Andong Srey and Andong Bros have alarmed residents. These sites mark ancient Kuy villages, and locals say losing them is like losing their culture. Santana Agro insists it is not responsible, while government ministries have offered little clarity. Officials from the Ministry of Agriculture suggested the company was involved in an agroforestry project, but did not directly address the allegations.

For Lim, the fight is personal. He vows to remain in Chom Penh until he can no longer continue. But he worries about the future: most patrol members are elderly, and younger generations may not carry on the mission. “If they don’t pay attention, this mission might not continue to be successful,” he said.

The Kuy’s struggle highlights a broader challenge in Cambodia: balancing economic development with Indigenous rights and the preservation of sacred landscapes.

-2026-06-24