KOH KONG & PREAH SIHANOUK, Cambodia — By 11 a.m., the sun was already beating down on Daem Thkov. The chatter of tourists on the nearby beach floated on the gentle sea breeze through the fishing village on the Cambodian island of Koh Rong. But behind the tranquil scenes of turquoise waters, white sands and morning cocktails, an uncertainty has gripped those who call Daem Thkov home. What the tourists sipping cocktails on the beach that morning were likely unaware of is that almost the entirety of Koh Rong has been leased out to one of the country’s most powerful and notorious conglomerates. Royal Group’s project throws into question the protection conferred upon the island by Koh Rong Marine National Park and leaves residents doubting their future on the island in the face of the $300 million tourism development. Bulldozers and trucks work on Royal Group’s international Koh Rong airport in March 2024. Screenshot from ‘Illegal fishing and land grabs push Cambodian coastal communities to the brink’ by Andy Ball / Mongabay. “We see that Royal Group has not carried out critical development yet,” said Pel Ra, deputy leader of the Daem Thkov community fishery (CFi) on Koh Rong. “The people here instead have fear and concern … Although [Royal Group] has built road networks, they have land issues with the people.” While tourism has long been the mainstay of Koh Rong’s local economy, many residents of Daem Thkov still rely on fishing, and it’s the task of Ra and…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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