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Cambodia expels forest defender Updated for 2026

“I am arrested and ready to be deported now – Alex.” The text message came from Mother Nature Cambodia founder Alex Gonzalez-Davidson.

An hour later his last message on Cambodian soil encapsulated the mission for which he has become known: “Message to youth and Cambodian nature lovers, stay strong, the battle is yours to be won. For Nature. Our Life.”

As his flight took off at 9.30pm protests by his supporters continued outside the airport under a frenzied media glare. He texted again: “The reason they are trying to deport me is that they regard me as a fish bone in their throat, due to the activism in the Areng valley.”

The Areng valley in the Cardamom Mountain forests is at the heart of one of Cambodia’s last great forests, home to 30 endangered species and a 2,000-strong Chong indigenous community. Over the last 20 years 84% of the country’s primary forest has been lost to logging, plantations and other developments.

But a massive 10,000 hectares of the valley are slated to be flooded by a hydro-electric dam – one that makes no commercial sense, and appears to be a triumph of corruption over wise governance, as it opens up timber and minerals for exploitation, and parcels out lucrative construction contracts.

Police officers had detained Alex and San Mala, a Khmer Mother Nature activist, at a cafe in central Phnom Penh around 1pm. His arrest came days after his visa had expired on 20 February. The Ministry of the Interior had asked him to leave voluntarily and re-apply, but sensing that it would not be renewed, Alex decided to overstay his visa.

Deportation of foreign NGO activists is highly unusual in Cambodia. The last similar case was in 2005 International NGO Global Witness provoked the government with a critical report and staff were denied visas.

If words could kill …

For over a week the issue dominated the headlines, dragging senior political figures into the discussion. The opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party sided with Alex demanding of the Government and even the King that he stay, but it was not to be. Nalry Pilorge, director of prominent rights group LICADHO said:

“The government’s decision to deny Mr Gonzalez-Davidson a visa renewal is a perfect example of the government’s sustained attempt to quash grassroots advocacy, silence dissent and ensure an environment where the government can operate with immunity from independent criticism.”

Prime Minister Hun Sen responded in aggressive tone following the deportation. “If you want to make an autonomous zone” in the Areng Valley, he threatened, “please come, and we will put BM21 [multiple rocket launcher vehicles] in that area.”

However under pressure his threatening remarks were followed by what appeared to be a significant climb down delaying the project: “Stop talking about Areng. Let’s study it thoroughly. And I have come up with an idea that no matter whether the study is clear or not, there will be no construction from now on until 2018.”

Within the week 180 activists had travelled to the Areng Valley in solidarity with the local people and in defiance of Alex’s deportation.

The Government was also at work in the area sending a heavily armed parliamentary delegation to intimidate the residents. A Mother Nature observer had his camera phone snatched by guards for attempting to record the meeting.

Mr Vaen Vorn, a prominent local activist from the Areng valley, was also summoned to court charged with supplying timber without a permit to Mother Nature for an eco-centre. The charge was viewed by observers as another attempt to silence opposition to the project.

Protest camp in Cambodia’s last great jungle hits a raw nerve

How did Alex, who had been living and working in Cambodia for 12 years, reach such notoriety?

In March 2014 Alex and a band of Khmer followers set up a protest camp in the middle of the thickest jungle in Cambodia. Their mission – to block Chinese dam builders from entering the remote Areng Valley – one of the last refuges for endangered wildlife and settled by Indigenous Chong People.

Despite a regime ban on protest, the camp became a clarion call to a growing youth movement. Students made the journey from the capital Phnom Penh to support a motley mixture of monks, indigenous locals, and ex-loggers who had joined Alex at the jungle camp.

I visited in the rainy season to find this committed bunch sleeping in hammocks as the incessant rains flooded tents turning the place into a quagmire.

Five times Chinese surveyors and dam builders were surrounded in their vehicles and sent packing. Then last September the police arrived with military support, broke up the camp and arrested Alex and eleven others when they again blocked the road. They were released only after agreeing to sign onerous commitments to cease their activities.

Though not naming Alex explicitly the threat of deportation came soon after. An article in the Phnom Penh Post of 12th December 2014 quoted Government minister Chheang Vun, who threatened the leader of Alex’s group Mother Nature with deportation:

“If I find that he did anything against what he pledged to the Ministry of Interior, I will request that the Immigration Department at the ministry arrest him and send him back to his home country.”

After years beneath the radar, Alex steps into the open

Of mixed Anglo-Spanish parentage, Alex speaks English with a Geordie accent alluding to earlier years living with his Mother near Newcastle. Originally from Catalonia, he made Cambodia his home and worked with the International Red Cross and a number of private companies as a translator.

Alex’s fluent mastery of the Khmer language enabled him to engage intimately with Khmer communities struggling against ongoing exploitation under the regime of Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has brutally suppressed all opposition in the country during his 30-year rule.

Mother Nature activist Somnang Sim said of him: “Alex is a foreigner but he can speak Khmer, so many people respect him.”

I got to know Gonzalez-Davidson in 2012 while making a documentary ‘Defenders of the Spirit Forest’. In the early days, though usually busy organising activities, he was careful not to stand in front of the camera, preferring to take a low-profile approach, mindful of the consequences of being seen to be speaking out against the regime he calls a “criminal cartel”.

That all changed as he became increasingly immersed in a campaign to save The Areng Valley, growing increasingly frustrated with the ineffective approach of conservation NGOs in the Areng Valley such as Flora and Fauna International and Conservation International.

Working in formal partnerships with the regime, they have said little in public against destructive projects like the dam, for fear of losing their permission to operate in the country.

Social media successes rankle corrupt politicians

Styling his own brand of activism based on non-violent direct action and creative use of social-media, Alex founded the group Mother Nature in October 2013.

His short quirky videos which poke fun at the “monkeys in power” have become a hit with Khmers – each one quickly going viral on Facebook. In a country where television is tightly controlled by the state, it is the internet where much social debate happens.

He especially appeals to a youth population yearning for the political freedoms they read about on their smart phones daily. By fronting up to the regime Alex has become a symbol of their hopes and aspirations. Now he has a following of activists increasingly prepared to challenge decisions made by corrupt politicians, and stand up to laws enforced by crooked judges.

Hun Sen narrowly retained power in the July 2013 elections but opposition claims that the results were rigged were accompanied by protests. Hun Sen responded in characteristic fashion with bloody crackdowns, and people were killed. This was followed up with a ban on all protest in January 2014.

Throughout this period Alex and his allies continued to mount protests in the capital, most of which were swamped with police from the start. One featuring students wearing animal costumes on bicycles attracted more police than protesters and didn’t even manage to begin cycling. Still the symbolism that it presented set social-media alight.

Cambodia’s conservatoin jewel in peril

A report by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency for the Cambodian government concludes that the £200 million price tag will result in a high cost of electricity per unit compared with other dams, for the modest 108 megawatt output it would provide.

But while the Government maintains that feasibility studies have yet to be done, Mother Nature has gathered substantial evidence indicating that the dam has been approved behind closed doors and therefore views these feasibility studies as just an excuse to commence construction.

“We have been really effective at exposing this white elephant project”, said Alex. “It is just an excuse for further corruption from logging and mining.”

The proposed hydroelectric-dam project is led by Chinese dam building giant Sinohydro with help from its powerful local partner Pheapimex, led by ruling party Senator Lao Meng King. Pheapimex is infamous for its high profile land-conflicts.

In a public letter, Prime Minister Hun Sen said the dam has not been approved and a decision is pending based on the results of an Environmental Impact Assessment yet to be conducted.

Alex disputes the letter’s claims that the dam will provide positive benefits such as creating energy, jobs and the development of ecotourism: “The letter in itself is so biased towards construction that it is further indication of our belief that the dam has been approved.”

A further indication that the project has approval is that Sinohydro Resources recently registered a wholly owned Cambodian subsidiary specifically for this hydro project: Cambodia Cheay Areng electricity company Ltd.

Now blacklisted from entering Cambodia, Alex said prior to his explusion: “I am really proud of what we have achieved so far, and I truly believe that the movement we have created, will only serve to accelerate the unstoppable growth of the movement in future.”

Rod Harbinson is an environmental journalist, filmmaker and campaigner.

Watch ‘Defenders of the Spirit Forest’, a 25 minute documentary on the Cardamom Mountain forests by Rod Harbinson at: www.spiritforest.org

Sign the petition by Rainforest Rescue to Save the Areng Valley.

Support the campaign to save the Areng valley with Cambodian Campaign group Mother Nature.

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Ethiopia: stealing the Omo Valley, destroying its ancient Peoples Updated for 2026

There is growing international concern for the future of the lower Omo Valley in Ethiopia. A beautiful, biologically diverse land with volcanic outcrops and a pristine riverine forest; it is also a UNESCO world heritage site, yielding significant archaeological finds, including human remains dating back 2.4 million years.

The Valley is one of the most culturally diverse places in the world, with around200,000 indigenous people living there. Yet, in blind attempts to modernise and develop what the government sees as an area of ‘backward’ farmers in need of modernisation, some of Ethiopia’s most valuable landscapes, resources and communities are being destroyed.

A new dam, called Gibe III, on the Omo River is nearing completion and will begin operation in June, 2015, potentially devastating the lives of half a million people. Along with the dam, extensive land grabbing is forcing thousands from their ancestral homes and destroying ecosystems.

Ethiopia’s ‘villagisation’ programme is aiding the land-grab by pushing tribes into purpose built villages where they can no longer access their lands, becoming unable to sustain themselves, and making these previously self-sufficient tribes dependent on government food aid.

A total disregard for the rights of Ethiopia’s Indigenous Peoples

What is happening in the lower Omo Valley, and elsewhere, shows a complete disregard for human rights and a total failure to understand the value these tribes offer Ethiopia in terms of their cultural heritage and their contribution to food security.

There are eight tribes living in the Valley, including the Mursi, famous for wearing large plates in their lower lips. Their agricultural practices have been developed over generations to cope with Ethiopia’s famously dry climate.

Many are herders who keep cattle, sheep and goats and live nomadically. Others practice small-scale shifting cultivation, whilst many depend on the fertile crop and pasture land created by seasonal flooding.

The vital life source of the Omo River is being cut off by Gibe III. An Italian construction company began work in 2006, violating Ethiopian law as there was no competitive bidding for the contract and no meaningful consultation with indigenous people.

The dam has received investment from the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and the World Bank, and the hydropower is primarily going for export rather than domestic use – despite the fact that 77% of Ethiopia’s population lacks access to electricity.

People in the Omo Valley are politically vulnerable and geographically remote. Many do not speak Amharic, the national language, and have no access to resources or information. Foreign journalists have been denied contact with the tribes, as BBC reporter Matthew Newsome recently discovered when he was prevented from speaking to the Mursi people.

There has been little consideration of potential impacts, including those which may affect other countries, particularly Kenya, as Lake Turkana relies heavily on the Omo River.

At risk: Lake Turkana, ‘Cradle of Mankind’

Lake Turkana, known as the ‘Cradle of Mankind’, is the world’s largest desert lake dating back more than 4 million years. 90% of its inflow comes from the Omo. Filling of the lake behind the dam will take three years and use up to a years’ worth of inflow that would otherwise go into Lake Turkana.

Irrigation projects linked with the dam will then reduce the inflow by 50% and lead to a drop of up to 20 metres in the lake’s depth. These projects may also pollute the water with chemicals and nitrogen run-off. Dr Sean Avery’s report explains how this could devastate the lake’s ancient ecosystems and affect the 300,000 people who depend on it for their livelihoods.

Tribal communities living around the lake rely on it for fish, as well as an emergency source of water. It also attracts other wildlife which some tribes hunt for food, such as the El Molo, who hunt hippo and crocodile. Turkana is home to at least 60 fish species, which have evolved to be perfectly adapted to the lake’s environment.

Breeding activity is highest when the Omo floods, and this seasonal flood also stimulates the migration of spawning fish. Flooding is vital for diluting the salinity of the lake, making it habitable. Livestock around the lake add nutrients to the soil encouraging shoreline vegetation, and this is important for protecting young fish during the floods.

Lake Turkana is a fragile ecosystem, highly dependent on regular seasonal activity, particularly from the Omo. To alter this ancient ebb and flow will throw the environment out of balance and impact all life which relies on the lake.

Severely restricted resources around the lake may also lead to violence amongst those competing for what’s left. Low water levels could see the lake split in two, similar to the Aral Sea. Having acted as a natural boundary between people, there is concern that conflict will be inevitable.

Fear is already spreading amongst the tribes who say they are afraid of those who live on the other side of the lake. One woman said, “They will come and kill us and that will bring about enmity among us as we turn on each other due to hunger.”

Conflict may also come from Ethiopians moving into Kenyan territory in attempts to find new land and resources.

A land grab twice the size of France

The dam is part of a wider attempt to develop the Omo Valley resulting in land grabs and plantations depending on large-scale irrigation. Since 2008 an area the size of France has been given to foreign companies, and there are plans to hand over twice this area of land over the next few years.

Investors can grow what they want and sell where they want. The main crops being brought into cultivation include, sugar, cotton, maize, palm oil and biofuels. These have no benefit to local economies, and rather than using Ethiopia’s fragile fertile lands to support its own people, the crops grown here are exported for foreign markets.

Despite claims that plantations will bring jobs, most of the workers are migrants. Where local people (including children) are employed, they are paid extremely poorly. 750km of internal roads are also being constructed to serve the plantations, and are carving up the landscape, causing further evictions.

In order to prepare the land for plantations, all trees and grassland are cleared, destroying valuable ecosystems and natural resources.

Reports claim the military have been regularly intimidating villages, stealing and killing cattle and destroying grain stores. There have also been reports of beatings, rape and even deaths, whilst those who oppose the developments are put in jail. The Bodi, Kwegi and Mursi people were evicted to make way for the Kuraz Sugar Project which covers 245,000 acres.

The Suri have also been forcibly removed to make way for the Koka palm oil plantation, run by a Malaysian company and covering 76,600 acres. This is also happening elsewhere in Ethiopia, particularly the Gambela region where 73% of the indigenous population are destined for resettlement.

Al-Moudi, a Saudi tycoon, has 10,000 acres in this region to grow rice, which is exported to the Middle East. A recent report from the World Bank’s internal watchdog has accused a UK and World Bank funded development programme of contributing to this violent resettlement.

For many tribes in the Omo Valley, the loss of their land means the loss of their culture. Cattle herding is not just a source of income, it defines people’s lives. There is great cultural value placed on the animals. The Bodi are known to sing poems to their favourite cattle; and there are many rituals involving the livestock, such as the Hamer tribe’s coming of age ceremony whereby young men must jump across a line of 10 to 30 bulls.

Losing their land also means losing the ability to sustain themselves. As Ulijarholi, a member of the Mursi tribe, said, “If our land is taken, it is like taking our lives.”

They will no longer be independent but must rely on government food aid or try to grow food from tiny areas of land with severely reduced resources.

Ethiopia’s food security

Ethiopia is currently experiencing economic growth, yet 30 million people still face chronic food shortages. Some 90% of Ethiopia’s national budget is foreign aid, but instead of taking a grass-roots approach to securing a self-sufficient food supply for its people, it is being pushed aggressively towards industrial development and intensive production for foreign markets.

There is a failure to recognise what these indigenous small-scale farmers and pastoralists offer to Ethiopia’s food security. Survival of the Fittest, a report by Oxfam, argued that pastoralism is one of the best ways to combat climate change because of its flexibility.

During droughts animals can be slaughtered and resources focused on a core breeding stock in order to survive. This provides insurance against crop failure as livestock can be exchanged for grain or sold, but when crops fail there can be nothing left. Tribal people can also live off the meat and milk of their animals.

Those who have long cultivated the land in the Omo Valley are essential to the region’s food security, producing sorghum, maize and beans on the flood plains. This requires long experience of the local climate and the river’s seasonal behaviour, as well as knowledge of which crops grow well under diverse and challenging conditions.

Support for smallholders and pastoralists could improve their efficiency and access to local markets. This would be a sustainable system which preserved soil fertility and the local ecosystem through small-scale mixed rotation cropping, appropriate use of scarce resources (by growing crops which don’t need lots of water, for example) and use of livestock for fertility-building, as well as for producing food on less productive lands.

Instead, over a billion dollars is being spent on hydro-electric power and irrigation projects. This will ultimately prove unsustainable, since large-scale crop irrigation in dry regions causes water depletion and salinisation of the soil, turning the land unproductive within a couple of generations.

Short of an international outcry however, the traditional agricultural practices of the indigenous people will be long gone by the time the disastrous consequences becomes apparent.

Megan Perry is Personal and Research Assistant to SFT Policy Director, Richard Young.

This article was originally published byt the Sustainable Food Trust.

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