A Cambodian court has ordered the release of 13 women who were imprisoned after protesting in support of families whose homes were destroyed during forced evictions. The women were sentenced last month to two and a half years in prison, following a brief trial that rights groups described as hasty and unfair. Judge Seng Sivutha […]
Cambodia: Court Frees Land Eviction Protesters
Posted June 27th, 2012 at 6:30 am (UTC-5)
Leave a comment
Countries Adopt Guidelines on ‘Land Grabbing’
Posted May 11th, 2012 at 8:35 am (UTC-5)
The United Nations has published guidelines on so-called “land grabbing,” the large-scale purchase of farm and fishing lands by rich countries in the developing world. Members of the U.N. Committee on World Food Security endorsed the guidelines Friday at a meeting in Rome. The guidelines, which are not legally binding, call on governments to protect […]
Vietnam Detains 20 in Land Dispute
Posted April 25th, 2012 at 4:20 am (UTC-5)
Vietnamese police have detained 20 people involved in a protest outside the capital, Hanoi. The dispute began Tuesday when hundreds of villagers clashed with as many as 3,000 riot police and other security forces. The villagers say the authorities were engaged in an illegal attempt to evict farmers from their land to make way for […]
Survey: Nearly Quarter of Chinese Farmers Not Compensated for Land Seizures
Posted February 7th, 2012 at 7:15 am (UTC-5)
A new survey published Tuesday suggests that a rising number of Chinese residents have become victims of government land seizures. The study found that more than 43 percent of rural farmers have been the victims of land grabs since the late 1990s. The survey showed a dramatic increase in such cases since 2007. Nearly a […]
China’s Premier Supports Farmers’ Land Rights
Posted December 27th, 2011 at 12:55 pm (UTC-5)
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is warning government officials they must protect the land rights of farmers and give those farmers a much larger share of the profits when their land is taken over for development. Mr. Wen’s defense of farmers came at a conference in Beijing Tuesday, less than a week after authorities in southern […]
Pope Asks Faithful to Look Beyond Christmas ‘Glitter’
Posted December 24th, 2011 at 7:40 pm (UTC-5)
As millions of Christians worldwide prepared to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, Pope Benedict XVI decried the increasing commercialization of Christmas. At a Christmas Eve service in a packed St. Peter’s Basilica Saturday, the pontiff asked the faithful to look beyond the holiday’s superficial “glitter” to discover its true meaning. Meanwhile, tens of thousands […]
Pope Asks Faithful to Look Beyond Christmas ‘Glitter’
Posted December 24th, 2011 at 6:45 pm (UTC-5)
As millions of Christians worldwide prepared to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, Pope Benedict XVI decried the increasing commercialization of Christmas. At a Christmas Eve service in a packed St. Peter’s Basilica Saturday, the pontiff asked the faithful to look beyond the holiday’s superficial “glitter” to discover its true meaning. Meanwhile, tens of thousands […]
Chinese Villagers Protest Government Land Acquisition
Posted September 24th, 2011 at 10:00 am (UTC-5)
Villagers in China’s Guangdong province have held a fourth day of protests against what they say is an illegal acquisition of farmland by the local government. Hundreds of villagers gathered Saturday in the city of Lufeng to demand that officials explain their reasoning for the land acquisition apparently intended for development. Local residents clashed with […]
Oxfam Warns of ‘Land Grabs’ in Africa
Posted September 22nd, 2011 at 10:45 am (UTC-5)
The British aid group Oxfam says poor people in developing countries, particularly Africa, are being hurt by foreign investors rushing to buy land, often in deals made secretly. In a report released Thursday, the group said people are being pushed from their homes without prior consultation, compensation or the ability to appeal. The group said […]
Land Bill Aims to Increase Compensation for Indian Farmers
Posted September 7th, 2011 at 12:20 pm (UTC-5)
India’s parliament has introduced a new land acquisition bill aimed at addressing the concerns of rural farmers forced to sell their land for the country’s industrial development. The legislation, spearheaded by the ruling Congress Party, is intended to replace a centuries-old land acquisition law. Under the bill, the government would pay farmers prices four times […]
