Mineral Concessions

Mineral Concessions are granted to foreign or local mining companies for exploration and eventual exploitation. Information about mining concessions is limited to a severe lack of transparency at the highest levels of the Ministry of Industry, Mines & Energy (MIME). Even the World Bank has been caught unaware of certain pending concessions.

According to anonymous source, the only comprehensive map of mining concessions in Cambodia is kept on paper and pencil in the office of Minister Suy Sem. AMC has been unable to verify this claim.

M mineral deposits are controlled by foreign (Chinese and Korean) and local companies who have Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with MIME authorizing exploration. While some of these companies have begun illegal exploitation of these sites, many lack the companies lack the necessary resources to exploit the concessions, and have sought to form partnerships for exploitation with foreign investors, according to a report by the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada.

In practice, mining companies seem to pay little attention to operating standards, environmental laws, health and safety standards, or the needs of nearby communities. This is especially the case for small scale gold mining operations, according to Oxfam America. As the industry grows from its current small size into larger operations, we can only guess at what the consequences will be for Cambodia. There are particular concerns about the effects on indigenous communities, according to a report on Land and Natural Resource Alienation by Focus on Global South.