T
his publication was prepared in conjunction with an Asian Development Bank (ADB)
regional technical assistance project on Capacity Building for Indigenous Peoples/Ethnic
Minority Issues and Poverty Reduction, covering four developing member countries (DMCs)
in the region, namely, Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, and Viet Nam. The project is aimed at
strengthening national capacities to combat poverty and at improving the quality of ADB’s
interventions as they affect indigenous peoples.
The report was prepared jointly by Mr. Hean Sokhom and Ms. Tiann Monie, ADB
consultants based in Cambodia, under the guidance of Mr. Roger Plant, the leader of the
consultants team. The findings contained herein are the result of several activities under
the technical assistance, including a provincial workshop held in Ratanakiri Province on
21–22 May 2001, and a national workshop in Phnom Penh on 13–14 September 2001.
Extensive fieldwork and consultations with high-level government representatives,
indigenous peoples themselves, and nongovernment organizations (NGOs) were also
undertaken. The findings of this study were shared at a regional workshop held in Manila
on 25–26 October 2001, which was attended by representatives from the four participating
DMCs, NGOs, ADB, and other finance institutions.
The project was coordinated and supervised by Dr. Indira Simbolon, Social Development
Specialist and Focal Point for Indigenous Peoples, ADB. The assistance of Jay Maclean in editing
and of Anita L. Quisumbing and Lily Bernal in production is acknowledged with thanks.
The publication is one of a series of documents produced by the project. They comprise four
country reports (on Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, and Viet Nam, respectively), a regional report
covering these four countries, and the proceedings of the regional workshop that resulted in
recommendations for a regional action plan for indigenous peoples/ethnic minorities. In addition,
a regional report on the subject in Pacific DMCs was prepared under a separate consultancy.
It is hoped that the information in this publication series on the issues and concerns
of indigenous peoples/ethnic minorities will help guide national governments and other
development partners in improving future interventions to recognize, promote, and protect
the rights of these peoples