Kreung Ethnicity - United Nations in Cambodia

Although most of the villagers interviewed could speak Khmer, the project
team posed questions through indigenous interpreters. The project staff took
interview notes and sessions were recorded to ensure a full and accurate
account of statements made by those interviewed. In some instances,
participants described past cases and settlements they had been involved in
or had been recounted to them. In others, they could identify fixed rules that
had been dictated by their ancestors, particularly relating to traditional beliefs.
With some cases, participants said past dispute resolutions could inform
current dispute settlements if/when a similar case arose in the village.
The resulting research is presented in narrative form highlighting offences and
their resulting penalties or resolutions and the rationale behind the decisions
made.
We are grateful to the traditional authorities in all six villages, who have
provided invaluable information for this exercise. We would also like to thank
the indigenous youth association CIYA, the Khmer Leu association, DPA and
the local authorities in these areas. Without their cooperation and support,
this documentation could not have been achieved. Finally we would like to
thank the Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo
(AECID, the Spanish Agency of International Development Cooperation),
the Spanish Government and UNDP Cambodia for their financial support.
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Kameng village, Rattanakiri province