been deployed to intimidate and coerce peasants, indigenous peoples (IPs), and other rural folk. Another complicating factor is the poor over-all land administration prevailing in many Asian countries. This includes inefficient or corrupt bureaucracies, complicated and time-consuming procedures for land titling and dispute resolution, and outdated or conflicting land laws and policies. The table below summarizes the various country contexts and describes the various situations where human rights abuses occur. Table 1: Country Context and Human Rights Issues Country Issues Bangladesh • • • • There are at least 146 land-related laws that are complicated and sometimes contradictory. The land administration system is characterized by inefficiency and corruption. Three-quarters of all pending court cases in the country are related to land. One percent of farming land lost each year through conversion and transfer of agricultural land, often through forged documents. • Indigenous peoples and other disempowered people often evicted from their land; land rights defenders are killed and women frequently raped by land grabbers; government is unable to provide protection due to lack of legislative measures. • Multi-national companies often fail to consult communities before undertaking projects. • Government also acquires fallow land for export-processing zones. Cambodia • Government support for special economic zones and economic land concessions have negatively impacted half a million Cambodians. • Some IPs are evicted because of infrastructure projects or land grabbing; others suffer from violations of social, economic, and cultural rights. • The country has long been criticized by international organizations for its poor human rights record. India • Agriculture is unproductive, accounting for only 17.9 percent of Indian GDP, but it employs over half the total population. • In order to boost economic growth, the country embarked on urbanization, both of which require land. • The Land Acquisition Law of 1984, meant to deal with land fragmentation, negatively affected the peasants and indigenous peoples; very low compensation was provided for lands acquired. • Land acquisition by business and government for industries and infrastructure is often done through the use of force. Indonesia • Land conflicts, mainly between small farming communities and corporations, have become widespread across Indonesia. • From 2004 to 2015, there have been 1,770 agrarian conflicts with a conflict area of 6,942,381 hectares, involving 1,085,751 households. • In 2017, the highest number of conflicts was recorded in the plantation sector (mostly in the palm oil industry). The 208 conflicts in the sector accounted for 32 percent of the total agrarian conflicts. • The land conflict brought various forms of human rights violations such as violation of the rights to freedom of expression, the right to security, the right to access information, and the right to freedom of movement. State violence consists of intimidation, harassment, criminalization, arbitrary arrest, torture, and shooting. Nepal • Traditional land and territories are not recognized by Nepalese laws and policies. • Land conflicts are often the results of complicated legal procedures, lack of awareness, loopholes and duplications in land laws. ANGOC and KPA 21