A/HRC/7/56 page 12 expressed concern that the policy should recognize and protect the full range of collective ownership rights set out in the Land Law. On the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People, the Office issued a statement outlining continuing concerns about the protection and implementation of indigenous rights to land, and failure to enforce the Land Law. It supported holding of a forum on national indigenous peoples, focusing on good governance and rights to land. 39. The Office continued to monitor evictions and issues affecting the right to adequate housing. The forced eviction of poor communities has occurred largely in and around Phnom Penh, as demand and prices for land increase, but there are rising numbers of evictions in Sihanoukville and other provinces experiencing urban growth. Hundreds of families have been forcibly evicted from their homes by municipal and district authorities in order to enable private development projects to proceed. Some of these evictions have been conducted after negotiations with local communities, seeking to find a reasonable compromise through adequate compensation. Several others were carried out with excessive force using armed police and military police, resulting in injuries and the destruction of property. Many evicted families have been rendered homeless or relocated to distant sites on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, which lack basic services and are far removed from their usual livelihoods. 40. The Ministry of Economy and Finance, with the technical assistance of the Asian Development Bank, is drafting a sub-decree on the socio-economic impacts of development projects, which will govern the compulsory acquisition of land in the public interest, resettlement of affected communities and assessment of compensation entitlements. The Office contributed to the consultation and submitted concerns regarding the consistency of the draft sub-decree with the right to adequate housing as recognized in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and with Cambodia’s Constitution and Land Law. The Office engaged in dialogue with civil society groups regarding the draft sub-decree, and supported community input to the drafting process. 41. In relation to these issues, the Office monitored the environment for NGOs, civil society groups and individuals promoting and seeking to enforce rights to land and the protection of natural resources. Civil society actors operate within an increasingly shrinking space and hostile climate: authorities have regularly accused NGOs of being politically motivated and of incitement when supporting communities to voice their concerns. In several provinces (Ratanakiri, Mondulkiri, Kratie, Stung Treng), a clear pattern of restrictions of freedom of assembly and movement of local communities and NGOs has begun to emerge. 42. In several provinces, particularly in areas where disputes over land and natural resources are prevalent and acute, NGOs are often required to inform or even seek permission from provincial authorities prior to visiting local villagers, convening workshops or meetings. In May 2007, Ratanakiri provincial police stopped a meeting of over 30 representatives from national and provincial NGOs, stating that permission to hold the meeting had not been obtained from the provincial authorities. In Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri provinces, which have predominantly indigenous populations, community members are required to request permission from provincial authorities prior to attending meetings outside the province. In Ratanakiri, an NGO working with communities affected by upstream dams in Viet Nam sought permission for 12 community members and 2 staff members to attend a workshop in Phnom Penh in October 2007: the deputy provincial governor refused permission and ordered the provincial