Chapter 20
In: Sights, Sounds, and Sensibilities of Atrocity Prosecutions
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Abstract
The chapter explores the justice-environment-activism nexus in the context of the land concession crisis in Cambodia through a little used prism, namely, that of visuality. It focuses on the confrontation between the authorities and a local environmental activist group called Mother Nature Cambodia, which is well-known for its efficient video campaigns. This chapter examines the ways in which the government articulates the relation between law and visuality as a means of hiding elite capture, repressing dissent, and promoting a multi-layered imaginary of development. Then, it analyses Mother Nature Cambodia’s activist counter-visuality as it is expressed in several videos, and it tries to assess its potential impact on the reconfiguration of the space of politics in the country. The chapter aims to contribute to the interdisciplinary discussion of natural resources extraction, neo-patrimonialism, and resistance in Cambodia.