Evidence Review Begins in Case Against Thai Sugar Giant Mitr Phol
Hoy Mai is the lead plaintiff in Hoy Mai & Others vs. Mitr Phol Co. Ltd. Hundreds of Cambodian families who were violently displaced by the Thai sugar giant Mitr Phol have been struggling for justice for over a decade. They recently had what some might consider their first day in court—a chance to begin […]
Cambodian communities reach settlement with sugar industry actors after decade-long campaign for redress
Two hundred Cambodian families whose land was forcibly seized to make way for a sugar plantation in Cambodia’s Koh Kong province have reached a financial settlement with key sugar industry supply chain actors. The settlement comes following more than a decade of advocacy and legal action in pursuit of justice for communities driven from their […]
Thai Court Greenlights Trial Against Global Sugar Supplier Mitr Phol
Thailand’s Court of Appeals last week denied Mitr Phol’s motion to dismiss a historic class action lawsuit filed against the company by plaintiffs representing hundreds of Cambodian families who were violently displaced to make way for one of the Thai sugar giant’s industrial sugar plantations. The case also shines a light on the serious human […]
Sustainable sugar group Bonsucro ignored rights abuses by member, UK body finds
Women watch their farm houses burn during forced eviction of Bos village (October 2009) (Phnom Penh) – The UK-based “sustainable sugarcane” certification body Bonsucro violated its international human rights responsibilities, according to a statement released by the UK National Contact Point (UK NCP), a government body that handles complaints against British multinational enterprises. The NCP […]
U.S. Court Orders Coca-Cola to Turn Over Evidence in Thai Human Rights Case
Lead Plaintiff Hoy Mai with her children (Atlanta, GA.) – A U.S. federal court in the Northern District of Georgia last week ordered the Coca-Cola Company to turn over evidence related to an ongoing class action against Thai sugar giant Mitr Phol in the Thai courts. The decision, an important victory for plaintiffs representing hundreds […]
Cambodians Seek Coca-Cola Company’s Help in Case Against Asia’s Largest Sugar Supplier
Read this release in Khmer here. Today, plaintiffs representing hundreds of families who were violently displaced to make way for an industrial sugar plantation in Cambodia have filed a petition in the Northern District of Georgia asking the U.S. Court to help them obtain evidence from Coca-Cola. The evidence would be used to support their […]
Announcement of the Bangkok South Civil Court Permitting Class Action Lawsuit against Mitr Phol
In 2020, Cambodian plaintiffs representing more than 700 farming families won a landmark appeal allowing them to move forward with their class action against Asia’s largest sugar producer, Mitr Phol. The transboundary class action Hoy Mai & Others vs. Mitr Phol Co. Ltd. is the first of its kind in Southeast Asia. The case was filed, with […]
Time for Mitr Phol, Coca-Cola, Nestle, Mars Wrigley and Bonsucro to live up to their human rights responsibilities
This week from Geneva, the United Nations is hosting its annual Forum on Business and Human Rights. Thousands of participants from government, business and civil society groups from around the world will gather online to discuss current issues regarding the implementation of the UN’s Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights – which outline the […]
Thai Appeal Court decision on Mitr Phol paves the way for Asia’s first transboundary class action on human rights abuses
The transboundary class action Hoy Mai & Others vs. Mitr Phol Co. Ltd. is the first of its kind in Southeast Asia. It was filed under Thai laws permitting a class action to be brought by foreign plaintiffs for abuses committed by a Thai company overseas. The complaint accuses Mitr Phol of complicity in the forcible […]
ANZ agrees to landmark settlement with Cambodian farmers displaced by sugar company it financed
ANZ has agreed to provide a financial package to Cambodian families forcibly displaced by a sugar company the Australian bank loaned money to in 2011. The agreement, the first of its kind by a commercial bank, sets an important human rights precedent for the banking industry worldwide.