Lumning PictureOur colleague Ean Karona, known to all of us as Lumning, passed away from illness on 15 September. Lumning had been working with the UN Office for Human Rights in Cambodia for the last 14 years and was a committed human rights worker. His dedication and extremely strong sense of justice, combined with a great sense of humour, made him a wonderful colleague and friend. In recent years, Lumning had been working in particular on land and housing rights issues. A skilled negotiator, he managed to pursue or resume dialogue to prevent violent evictions and protect the rights of the persons at risk. He worked relentlessly to support indigenous communities in the East and South of Cambodia register their land as communal land, in order to help protect their traditional livelihoods and cultural environment. Lumning enjoyed the contact with people, whether from communities, government or civil society partners. Lumning was a pillar of OHCHR-Cambodia. He cared for people and for social justice.
All his colleagues and friends, in Cambodia and around the world, will remember him with affection, love and respect. Lumning is survived by his wife and three children as well as a grand-child. Our thoughts are with them all.
Lumning's work to promote and protect the rights of indigenous communities in Cambodia features in a short video produced by OHCHR, which can be viewed here