ANZ is resisting pressure to assist the hundreds of families who claim they been adversely affected. ANZ is resisting pressure to assist the hundreds of families who claim they been adversely affected. Photo: Ken Irwin

ANZ has ruled out helping hundreds of poor Cambodian families forcibly evicted from their land to make way for sugar-cane plantations that involved child labour and led to food shortages.
Fairfax Media this year revealed confidential audits that disclosed that ANZ’s Cambodian subsidiary, ANZ Royal Bank, had financed sugar plantations belonging to the Phnom Penh Sugar company owned by powerful Cambodian politician Ly Yong Phat.
Senator Phat’s company last month repaid its loan to ANZ Royal Bank but the affected farmers and villagers still want the bank to address their plight.
Dozens of farmers and villagers last week protested outside ANZ’s headquarters in Phnom Penh. The protest’s leaders met ANZ executives and asked for their help, arguing that the sugar plantations would not have gone ahead without the bank’s financial support.