Illegal loggers have cleared 30-hectares of community forest land, close to the site of thousands of natural stone pillars in Mondulkiri province, felling hundreds of trees and leaving the area barren. Kreung Tola, an indigenous Bunong, told Khmer Times yesterday that the loggers were outsiders who recently cleared the area in Lam Me village of Pichreada district’s Busra commune.

 

He said the Bunong community was able to ascertain that the trees were felled this month from the condition of the wood. “The authorities were negligent in preventing illegal logging activities taking place, because they were busy protecting other places and the location where the loggers were operating was also remote. We felt very sad when we got the information that so many trees had been felled.”

 

Tola noted that in the past, the indigenous Bunong community had cleared land for small-scale farming with permission, and in accordance with the community’s internal regulations, but the illegal loggers had carried out large-scale destruction of the forest.

 

read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50781262/illegal-loggers-clear-30-hectares-of-forest-in-mondulkiri-province/

They cleared 30 hectares and no-one noticed until the cash was in the bank!

Had to clear the trees to get at the mushrooms.

They were doing the public a favor.

 

6 hours ago, geovalin said:

close to the site of thousands of natural stone pillars in Mondulkiri province, felling hundreds of trees and leaving the area barren.

 

 

They couldn't see the pillars for the trees.