Environmentalists Warn of Continuing Deforestation in Koh Kong, Pursat

Environmentalists are calling for more action to protect the Cardamom Mountains National Parks and Phnom Oral Wildlife Sanctuary, which they say are suffering illegal logging on a daily basis.

Chea Hean, the head of ACNCIPO — an abbreviation for watchdog group Anti-Corruption, Natural Resource Protection and Civil Rights Protection — said his group had submitted a letter to Environment Minister Say Sam Al in early March about illegal logging in the protected areas in Koh Kong, Pursat and Kampong Speu provinces.

The group had followed up residents’ reports and found a large amount of timber being trafficked out of specific routes in the parks, Hean said. Hean said he had submitted the letter because he believed local officials would only take sustained action if given orders from above. However, a recent visit again to the areas had found the transport of wood continuing unabated, he said last Friday, alleging corruption and complicity among local officials.

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