No End in Sight to Deforestation

[geovalin]

PREAH VIHEAR – Prime Minister Hun Sen has repeatedly called for a stop to deforestation in the country, but his pleas have fallen on deaf ears in Preah Vihear province, as an investigation this week by Khmer Times has shown. One company with alleged links to people in high places has just opened a large wood processing factory in the O’Sneat area near Tor Sou village in Tor Sou commune, which is in Chen Sey district in Preah Vihear province.
 

Local residents allege that the trees being felled to feed the wood processing factory are coming from the nearby Prey Lang forest, which is now supposed to be a protected area. One member of the Prey Lang Community, a body which has fought for years to save the forest, spoke to Khmer Times on condition of anonymity.  
 

Prey Lang Community member Samrith*, who has fought against deforestation in the area for many years, has been busy collecting information about the company, which has now deployed many workers and publicly asked people living in nearby areas to cut down trees and sell the timber to the company. Along large sections of National Road 213, a red gravel back road, many two-wheel tractors were seen carrying wood to sell to the factory. The tractors run day and night along the road with no objections from authorities, who Mr. Samrith said were forestry officials, police and military.

 

read more http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/29149/no-end-in-sight-to-deforestation/

 

 

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