Cambodia: Widespread illegal logging in Prey Lang rainforest amid ban on community patrols
Widespread illegal logging and the repression of environmental activism are among the grave threats to Cambodia’s Prey Lang rainforest, Amnesty International said today, one year after authorities banned environmental defenders from entering the Prey Lang wildlife sanctuary.
Recent images and remote sensing data reviewed by Amnesty International’s Crisis Evidence Lab reveal that illegal logging – the main cause of deforestation in Prey Lang – is continuing apace, with widespread forest clearings and new roads cleared within the protected area.
“While Cambodian authorities prevent the Prey Lang Community Network and environmental defenders from protecting the Prey Lang wildlife sanctuary, illegal loggers are clearing land with impunity,” said Richard Pearshouse, Head of Crisis and the Environment at Amnesty International.
“The Cambodian authorities must allow these environmental defenders to resume their patrols and carry out their vital work preventing further destruction of one of the world’s most important rainforests, which is disappearing before our eyes.”
