Green Group Records 100 Cases of Illegal Logging in Protected Cambodian Forest in Three Days
An environmental watchdog group in Cambodia has recorded at least 100 cases of illegal logging in the country’s protected Preah Roka Wildlife Sanctuary over the course of just three days, prompting it to call on the government to strengthen enforcement and allow activists to carry out forest patrols unmolested.
The Cambodian Youth Network (CYN) said in a news release that it had undertaken a 55-kilometer (34-mile) patrol of the Preah Roka Wildlife Sanctuary in the Preah Vihear province districts of Choam Ksan, Tbeng Meanchey, and Cheb from March 19-21, during which it recorded the 100 cases, mostly of rare and priceless timber.
The logging included trees with cross-sections ranging from 45 centimeters (18 inches) to 1.5 meters (five feet) in areas of dense and semi-dense forest, and species such as Teal, Steang, Phteak, Popeal, Pechek, Odom, Korki, and Sokrom, the group said. In addition to targeting individual trees, perpetrators also burned and cleared certain areas of the forest, it said.
RFA’s Khmer Service. Translated by Sok Ry Sum and Samean Yun.
