The Mirror, Vol. 14, No. 659
“Phnom Penh: 118 organizations and associations expressed their support for the crackdown on forestry crimes by Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen, and some associations suggested that former Director General of the Forestry Administration Ty Sokun must be bought to a court to be convicted according to the law.
“During the press conference in the morning of 9 April 2010 at the Sunway Hotel in Phnom Penh, representatives of 118 organizations and associations stated that as civil society organizations working in the Kingdom of Cambodia, they support the cracking down on forestry crimes ordered by the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Samdech Akkak Moha Senapadei Dekchor Hun Sen, where now, as a consequence, some officials have to face legal action, and some others are already being jailed. But in the meantime, all civil society organizations asked the Royal Government to continue to intercept such crimes as an on-going concern in order to protect the forest for the next generations.
“The executive director of the NGO Forum on Cambodia, Mr. Chhith Sam Ath, and the chair of the Human Rights Action Committee and executive director of the Khmer Institute for Democracy, Mr. Hang Chhaya, expressed similar ideas, saying that civil society organizations support the Royal Government intercepting forestry crimes, and they asked the government to continue this crackdown.
“Representatives of various associations also present in the event, including Ms. Chen Thol, association representative from Kompong Speu, Mr. In Ham, association representative from Kompong Thom, Mr. Seng Sokheng, association representative from Oddar Meanchey, and Mr. Nov Vuth, association representative from Preah Vihear, asked the Royal Government to regularly suppress forest crimes and suggested that the Royal Government should directly check forests at community level that is being destructed by logging by merchants, by the powerful, and by the rich.
“Also, the joint statement of 118 organizations and associations voices support for the recent strict measures of the Royal Government to eliminate forestry crimes in Cambodia. The statement adds that for decades, the forest in Cambodia has been cut illegally and continually, even though the Royal Government stopped providing forestry concession land, and it is reported that most perpetrators are powerful and rich. The lack of measures against forestry crimes leads to heavy logging activities, and also some community forests are threatened.
“The statement asks the Royal Government to keep on publishing forestry crimes widely and to take legal action against perpetrators regardless of their political orientation, and to support forest protection communities in order to prevent illegal logging. Also, they called for the involvement by relevant bodies, like by involved civil society organizations. They asked the Royal Government to halt providing concession land that can affect the forest and suggested that the forestry administration strengthen their resolve to effectively implement the law to guarantee and protect the forest for the next generations.” Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.9, #2224, 10.4.2010
This article was first published by The Mirror, Vol. 14, No. 659 - Saturday, 10.4.2010
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Norbert Klein is the Editor of The Mirror – The Mirror is a daily comprehensive summary and translation of the major Khmer language press - More about The Mirror