The Mirror, Vol. 14, No. 657
“Phnom Penh: During a cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen affirmed the position of the government regarding the campaign to strongly intercept forestry crimes, and not to give up. Although there may be barriers against it made of rock or of iron, any obstacles must be broken down.
“During the cabinet meeting yesterday, which took from morning to noon, Samdech Dekchor Hun Sen spoke to all members of the Royal Government, saying that all related institutions, whether on the national or on regional levels, have to cooperate to intercept forestry crimes, and to reach the ringleaders. All authorities have to investigate this at every place to find the offenses and to arrest the offenders, the principal leaders, and other relevant persons, to be prosecuted without any exception regardless of how powerful those persons are, and whatever their relationships, because the suppression of forestry crimes is the suppression of criminal groups – their activities have to be considered as activities of national betrayal.
“Samdech Hun Sen regards the interception campaign against illegal wood trading as a thunderstorm campaign, not a pleasant light drizzle.
“Also, Samdech Hun Sen knows that those who use to do such wood trading are backed by high ranking officials, but this time, no matter how high their positions are, they will be jailed.
“Samdech Hun Sen seriously warned some high ranking officials to withdraw from this business, because now the thunderstorm comes.
“He gave similar orders regarding the campaign to crack down on gambling sites and on drugs. All authorities must remember also the order to persecute the car owners that stick light black plastic foils on the inside of their car windows to conceal [who, or what is going on inside].
“Therefore, 2010 is a bad year for forestry crimes, for all kinds of gambling, and for cars which blackened windows.” Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.9, #2212, 27.3.2010
This article was first published by The Mirror, Vol. 14, No. 657 - Saturday, 27.3.2010
Have a look at the last editorial - you can access it directly from the main page of The Mirror.
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
Illegal logging and tinted windows comparable?( April-08-2010 )
Thanks for writing a comment - but to whom are you addressing your question?
I assume most readers of The Mirror are aware that the Monday to Saturday postings are translations from the Khmer press (to make it accessible for people who do not read Khmer); on Sundays, I write something myself.
So how did the two things get into the same report? I assume because both are related to the new public call by Prime Minister Hun Sen to follow orders (which had been issued repeatedly in the past but were not implemented much). As for the uncovering of illegal logging and wood trade, quite a number of persons have been identified or arrested - the head of the Forestry Department of the Ministry of Agriculture was replaced (and the questions, whether this is all, are discussed in the press. The Mirror carried a related report on Wednesday, 7 April 2010.
And tinted windows? Well, there had been a number of cases where cars with tinted windows had been used in carrying our violent crimes. Therefore the ban.
I think nobody had said these two issues carry similar weight. But both relate to the fact that laws and regulations are not being followed - and now there is a new attempt to say: they should.
Norbert Klein
editing The Mirror
tinted windows( April-07-2010 )
Seriously - tinted windows? Large scale illegal logging and tinting your car's windows are comparable?