Chea Hean News Today

Sak Setha, permanent secretary of state for the Ministry of Interior, issued a letter requesting that Koh Kong provincial governor Mithona Phuthong resolve a dispute over more than 5ha of land between the director of the Botum Sakor National Park and a resident.

Sak Setha, permanent secretary of state for the Ministry of Interior, issued a letter requesting that Koh Kong provincial governor Mithona Phuthong resolve a dispute over more than 5ha of land between the director of the Botum Sakor National Park and a resident.

An outspoken environmental watchdog has submitted a letter to the Ministry of Environment requesting that the Pursat and Koh Kong provincial environmental departments combat illegal logging and timber hauling at the Phnom Oral Wildlife Sanctuary and the Cardamom Mountains range.

Forest crime, including illegal logging and transportation of timber, is rampant in the Cardamom Mountains Wildlife Sanctuary, according to the environmental watchdog ACNCIPO.

Kampong Speu provincial authorities confiscated 784ha of illegally occupied land in the Aural Wildlife Sanctuary in Oral district’s Trapaing Chor commune. It has given those who were illegally using the land one month to protest the decision.

In the first five months of this year, Phnom Aural Wildlife Sanctuary rangers demolished 22 cottages and reclaimed 299ha as state land.

Kampong Speu provincial governor Vei Samnang has issued an order prohibiting clearing and settling on more than 281ha of state forest land in two locations after some residents illegally occupied and farm the land.

Share Land clearing accusations from 2008 under scrutiny Mon, 5 April 2021 The Ministry of Environment has sent a team to investigate land disputes at two locations covering over 100ha. The disputes involve former deputy director of the Phnom Oral Wildlife Sanctuary Chhun Chhea Heng, who years ago accused Chea Hean – the director at the time of an anti-corruption NGO – of encroaching on forest land that was sold in 2008, following Hean’s levelling of similar accusations against him. Acco...

Share Forest rangers in Prey Lang in May. Rangers have logged 27,588 patrols for this year, up from 24,048 the previous year. Photo supplied Forestry crimes on the rise Mon, 28 December 2020 The Ministry of Environment on December 28 issued a report detailing crackdowns on illegal activities in protected natural areas and biodiversity conservation corridors. According to the report, forest rangers responded to 8,917 cases of natural resource crimes over the past 12 months, an increase of 3,442...

Share Police detain Kampong Speu land grabbers Mon, 14 December 2020 Military Police personnel, in cooperation with environmental rangers in Kampong Speu province, have cracked down on natural resource crimes and illegal encroachment of state land in Oral district’s Ta Sal commune. They seized 15 chainsaws, removed eight tents, and destroyed 19 coal ovens, according to the provincial Military Police report released on December 13. While patrolling the Sorya village area on December 12, author...